Aoife Brennan: "Day three is when the bodies start talking"

Overblik

Aoife Brennan qualified as a physiotherapist in Dublin and worked in a sports injury clinic for a decade before a friend asked her to join a padel camp in Spain as the group's physio for a week. That was seven years ago. She now spends around twenty weeks a year with camp groups in Spain, Portugal and the Canaries, and the rest at home in Galway. We spoke between treatments, on a sun lounger she had commandeered as a treatment table.

On the pattern of a camp week

Is there a typical shape to the injuries you see?

Very much so. Day one, nothing. Everyone is excited and fresh. Day two, a few stiff backs from the flight and a couple of blisters. Day three is when the bodies start talking: calves, shoulders, the outside of the elbow, sore knees from all that low volleying. By day four I can usually predict who will need help on day five.

Why day three?

Because most people go from two hours of padel a week to four or five hours a day. The muscles cope for a couple of days on enthusiasm. Then the accumulated load catches up. It is rarely one bad movement. It is hundreds of ordinary ones.

On prevention

What can players do before they travel?

Build up. If you play twice a week at home, add a third session for the month before the trip, or a couple of extra hours of brisk walking and some calf raises. Players who prepare like that barely trouble me. And please wear the shoes you will play in for at least a few sessions at home. New shoes on day one is the most common mistake I see.

And during the week?

Sleep, eat lunch and drink more than you think. I know that sounds dull. But the players who skip lunch to sit by the pool are the ones on my table at five o'clock with cramp. I also ask everyone to do ten minutes of easy movement in the evening: a walk along the beach, some gentle mobility. Lying on a lounger for four hours and then going straight on court is asking for trouble.

On pain and honesty

How do you know when someone should stop playing?

I ask simple questions. Is the pain getting worse as you play, or easing off? Is it sharp or dull? Does it wake you up at night? Sharp pain that grows during play is a reason to stop. A dull ache that eases as you warm up is often manageable with a lighter session. The hard part is that people have paid for the week and do not want to miss anything.

So how do you persuade them?

I tell them a missed afternoon is better than a missed season. Most listen. Some do not, and they usually come back the next morning and agree with me.

On her own kit

What is in your bag?

Tape, lots of it. Blister plasters, a foam roller that packs flat, a massage ball, resistance bands and a small bag of ice packs that live in the hotel freezer. I also bring a spare pair of insoles, because someone always arrives in shoes with nothing left in them.

Do you play yourself?

Every evening, if the group lets me. I am a solid intermediate with a terrible bandeja. The coaches tease me about it daily. It keeps me humble, and it reminds me how hard people work out there.