Great Britain international Frankie Langan is transitioning from padel player to operator by opening his first club in Hertfordshire.
Langan’s newly-formed company Inter Padel has had planning permission approved for a seven-court venue at Bishops Stortford Football Club. It will have three fully covered and four uncovered courts plus a clubhouse.
The 32-year-old is reducing his competitive schedule to dedicate the bulk of his time to his new business venture. He already has plans for a second club at Rayleigh in Essex and further projects thereafter.
Earlier this year, Langan was appointed National Junior Coach, working alongside LTA National Performance Pathway Manager Libby Fletcher to develop Britain’s best juniors at regular national coaching camps. He recently supported GB youngsters at the FIP Junior World Cup in Spain.
Part of Langan’s plan for his Bishops Stortford club is a junior academy run by himself, which he hopes will attract the most ambitious young players in Hertfordshire and Essex.
“We wanted seven courts because we knew there’s a massive demand in this area,” Langan told The Padel Paper.
“We’ve gone for a mixture of covered and uncovered because we wanted to capture that Spanish essence of playing outdoors with tournaments, parties and BBQs when the weather behaves itself, but also make sure it’s practical with full covers on when it’s bucketing down.”
The East Londoner says he will continue to play in UK-based FIPs and some LTA tournaments, but intends to wind down his playing schedule in order to focus on coaching and developing his club portfolio.
“I really do love playing but I’ve got a mortgage to pay,” he said. “There’s no point playing half-heartedly as the competition is fierce now. I’ve been there and done my time. I’ll still compete in bits and pieces, but not full-time or travelling any more.
“Hopefully my time playing for GB and now coaching the best British juniors will act as a pull for people to come to Bishop Stortford. They will want their sons and daughters to play there. We can’t wait to get started.”
