Padel for kids: a first season
Six short weeks for children aged about 7 to 12 and their parents: games first, then the bounce before the wall, the serve, staying safe, fun drills and…
Week 1: games first
Look for a kids' session or a junior coach at a club near you. Many clubs lend rackets and balls. Start with games, not rules: tag with side steps, throw and catch over the net, and bounce the ball off the glass to catch it. Let your child try a racket that feels light and short in the hand. Many coaches use slower, softer balls for young beginners, but that is a coaching choice, not a rule. Wear trainers with a flat, grippy sole, and bring water.
Week 2: stay safe
Put the racket's wrist cord on every time. The rules say everyone must wear it, children included. Never swing when your partner is close. Call "mine" or "yours" so only one of you goes for the ball. Never throw the racket or hit the ball hard in anger, and send balls back to the other side gently. Stop and wait if a ball from another court rolls onto yours. The point is simply played again.
Week 3: the bounce before the wall
The ball must bounce on your floor before it touches your walls. After that bounce, you can play it off the glass. Hit the ball back before it bounces on the floor a second time. Bounces off the walls in between do not count. Play mini padel: two children hit softly to each other from the service lines, letting the ball bounce once. Practise letting the ball come off the back glass, then hitting it gently over the net.
Week 4: the serve
Stand behind the service line, bounce the ball once and hit it underarm, at or below the waist. Aim diagonally, into the box across the net. A ball on the line is in. If the first serve goes wrong, you get a second try. Two misses in a row lose the point. Make it a game: who can get five serves in a row into the right box?
Week 5: fun drills
Volley game: a parent or coach throws gently, and the child blocks the ball back before it bounces, racket up in front. Lob game: hit the ball high and over a partner's head, aiming deep into the court. Count rallies together: how many hits in a row can you make without a mistake? Keep drills short, five minutes or so each, and finish with a game the child enjoys.
Week 6: first matches
Start with simple scoring: each rally wins one point, counted 1, 2, 3, and the first pair to 11 wins. When that feels easy, try real games (15, 30, 40, game) in a short set to four games. Toss a coin to choose who serves, and say the score out loud before every serve. Shake hands at the end and say well played, whoever wins.