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05
May
The Harrogate coach representing Great Britain at padel tennis
It was after finding her dad’s racquet as a child that Sophie Cousins first fell in love with tennis
The Ashville College tennis coach has spent her whole life invested in the sport, one way or another.
But it was not until recently that she became immersed in the ever growing sport of padel tennis.
The last 18 months have been a whirlwind for Sophie. From first stepping foot on a padel court for the first time to representing her country at an international tournament.
For her, the sport is addictive and one which she cannot get enough of.
Picking up the racquet
Born and raised in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Sophie was brought up in a sporting family. Her first interaction with tennis came when she found her dad’s old racquet at home.
Her dad took her to a local club and she began to improve.
She began playing in junior tournaments and would travel to places like Solihull, Nottingham and abroad to compete. Among them was the junior Wimbledon pre-qualifiers, which she competed in aged 18.
Sophie would also try to qualify for the Sunday Telegraph Masters tournament, which was held in Boca Raton, Florida, and La Manga in Spain.
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She grew up watching the likes of Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal competing at the highest level of tennis. She still points to them to this day as examples of model professional athletes.
When Sophie turned 18, she began competing in more international tournaments and tried to work her way up the rankings.
She enrolled at Loughborough University, but her progress in tennis was halted by recurring knee injuries.
By this point, she also wanted to focus on her degree. As a result, tennis began to fall by the wayside.
She continued to coach tennis after university and had a stint as an estate agent in London before moving into teaching, first at Harrogate Grammar School and then at Skipton Girls School.
She moved to Ashville College in Harrogate in 2014. It was here some years later where she was first introduced to the growing sport of padel.
Immersed in padel
Padel tennis first came into the picture 18 months ago.
Angela Crossley, a Wetherby-based tennis coach and now Sophie’s padel partner, first introduced her to the sport.
When Sophie joined Ashville, she struck up a friendship with Angela and they would work offering students sessions in the summer and helping to grow the tennis programme at the college.
One day, Angela brought up the subject of padel with her.
Sophie and her padel partner, Angela, at the World Championships in Spain.
The sport has surged in popularity across the UK. In Harrogate, padel tennis courts have opened at Hornbeam Park, Harrogate Spa Tennis Club and Harrogate Sports and Fitness Club.
Last year, Ripon Tennis Club unveiled two new courts at a cost of £180,000 following a wave of support from residents and businesses.
To date, the Lawn Tennis Association estimates that the UK has 175,000 active padel tennis players.
The interest in the sport is huge, but, for Sophie, the country is still finding its feet competitively.
Fast forward to April this year and Sophie was competing for Great Britain at the International Padel Federation’s Seniors World Championship in La Nucia in Spain.
Team GB women went on to finish a commendable ninth place out of 22 countries.
Joined by Angela, the competition was fierce - not least because the European countries had been familiar with the sport a lot longer than the UK.
For Sophie, the experience was vital and one that she hopes will continue in years to come.
'Prepare to be addicted'
Sophie hardly plays regular tennis competitively anymore, but still coaches from time to time.
Despite tennis taking a backseat recently, she still describes it as a "sport for life" and one that can be taken up at any age.
When asked whether she finds that she enjoys padel more than tennis, Sophie says the mental side of padel is a huge draw for her.
She points out that there is more to padel than just playing the game. There is also a social aspect to it, she says, which stems from its growth in Spain and South America.
If you have any local sporting figures who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.
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