Swiping for hours on a dating app to find the love of your life? Those days are already over. More and more people want to meet each other in real life again, notes dating coach Irene van Sprang from Vught. And what better way than during a game of padel, she thought. Irene organizes speed dates on the padel court in Son and that turns out to be a bull’s eye.
Irene has a dating agency and believes in active dating, because she believes it is more comfortable and effective. “A date in a restaurant often doesn’t work because there can be awkward silences,” she explains. “If you do something active, you don’t have to look at each other as much and you don’t have to talk all the time.” Add to that the fact that padel is immensely popular these days and you have the ideal first date, according to her.
She became addicted to racket sports four years ago. “I discovered that you are very close to each other and make contact easily,” says Irene. Moreover, according to her, padel can be learned fairly quickly. “So I thought, that might be something to do more with, instead of speed dating at a table.”
Three years ago, Irene organized ‘Speedpadel’ for the first time at her old sports club in Vught. And that even resulted in a couple. Cedric and Jenske from Den Bosch, both 38 years old, met each other this way and have been inseparable ever since.
“I never expected that I would meet my dream girlfriend like this.”
“I had already tried several dating apps, but that didn’t work every time,” says Cedric. “I didn’t expect this to yield anything. But in the end I thought I’d just give it a try.” The two started talking during the tournament and were eventually placed together as a team. “We turned out to have shared interests. She lived in Amersfoort, but her parents lived near Den Bosch.”
The two exchanged numbers, started dating and became romantically involved. “I received updates from them every time and heard at the end of last year that they had moved in together,” Irene says enthusiastically. “It’s great that after years of searching online they have finally found happiness on the padel court. Sometimes it works better if you meet each other live.”
Cedric agrees. “We both went into it very relaxed and it is extra fun when you meet your dream girlfriend,” says Cedric. “During such a date you just talk more easily and you immediately see what someone is like. And if it doesn’t work out, you just move on.”
“Most have already said that they want to participate again next time.”
Irene now plays sports at the Indoor Padel Center in Son. When she also tossed a ball about dating on the padel court, they were immediately enthusiastic. And so the first Speedpadel tournament was recently organized.
“Each match lasts fifteen minutes and then the teams rotate so that everyone can meet each other,” says Irene. There are singles who take turns waiting at the side and can have a chat with each other. “In the meantime, I walk around and chat with people. I also check if there are already matches and then we put them together.” Afterwards we will have dinner and drinks together.
After that first edition in Son, no couple has yet contacted Irene with happy relationship news. “But we have had a lot of positive reactions,” says Irene. “Most have already said that they want to participate again next time, provided they are still single.”
A new edition is planned for November at the padel club in Son, for singles aged 45 and older.
