FIP Promises Paris by WME Sports: prevention, recovery, injuries… doctors (Mani and Clédassou) raise awareness about the challenges of padel for young people

Le FIP Promises Paris by WME Sports will not only be a sporting event bringing together the best young international talents paddle The Paris tournament also aims to highlight a topic that has become essential in modern sport: the health needs and the medical support young athletes.

Through the partnership with the Sports Clinic The organizers wish to provide real support for the players, but also to raise awareness among families, coaches and young competitors about the issues related to the growth , recuperation and injury prevention .

To better understand these issues, Ariel Mani ,, Anesthesiologist-Resuscitator from the Sports Clinic present at the tournament and Dr. Laurine Clédassou , sports doctor at the Sports Clinic, agreed to detail the medical realities of padel among young people.

“Performance can no longer be separated from prevention.”

For Ariel Mani , the medical presence at a tournament like the FIP Promises Paris by WME goes far beyond the simple role of intervening in case of injury.

“My role is primarily to ensure the medical safety of the players and to organize care in case of a problem.”

In a tournament bringing together young players from several countries, the goal is also to create a reassuring environment for everyone:

“The goal is to offer a reassuring, responsive and professional environment, so that the athlete, his family and his staff know that in case of a problem, the support will be immediate and appropriate.”

But beyond the purely medical aspect, there is also a strong desire to a change. .

“Today, athletic performance among young people can no longer be separated from prevention and health.”

Youth padel has nothing to do with adult padel

Doctor Laurine Clédassou reminds us of an essential reality: a young player is not a miniature adult.

“A young padel player differs from an adult player in that he is still growing.”

In adolescents, bone and joint structures are not yet fully developed. growth cartilages remain fragile and some areas become particularly vulnerable during phases of rapid growth.

The doctor specifically mentions:

the apophysoses ,
the osteochondritis ,
the growing pains ,
or the pathologies related to tendon insertions .

Le paddle , with its:

changes of support,
pivots,
accelerations,
braking,
lateral movements,
and match rehearsals,

These sensitive areas are under considerable strain.

The most frequent injuries among young players

Unlike adults, young people less frequently develop major muscle injuries or tendon ruptures.

“We see fewer muscle injuries, tendon ruptures or lower back pain in children.”

However, some pathologies are very specific to young age:

Osgood-Schlatter disease at the knee,
Sever's disease at the heel,
growing pains
elbow overload
epicondylitis,
microtraumas related to the repetition of movements.

Doctor Clédassou also emphasizes another often underestimated danger: the overtraining .

“The growing popularity of this sport in recent years requires us to screen children at risk of overtraining.”

Today, some young people are following suit:

training sessions,
internships,
competitions,
team championships,
trips,

with sometimes too little recovery.

FIP Promises Paris by WME Sports: prevention, recovery, injuries… doctors (Mani and Clédassou) raise awareness about the challenges of padel for young people

“Young people often downplay their pain”

One of the biggest problems, according to doctors, remains the tendency of young people to downplay certain pains.

“A passionate padel player will always prefer to minimize their pain in order to be able to play.”

The role of parents and coaches It therefore becomes essential for detecting warning signs:

chronic fatigue
pain that lasts for several days,
performance decline
sleeping troubles,
irritability,
loss of motivation
Recurrence of injuries.

Doctors remind us that persistent pain should never be ignored, especially in a growing player.

Equipment and warm-up play a huge role

Another often overlooked topic: the equipment .

Doctor Clédassou emphasizes the importance:

by adapted racket at the age and level,
of grip properly adjusted ,
as well as shoes with good cushioning and lateral reinforcements .

Using unsuitable equipment greatly increases the risk of:

tendonitis,
elbow pain
or microtrauma.

The same observation applies to the warming up , too often botched in young players.

“It’s when you’re cold that you’re more likely to get injured.”

The doctor recommends a thorough warm-up of approximately 15 minutes including:

jogging,
joint mobility
accelerations,
support work,
shoulder activation,
and repetition of the specific movements of padel.

Hydration, sleep and recovery: the real keys to top performance

The doctors present at the tournament strongly emphasize three elements that are still too often underestimated:

le asleep ,
the diet ,
and the hydration .

“Hydration, nutrition and sleep are the key points.”

Among young people, the recuperation becomes fundamental when you have to play several matches over several days.

Doctor Clédassou advises in particular:

Water and electrolytes immediately after matches.
rapid supply of carbohydrates and proteins
light stretching,
Ice on sensitive areas
and especially 9 to 10 hours of sleep .

She also recommends several simple but effective tools:

massage roller
plantar mobility ball,
elastic bands,
Cryotherapy for some players
or even precise monitoring of hydration.

A genuine reflection on the development of padel

For Ariel Mani , the presence of the Sports Clinic on the FIP Promises Paris goes far beyond a simple medical partnership.

“Padel is experiencing extremely rapid growth, especially among young people, and it seemed important for us to be present on the court.”

The idea is also to support the structuring of a sport that is booming.

“There is a desire to support a dynamic, structured project geared towards the new generation of sport.”

Doctors also see the paddle as an extremely interesting sport from a public health perspective:

“Padel has many advantages: it is an accessible, fun, and social sport.”

But they also point out that with the intensification of the practice, the need for supervision becomes increasingly important.

“The most important thing is still the enjoyment”

Despite all the performance challenges, Dr. Clédassou wants to remind young players of an essential point:

“To enjoy playing, to have fun.”

Because beyond results and high level, the main objective remains to allow young people to practice for a long time, in good health and in the best possible conditions.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !