Humans of Padel
Join your host Max Marsh Pickard, General Manager of Padel Art & Co founder of The Padel Outlet in a weekly entertaining dive into the world of Padel and the people involved in the industry
Humans of Padel
Uniting Through Sport The Global Padel Phenomenon | Ji Vichitong
What happens when a football and tennis enthusiast discovers a new passion that changes the course of her life? Join me as I sit down with my good friend Ji, who shares her remarkable journey into the world of padel. From her initial skepticism to becoming a passionate advocate for the sport, Ji takes us through the personal challenges she faced, including making financial sacrifices to pursue lessons. We also touch on the sport's rapid growth in Sweden during the pandemic and Ji's unique experience of reconnecting with her Thai roots through competition.
The world of padel is not just about the sport itself; it’s about the partnerships and friendships that grow out of it. With Ji, we explore the dynamics of playing with different partners and how communication is crucial in these interactions. Padel is more than just a game—it's a social activity that fosters connection and personal growth. We dive into the growing popularity of paddle in Thailand and the challenges of making it more accessible to everyone, emphasizing the need for community and government support.
Imagine a world where paddle brings people together across the globe. Ji shares how this sport has influenced her life, from fostering new friendships and boosting self-esteem to providing a sense of community after her move to Dubai. We celebrate the inclusivity of padel, which welcomes all ages and skill levels, and discuss the qualities that make top players shine. As we wrap up our conversation, we envision paddle as a unifying global pastime, leaving listeners with a sense of joy and anticipation for future discussions.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Humans of Paddle. I'm your host, max. I hope you've all had a brilliant start to the new year. In this episode, I'm joined by my good friend, g. We discuss her journey into Paddle and how she's using social media to inspire more people to get involved in the game. It's a fun episode. I hope you enjoy it. Looking forward to your feedback on Instagram at humansofpaddle. Have a great day, g. Finally we made it, you and me doing a podcast episode together. Finally. It's been about almost a year in the making, I think now yeah, finally here finally here and we've.
Speaker 1:We've lived a lot of things together through paddle over that time as well. We were together in the world cup in Kuwait amazing experience. But I want to go way back before that. Tell us how you got into pedal.
Speaker 2:I played football soccer when I was younger and then I injured my knees so I couldn't continue play football. I started to play tennis when I was, I think, 23 24. It was a challenge because it wasn't. I hadn't played any racket sports before, but I got in love with tennis. But I was a super beginner. Beginner Because tennis is hard. But I got hooked and I took tennis lessons Two or three times per week in about one and a half years. And then my former CEO he was like oh, have you seen this new thing? It's called paddle. I was like paddle, it looks so weird. I play tennis. It's way cooler.
Speaker 1:It's true, Tennis was a cool sport at the time and paddle was like for losers. Or when I told people I played paddle, they thought I was doing like stand-up paddle on the boat like that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it took me like six months before I tried paddle with him and the whole office and from the first moment I was hooked.
Speaker 1:It was like love at first sight so what was your job at the time? I was a um co assistant and when was this that you first started playing paddle?
Speaker 2:I played six, seven, seven years, almost now.
Speaker 1:So pre-COVID.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Way before COVID you started playing. And where was this? In Sweden.
Speaker 2:In Sweden, in Stockholm.
Speaker 1:So the sport was taking off already then.
Speaker 2:No, it was not a lot of people that played, but the community was really really small, so I was in the beginning of paddle.
Speaker 1:So you saw it really take off from the beginning in Sweden. So when did it actually really take off? Because everyone talks about um COVID being the catalyst for paddle in Sweden, but was that the case, or was it already on the rise before COVID?
Speaker 2:hit. I think it was on the way, but it thanks to COVID. It took off really really fast because everyone could like paddle was the only sport you actually could do during covid, so that's why it's also helped with the paddle taking off, because gym they were closed and it was like yeah was it a strict lockdown in sweden? And no, not strict, but like gym and stuff you couldn't like really go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then when did you decide that you wanted to go like full-time into paddle?
Speaker 2:I always wanted because I, I was, I got in love so I was so blinded by like paddle and nothing else existed. But paddle in sweden was really expensive and to take to be better, you need to take lessons and lessons for me was super expensive so I actually ate noodles to afford paddle for like one two years so you were saving on everything possible just to play paddle yes that is commitment.
Speaker 1:Is that when you decided to go into the social media side and develop your Instagram, or when did that come later?
