In Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, the recently opened WePlay Padel club had a special appearance by former British no. 1 and current world no. 4 tennis player Johanna Konta. Yorkshire’s women’s over-50s champion Gilly Smail joined her for a fun morning filled with coaching sessions, games, and community involvement. Their involvement gave the club’s early years more celebrity power and excited both new members and supporters.
A busy morning for both players and guests
Events featured a high-intensity padel aerobic workout guided by coach Damian Galloway, as well as children “serving for prizes,” which were supplied by York-based IT Sports. The highlight was a showcase match in which Konta, who was playing padel for the first time, showed off her deft volleys, while Smail motivated others with how quickly she had improved since picking up a racket three years prior.
Knowledgeable Q&A and a link to the community
After the games, Konta and Smail shared personal tales with the audience during a Q&A session led by club owner James Buffoni. They discussed the fun of racket sports, how to encourage grassroots participation, and why women are particularly drawn to padel. Their anecdotes resonated with local viewers, proving that padel can flourish anywhere.
strong local community backing at the beginning
All courts were completely booked throughout the weekend, demonstrating the growing excitement surrounding WePlay Padel. Buffoni thanked Konta and Smail for their visit, describing it as a significant boost for the new club. As players and spectators gathered beneath the cover to take pictures and sign autographs with the celebrity guests, the atmosphere stayed lively despite the rain.
Future initiatives and summer sales are meant to increase involvement.
WePlay is encouraging padel to families by providing a 20% discount on morning court reservations through the end of August, coinciding with the start of summer vacations. With more events centered around inclusivity and community development scheduled for late summer, coaching programs and competitive events are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Local enthusiasm at the arrival of Padel
Seeing such well-known people support their small-town club excited the crowd. “It’s amazing to have this in our town—I never thought we’d see a padel facility, let alone the former world tennis number 4 playing padel in Kirkbymoorside,” one participant said, summarizing the event. The occasion signaled a new chapter for padel in North Yorkshire and a positive beginning for the club.