Rocks Lane is one of the most diverse and inclusive padel venues in the country — and in Mohi Khosilova they have a coach who perfectly embodies the club’s principles.
Mohi is one of very few padel coaches in the UK who happens to be female and Muslim (she may even be the only one — if not, let us know!). She has become a role model for the many young people who play padel regularly at the club in Chiswick, west London, particularly girls and those from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Her elder brother, Dima Khosilov, already worked at Rocks Lane and Mohi was invited to join him on the team last September as she had prior experience as a high-level junior tennis player in her native Uzbekistan as well as in coaching.
She’s now nearly 23, but aged 14 Mohi had to make a difficult choice between forging a career as a pro tennis player or doubling down on her studies. She chose the latter, got a BA in English Literature, and drifted away from sport.
But in the midst of the pandemic, she got an offer to join her brother teaching tennis in the United Arab Emirates. “It changed my entire life,” she tells The Padel Paper. “I was working next to coaches from all over the world and found that I loved teaching.”
Her brother Dima’s travels took him to Australia, Singapore and London, where he found a welcoming environment at Rocks Lane. Once founder Chris Warren heard about Dima’s sister’s tennis background, she was invited over from Uzbekistan to join him after her graduation.
“I had very little padel experience, but from the start Chris and the team had belief in me that I could do it,” she says. “They were so encouraging and generous, and that’s why I decided to go for it.”
Months of intensive training in the nuanced techniques of padel followed alongside Rocks Lane’s Spanish head coach Alex Grilo and other members of the team.
“I was the only female coach when I started,” Mohi remembers. “As a female, I felt more pressure and more requirement to be able to get validation from people, to earn their trust, and for them to come to my lessons — but that was a pressure I put on myself and the feeling didn’t last long at all.
“They were ready to accept me as who I am and teach me the sport from the basics, no matter how long it took. The management, the coaches and the community taught me with such patience and were highly supportive. They never got frustrated with my questions.
“This was the biggest step in my padel career. Without them I don’t think I would have handled the pressure of coaching this new sport, but they built up my confidence so quickly.”
Mohi started off shadowing and assisting the other coaches, starting with juniors then adding private lessons with adult beginners. Now, she teaches players of all ages and abilities and is involved with Rocks Lane’s multitude of junior, schools and community participation programmes.
Being taught by a young woman wearing a Hijab is significant for many players from the highly diverse community near Rocks Lane in the Borough of Hounslow.
“Padel is growing so quickly and we see people of all backgrounds discovering the game,” says Mohi. “Seeing me, they get quite inspired and happy that females from a minority background are showing them that they can handle this new sport.
“I think girls find it easier to open up and communicate with me because I’m a female. I get on really well with juniors of all ages. From the start, we’ve had this instant understanding and connection.”
Mohi is even progressing into organising some of Rocks Lane’s local, regional and national padel tournaments. “It’s a huge experience for me. A little overwhelming, but most of all incredibly exciting!” she beams. “Every day, I feel blessed to be part of such a wonderful team. I don’t ever want to leave!”
There’s certainly no question of that as owner Chris Warren values Mohi’s contribution so highly.
“Diversifying your coaching team is important because it helps to diversify your player base,” he explains. “Mohi has been great for integrating different cultures. She is absolutely brilliant. Sports clubs can feel daunting for the Muslim community, but diversity helps remove those barriers.”