Speaker 2:That came later. I was just doing social media for fun, actually, but just for my private account. But since I played paddle every day, it just became a paddle Instagram.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and when did you decide to kind of, I'm not going to say you take the Instagram seriously because it's still very fun and engaging the content that you do, but when did you decide, okay, I'm going to try and grow this, this potential here for me to maybe benefit from growing this following.
Speaker 2:Three years ago maybe.
Speaker 1:And how hard is it.
Speaker 2:It's hard. It's hard Like I don't earn money still from my social media, like I can't live on it, but for me it's, it's my passion. I want to spread the sport and I see like I can do it through social media and I got a lot of friends from social media, from my instagram, and it's super fun. Thanks for my Instagram.
Speaker 1:You were born and raised in Sweden. However, recently, two years ago you had the opportunity to compete for Thailand, which must have been a dream come true to play at an international level for your country.
Speaker 2:At my age I would say as well. I just started in sport and then played for the country. It's not, it's one in a million, I would say.
Speaker 1:And how was the experience of playing for Thailand?
Speaker 2:Super, super nice. Actually, I've been in Thailand back and forth. When I was younger I were a lot in Thailand but after I moved out from my parents I didn't go to Thailand that often. But now I had a chance to reconnect with Thailand and to to promote paddle in Thailand. That made me proud to to be able to do something and I know paddle can change the life of a person, because it did to me and I see like how, how happy people are when they played like a good paddle or a match and it reconnected.
Speaker 1:Paddle reconnected you with your origins right in a way that you would maybe not have thought possible. Like you said, you haven't really been back to Thailand much, but then, yeah, through paddle, it brought out those roots, you know, and you're able to compete for the country. You were in Thailand, yeah, a month ago trying to grow the sport there. So what kind of stuff were you trying to do whilst you're in thailand last month?
Speaker 2:meeting new people, meeting like the paddle community, doing a lot of social media to reach out to people it's flying.
Speaker 1:It's like this one mini flight and we were both quite sweaty.
Speaker 2:We just played that's why they dropped no, but yeah that uh, next time I'm gonna go, because this was quite in a like a spontaneous trip. Next time we we want to do like a pro-am and to to get more celebrities, and I think that's what thailand needs to to grow the sport. Now it's have taking off a bit, but still it's mostly expats that place, so we need to bring celebrities like football players or whatever to get into padel so thai people will know about padel so you think there's a complete lack of awareness about the sport from Thai people, because I guess there is a middle upper high class that can afford to play.
Speaker 1:I don't think necessarily the barrier to entry. Obviously for a certain amount of people they can't afford to play, but there is a big population in Thailand that could play paddle right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the first step is people's awareness of that paddle exists. Like you said, it's quite expensive. So first it's going to be the middle class, upper class that plays, but then I think the government needs to do something Like in Sweden, for example. They have like free courts that you can play. Of course it's like a long queue to play, but still there are free courts to play on. But we need to create that hype so the government can also come in and help and see this is a really good sport for everybody to play, especially for the kids. It's a super nice sport and it's easy to learn, it's social and it it helps the kids to want something, I think, and also help with their self-esteem.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of opportunity in padel, especially moving forward. The barrier to entry to play and compete isn't that high and with the sport growing so fast, it's true. If you are that first generation of players in your country like you, you can compete for your country and it's a huge motivation for a lot of people to play. And talking on the competitive side, you are playing with another person, right. So how is it competing, trying to do your best, but then you've got another person next to you Especially for you. Let's say, in the Thai team, the level within the team was very wide.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you'd never trained with these people, if we take the example of the World Cup. So how did you adapt to playing with different partners in that event?
Speaker 2:Communication is the first step. I think I always talk with my partner before we're going into the match. How do you communicate and how do you want me to tell you where the opponents are? Or like if? If you're down, if you do a lot of unforced, how can I help you to bring you up? And I think the communication is the key to actually understand your partner. Of course it's, it's hard, but it's also. For me, paddle is fun. I need to have fun on the court and if I see that my partner is also having fun and we, we do our best.
Speaker 1:I mean, we've played together a few times. We never win, it's true, but we have a lot of fun. Let's maintain the myth that we're actually good at this game. I mean, I don't think we ever won a match. Yeah, we have won a match.
Speaker 2:We have, yeah, we have.
Speaker 1:But I mean, we do have a lot of fun. I think that is the most important. It is an entertaining game. Yeah, and we're playing in the appt together well, this week, in the past, by the time this is released, but in the pro category, which I wish us luck with. Um, but that was a great idea.
