PAD4YOUTH.eu

Project Name: PAD4YOUTH – Padel for Youth

Summary PAD4YOUTH is an 18-month Erasmus+ Small Collaborative Partnership designed to promote physical activity and social inclusion through padel—a fast-growing racket sport. Coordinated by the Padel Federation of the Valencian Community (FPCV), the project expands access to padel for young children across five countries, including those with intellectual impairments or facing social exclusion. The initiative delivers adapted training toolkits, inclusive equipment, and structured learning for sport trainers, schools, and padel clubs.

Main Objectives

• Design inclusive padel training models and equipment tailored to children aged 3–18
• Improve access to sport for children with intellectual impairments and those at risk of social exclusion
• Train padel instructors, PE teachers, and activity supervisors for inclusive sport delivery
• Create a toolkit and capacity-building resources with attention to gender inclusion, mental wellbeing, digitalization, sustainability, and social integration
• Disseminate good practices and promote padel as a tool for lifelong physical literacy and social cohesion

Target Groups

• Primary: Trainers and educators (3 per partner), partner organizations
• Secondary: Children and youth (focus on excluded groups, intellectual disabilities, gender inclusion)
• Tertiary: Schools, sport federations, NGOs, racquet sport stakeholders, and public institutions

Key Activities & Methodology

• Transfer of FPCV's inclusive training resources to 4 European partners
• Testing and refinement of the resources with diverse youth groups in Italy, Portugal, and Croatia
• Five Multiplier Sport Events (MSE) hosted in partners’ countries to trial and co-create inclusive padel modules
• Creation of new equipment (light paddles, low-pressure balls) designed for early age use
• Final celebratory event in Spain showcasing unified training for all target groups
• Development and publication of multilingual training toolkit and communication materials
• Strategic dissemination through events, media outreach, Erasmus+ platforms, and stakeholder advocacy

Project Partners

• FPCV – Federación Pádel Comunidad Valenciana (Spain, Coordinator)
• Ginásio Clube Português (Portugal)
• UISP Ciriè Settimo Chivasso (Italy)
• European Institute of Sport Development, Kinesiology and Health (Croatia)
• España se Mueve (Spain, Dissemination Lead)

Implementation Period

• September 2022 – March 2024
• Structured work in three phases: management, training implementation, and dissemination

Funding & Support

• Co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme – Sport Small Collaborative Partnerships
• Includes resource translation, equipment procurement, and event coordination across five countries

Legacy & Impact PAD4YOUTH empowers children and educators across Europe to engage with padel in inclusive, meaningful ways. The adapted equipment and training toolkit remain accessible post-project through partner networks and online platforms, enabling continued replication in schools, clubs, and youth institutions. By fostering play, physical literacy, and social inclusion, PAD4YOUTH positions padel as a modern sport for all generations.