Hi Maria! Welcome to the PDL Padel United team! Can we ask you, what is your uni degree?
I am currently in my 3rd year of a BA (Hons) Sport Coaching and Physical Education degree. This
degree teaches me all about coaching and development within sport, which will help me to build the
player’s confidence and ability in my Padel sessions. It’s a great degree, small classes and the
lecturers are lovely.
What it’s like at Marjon?
Marjon is a brilliant place. The fact that it’s a small university gives it such a community feel and you
get an unbelievable amount of support with your degree that you wouldn’t get at a bigger university.
Sport at Marjon is huge, the support at games is incredible, and the team spirit within the clubs is
everything. When varsity comes around in March the spirit of Marjon truly comes out with around
1,000 people showing up to watch some of the games. With Padel being available to the whole
community, we can bring the Marjon spirit onto the Padel courts and spread it across the
community.
What it is like living in Plymouth?
Plymouth is an interesting city. I’m from Portsmouth and the similarities between the two places are
crazy, particularly with the naval influence and the fact that they’re both waterfront cities. If you are
into water sports and beaches then Plymouth is an excellent place to go to university, and it’s only a
short trip away from the beautiful county of Cornwall. The city is full of students, so you know that
you are always going to find like-minded people if you work or do sports within the area. There are
many places to visit and something for people of all ages. I am glad I came to university in Plymouth,
although sometimes trying to get to other places in England can be a bit difficult!
How excited are you to be helping with the PDL Padel United Padel club?
I am super excited to be working with the Padel club. I have been playing racket sports all my life and
had heard about Padel in a few places, so when I saw it was coming to Marjon I was very intrigued.
As I have learnt more about the sport, I have realised how great it is. Whether you have never hit a
ball in your life or have been playing for years it literally does cater to all abilities. The courts are
small, so a large amount of fitness is not required to be able to play the game, and the technique is
very easy to figure out. I am excited to see how this sport takes off within the area, and within the
whole country. Trust me if you are thinking about trying it out, DO IT!