Speaker 1:G, but I'm sure we're gonna have a great time we're gonna have a great time, for sure, and I think that's what is important. I think that's why paddle has become so popular, and I think we need to maintain that kind of amateur enjoyment of the game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I have a realistic goal. I'm not going to play in a premier padel. Of course I could play like a FIP, like Rice, but for me my goal is to spread padel around the world and having fun and to see people having fun with paddle. That's my passion.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you do play a lot of tournaments, yeah, and you manage to stay competitive throughout those tournaments as well, which I find very impressive. How do you keep that competitive mindset?
Speaker 2:Because I'm having fun. Fun for me it's I love competing and it's the adrenaline. And to have fun. Fun for me, it's how I can deliver.
Speaker 1:So you enjoy that competitive environment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, that makes sense, that's good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but of course if you have a partner that they need to be so focused on the court. For me it's quite hard if I can't have fun with my partner.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so let's talk about the sensitive topic. Then let's say you're playing with me and then you don't enjoy playing with me as your partner. How do you tell me that you don't want to play with me anymore? Because it's transient, right? You change partners, you move on People, you get better. Those people don't necessarily progress at the same speed as you, so how do you have that conversation with people? I don't want to be your partner anymore.
Speaker 2:It's hard because people take paddle seriously. Of course I also take paddle serious, but still I want to have fun and I know that sometimes we don't progress in the same speed. Sometimes you need to change partner to also progress to be better, because then you also learn another people's weaknesses and skills and that might bring other skills to you as well. But to say it to a partner it's super hard because of course paddle bring a lot of friendships. I got like my, my friend circle is from paddle, but it feels like if you tell someone to that I want to play with another, it feels like I'm breaking up the friendship and for me it's totally two different things. So I I don't know. Do you have a good way to say?
Speaker 1:it is true. It is like a relationship, right. I mean it's almost like a romantic relationship, as if you're telling that person I've met someone else. You know like I want to go and date this person. It has that similar kind of yeah vibe to it. But I think also people need to have the maturity, especially at our amateur level yeah you know, everyone has their own schedule.
Speaker 1:Everyone has their own lives. You know has their own lives. I don't really play many tournaments, but I rarely play with the same person and if I play with someone and the next tournament they play with someone else, I really don't care.
Speaker 2:My life moves on.
Speaker 1:I'm not taking it in a personal way. Everyone has their reasons and everyone can enjoy the sport. I don't own anybody and, similar to you, most mean a lot of my most of my social circle has come from paddle as well. I mean, I work in an industry that I love. This sport pays me, but it also gives me so much on other levels and I love that about it. Also, sometimes it's hard to kind of separate the two of like this is my work life and this is like my personal life. It's life and this is like my personal life. It's hard to make that, that separation sometimes. Yeah, but back to what you're saying about players. I think people just need to get over it, yeah like there's worse things happening in the world.
Speaker 1:You know, it's just paddle it's just paddle.
Speaker 2:We're here to have fun exactly it's. It's tough because I'm on my journey and my partner is on her or his journey. We might not be be in the same. Let's just split for a while and then we can play again or whatever. It's for fun. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Maybe that conversation needs to be had at the beginning, but then it doesn't make sense, right? Why would you have that conversation at the beginning? It's just awkward.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We're going to play together, but it's maybe not forever. I mean, nothing lasts forever, right? No, it's part of it. Yeah, I mean, I think it must be harder at the professional level, exactly Because there's a whole financial impact. If you're an amazing player and you decide, oh, you don't want to play with me anymore, I'm going to start losing earlier in tournaments, and that's going to be more of an effect than in some random tournament in Dubai with a voucher for 50 dirhams to win Exactly.
Speaker 1:People just take it a little bit too. Personally really don't they yeah, I mean, if anyone listening to this does have a suggestion of how to break up with a partner we're talking a paddle partner here, effectively I'm open to it In the comments. I would love to hear it.
Speaker 2:It's hard and to not break up the friendship.
Speaker 1:Yeah, have you lost friendships because of paddle?
Speaker 2:Not yet.
Speaker 1:But you can see they're coming.
Speaker 2:Hopefully I won't, because paddle is joy, it's happiness, it's fun, hopefully, not.
Speaker 1:What do you think the future holds for you in paddle? What would you like to achieve?
Speaker 2:I would want everyone to play paddle in the whole world, that's like john lennon, imagine kind of approach to if, if I could dream because, like I told you, like paddle have done so much for me in the way, like friendships are having fun, I can see how people are like growing with paddle, the self-esteem, like everything, it, it, it makes a people um, how do you say more happy? I want people. I don't know, it sounds like a dream world, but I think, like, also, if people play paddle, you connect in a way.
