We all love padel. An exciting, fast and fun sport in which anyone can have a good time together with several partners. One of its great strengths is that it excludes virtually no one and that anyone who wants to can have a good time on a court. The constant improvement, the simple rules and the low difficulty of the rallies mean that more and more fans are falling in love with this game.
Among all these groups, there is a very special one, with specific limitations and who overcome their adversities to enjoy this great sport. These are deaf people, whose inability to hear does not prevent them from taking to the court to prove their worth.
However, at Padel Addict we were asked many questions about how these players overcome the different obstacles they face. For that reason, our collaborator Patricia Fuero, official photographer of the last European Padel Championships for the Deaf held in Cerrado del Águila (Málaga), was able to interview several participating players.
The European Padel Championships for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Several of the participants told what this circuit meant to them and what it consisted of. It is a very well organized competition in which not only give ease to these people to play among them, but also give visibility to this group.
Pablo Fajardo is one of them and he did not hesitate to invite more people to join: ‘There are a lot of deaf people who play and compete in padel who don’t know it and could play in this circuit perfectly. I really encourage them to sign up“. Denis Álvarez is another of them and he values everything that is being achieved: ‘It makes no sense what is growing in terms of players and visibility’.
There are four tournaments in different cities in Europe. These players represent their respective countries and each weekend ends up being a real celebration.
How does hearing loss affect the game?
It’s a small thing, but it affects the game a lot. You think about the limitations that deaf people can have and they don’t seem so many, but they themselves recognise that there are details that make all the difference.
Denis Álvarez tells us about the challenges they face on the court: “The main difficulty is communication in the middle of a point. It’s something we players prepare for before the match. Agreeing to avoid confusion, the feel and sound of the racket and the strokes is something very important for me. But it’s not the only thing, because, for example, balls that go to the fence and not to the wall when serving are difficult to detect. Also a return that goes very close to the parallel and we can’t hear if the ball touches the grille or the side wall.
Far from complaining, he has always looked for ways to make up for these shortcomings: ‘That’s why we prioritise vision in the game. We use our eyes a lot instead of our hearing. It’s something we’re used to and it’s not a problem for advanced players, but for beginners it can be a problem.
‘Sometimes it affects because we can’t hear if the ball hit the glass or the net. However, communication such as sign language is the key to maintaining coordination,’ says Raquel Pitarch.
My partner and I had to develop a very efficient visual communication system,’ says José Javier Díaz. It is not possible to communicate verbally who is looking for the ball, which could generate confusion on the balls in between. All our coordination has to be based on visual signals and body language.
Not only matches, but also training sessions
Beyond the communication between teammates and the possible dubious balls that may be more difficult to identify, there is another problem and that is the understanding with the coach. Pablo Fajardo tells us how the preparation is different for deaf people: ‘The coaches can talk while the hearing players train and, on the other hand, deaf players must stop to be able to read the coach’s lips or, in case he knows sign language, listen to him with his eyes’.
Raquel Pitarch, despite these small difficulties, recognises that it is not a big obstacle: ‘The training is very similar, only that deaf padel players depend more on visual indications. A greater effort is made in communication and teamwork without the need for sounds’.
In the face of problems, solutions
Despite the difficulties, these players try to adapt in the best way to have a high level and to be able to compete on equal terms with anyone. Many say that they use devices that allow them to hear, but these are not allowed at the European Deaf Padel Championship, so they end up finding their own way to perform at their best.
Denis Álvarez tells us again how they manage to play normally: ‘We deaf players try to manage as much as possible by ourselves. In my case, I always visualise a lot how the opponents are positioned while the lob is being played to know how they are positioned. Also when it comes to knowing who is going to the ball. In these cases the deaf couples usually agree before the match and organise who should go to the ball in these cases, but generally we use our eyes a lot more to see everything that is going on around us’.
Manuela Álvarez also points out what she is used to doing both with deaf teammates and when she is with hearing people: ‘In a match, when the ball is bad, they usually raise their arm to warn me. They also come closer so that I can read their lips and little else…. With deaf people we don’t even need to get close, with sign language we understand each other very well’.
Does it have advantages?
It seems incredible, but these limitations also have their positive side. Just as blind people have a more developed hearing, deaf people have unique abilities. This is what Pablo Fajardo tells us, who recognises that he takes advantage of his unique qualities to improve his padel level.
‘As we usually have a slightly better vision than hearing people, we can take advantage of it to improve the reading of the ball, which is essential to place yourself better in advance and have a little more of an advantage. There is another skill that we need to develop by necessity and that is tolook where the players are when we have a bajada wall or a tray in case they go up to the net by surprise, because we are incommunicado, ‘says Pablo.
Much more than a sport
Initiatives such as the European Padel Championships for the Deaf do nothing more than highlight the great work that is being done to encourage the practice of this sport to everyone, regardless of limitations. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the great padel party. Marta Rodríguez Pina is grateful for this type of event, in which she can ‘feel like one more, not being different from the others’.
These are tournaments that unite and in which the values of sport reach their peak. As with Manuela Álvarez, for whom padel has allowed her to ‘meet wonderful people, learn international sign language and take friendships home’. Like Raquel Pitarch, who is very happy to ‘be part of a community that supports each other and shows that disability does not limit talent or effort’.
Not only for the people who are playing today, but also for future generations, who will be able to enjoy the path that is being built now. ‘I encourage these young people not to be afraid, that deafness is not an obstacle to play, nor to stand out. Padel is a fun sport, you play with your mates, friends and, of course, you enjoy it’, says Marta Rodríguez.
These are examples of people who show that nothing and nobody can stop us from fulfilling our dreams, especially in this sport, because padel belongs to everyone and for everyone.
Special thanks to Pilar Moreno
From Padel Addict we send our most sincere thanks to Pilar Moreno, who with her tireless effort and dedication is one of the great promoters so that the Padel for the Deaf has the recognition it has today.
Her work in compiling interviews for this article, organising every detail and excelling in everything she does is truly admirable. She also deserves special recognition for the award she recently received at the Gala del Pádel Andaluz, a reflection of her incredible work. Thank you, Pilar, you are a real machine!
