One of world’s fastest-growing sports taken to next level at new Mississauga facility

A new racquet sports facility in Mississauga is taking things to the next level with the introduction of an internationally successful player development system.

Officials at The District Padel & Pickleball Club announced on Tuesday they’ve struck a partnership with M3 Padel Academy to bring its “world-renowned training methodology” to Canada for the first time.

Combining elements of tennis and squash, padel “is the fastest-growing racquet sport in the world, (and is) rapidly expanding across Canada,” club officials said in May at the official opening of their 55,000-sq.-ft. “flagship facility” on Caterpillar Road in Mississauga, just off The Queensway East near the Toronto border.

The racquet sports centre is “one of Canada’s largest indoor padel and pickleball facilities,” they added at the time.

In a news release issued on Tuesday, club officials said the facility’s partnership with M3 Padel Academy “signals a shift from introducing people to the sport to developing the first true generation of Canadian padel players and coaches.”

New academy has global reach 

They added M3 Padel Academy, available in nine countries, has helped develop 15 No. 1 players in the world, produced 243 international titles and serves more than 1,100 active students worldwide, “establishing itself as a global standard of excellence in padel training.”

The club said the new partnership “marks a significant milestone for Canada’s growing padel community and supports The District’s mission to elevate the sport’s credibility and long-term development nationwide.”

Beginning in September, M3 Padel Academy at The District will offer a year-round training program for players built around three progressive trimesters focused on fundamentals, technical and tactical development, and performance, club officials said.

The academy emphasizes “measurable progress through tailored instruction, continuous monitoring and small-group training sessions,” they added.

The academy also features a coaching certification program.

Program for younger players

For younger players, The District said it will offer the M3 Junior Academy, “which applies the same methodology through age-appropriate instruction, specialized coaches and small-group training designed to support long-term development.”

M3 Padel Academy spokesperson Jorge Martínez said in Tuesday’s news release Canada “is an exciting emerging market for padel, and we believe The District is the ideal partner to introduce our methodology and help develop the next generation of players and coaches.”

The District Padel & Pickleball Club houses eight indoor padel courts, seven indoor pickleball courts, an on-site café and 38-foot ceilings, officials said earlier.

Pickleball a popular sport, too 

Pickleball, meanwhile, is played on a badminton-size court using a paddle and wiffle ball and combines parts of badminton, tennis and table tennis. Its popularity is also on the rise in Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area — and across the country and south of the border in the U.S.

Pickleball’s increasing popularity across North America has been well documented the past five years or so.

Early last year, the City of Mississauga launched a pilot program in response to a growing demand from residents for more pickleball access — both indoor and outdoor — in Canada’s seventh-largest city.

City officials said earlier the pilot was expected to help manage the high demand for pickleball in Mississauga.

“Pickleball continues to be a very popular sport in Mississauga,” the city said in a news release at the time.

Invented in the U.S. Pacific Northwest in 1965, pickleball has taken Mississauga — and North America — by storm since the COVID-19 pandemic neared its end.

In response, the city has in the past several years hopped on board the craze and attempted to make the sport more widely available to the growing number of players in Mississauga.

Mississauga officials say people of all ages are showing an interest in pickleball. (Photo: City of Mississauga)