Speaker 1:I don't know really what do you think is specific to paddle about all that?
Speaker 2:because everyone can play. It can be in a different level. You have fun and kids, it can be like 90 years old grandma playing. It's a sport that, like, connects everyone and everyone can have fun it's true there's not a lot of sports like tennis. You can't.
Speaker 1:You need to be in the same level yeah, tennis is very challenging to play with other people. I mean exactly the same level, and it's tiring, it's physical and whatever, like it's not as fun. Still the king of racket sports, though, I must say. I'll leave it at that when it comes to things. But what do you think the future holds for you?
Speaker 2:my dream was to influence, so more people start to play paddle. That's just why I have my social media and why I promote, because I love to see people happy does it work?
Speaker 1:it does work the people message you and be like I started playing paddle thanks to you. Yeah, really, yeah, that yeah.
Speaker 2:That's amazing and I get a lot of messages like that and for me, I'm super happy to be able to promote paddle and that someone else can discover how fun it is, and yeah, that's just why I'm doing it, and every message I get like that it warms my heart because I know what Paddle did to me and I know what an impact it has for others as well if they start.
Speaker 1:That's really deep. Actually, that's a lot more philosophical and a lot more heartwarming than you would generally put towards doing anything on social media. It usually seems quite empty content and yeah, that kind of stuff, and you get a lot of engagement on your. Your content, like your videos do very well, you get a lot of views and all this stuff and I think probably is because you do put that passion and it is organic love for the game that you put on into your content and you can feel that when you see it and I think that's great, and you recently moved to the UAE yeah, one year ago one year ago already.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, why did you move to Dubai?
Speaker 2:just because of my boyfriend moved, so I moved after him. I like it. It's different. I'm from Sweden and it's a lot of nature, fresh air, green forests. Here it's opposite, I would say, but still with paddle. I have my paddle community and it makes it really easy to get new friends and I think I would say I spend time, my free time, mostly on the court and socializing with my paddle friends. So wherever paddle is, I think I would be happy there and what do you like to do outside of paddle?
Speaker 2:is there? Anything is there?
Speaker 1:anything outside? Is there a life outside of paddle? Do you think you'll always love it?
Speaker 2:I think so, but that's why I'm also not. I get a lot of requests if I want to be a coach. I think my passion would die a bit if I would be like a coach, like 90 percent then on the court feeding balls and play at the same time. Now I have I'm really lucky that I can train a lot of paddle thanks to paddle art and paddle outlet and also play a lot of tournaments. So I think I would always love paddle in a way or another, but paddle makes me happy and I couldn't imagine my life without paddle. I don't think my boyfriend could either.
Speaker 1:He plays right.
Speaker 2:He plays, but he's just super scared that I'm going to be injured one day and I need to be alone with him at home, and he knows that. Oh my God, now, like two months with her without paddle.
Speaker 1:Who's your favorite paddle player?
Speaker 2:I like Paula. She's also very happy and I like that she's a little bit more rock and roll.
Speaker 1:I love it. Have you got to meet any of the top players?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Gemma, I met a lot of players. What do you think makes them so good? That's a good question Determination, I think. What do you think?
Speaker 1:I'm the one asking the questions.
Speaker 2:It was a hard one.
Speaker 1:It is a hard question, but I think with all sports, we always talk about talent, right, but I think the true talent is work ethic, because talent will get you so far. But you need that plus work ethic. Without the work ethic, no matter how talented you are, I mean, you see the occasional person make it in a sport somehow, but in terms of sustainability and remaining at the top and being competing at the top, it's hard work, right? I mean anything to be good at anything is a lot of repetition and is a lot of work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:So they wake up every day and you know they put in the hours, and I think that is what they all have in common. Yeah, true yeah, but I think it's right Of course, like if a talent doesn't want to put in the hours, then they're not going to be in the top, is there?
Speaker 2:anything else you'd like to say to the world Play, paddle and have fun.
Speaker 1:Play paddle. Imagine all the people playing paddle.
Speaker 2:But I think the world would be a better place if everyone would play paddle.
Speaker 1:That is a great way to end an episode. Gee, thank you for your time. We'll do many more of these. Anyway, you're around now. You're in dubai, we have many things to talk about yeah we're always talking about paddle yeah, mostly 99.9 yeah, I know nothing about you other than paddle like that's pretty much all we've ever talked about. So that's great, which all we've ever talked about. So that's great, and have a lovely day and I'll speak to you next time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you too, see ya.