The European School of Sports (ESS) and the Paquito Navarro Academy have announced a strategic alliance to jointly launch a dual education model that will enable young padel players to balance high-level sports development with an academic curriculum tailored to their competitive schedules throughout the school year.
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the development of educational sports programs, offering a real alternative for the new generation of athletes who wish to train like professionals without giving up their studies. Thanks to ESS’s proposed dual education model—featuring a personalized, flexible, and excellence-oriented academic program—athletes will be able to pursue their academic education alongside top-level technical training.
The technical direction of the program will be led by Ramiro Choya, one of the most renowned coaches on the professional circuit, who will oversee the holistic development of the players throughout the season at the Paquito Navarro Academy. Paquito Navarro, a global icon in the world of padel, will actively participate in the project, sharing his experience and insights with the students at various times during the year. His involvement is particularly meaningful, having personally faced the challenge of balancing high-level sports with university studies, completing his education at the Universidad Europea while building his professional padel career.
The growth of Padel
Authoritative sources such as Playtomic and the International Padel Federation (FIP) confirm that padel has established itself as the fastest-growing sport worldwide. It now boasts over 25 million active players in more than 110 countries, a network of over 40,000 courts, and a compound annual growth rate of 26%. This boom is evident in the proliferation of clubs, the professionalization of the circuit, and the international expansion of competitions, positioning padel as an unstoppable force in the global sports landscape.
In addition to the new program in collaboration with the Paquito Navarro Academy, the European School of Sports also partners with other leading academies, such as the ESS Feli López Academy for tennis students. Supported by sports figures like Jon Uriarte and Kike Levy, the institution promotes a dual training model across padel, tennis, soccer, basketball, and golf, among other disciplines—always with a holistic vision of athlete development: compete, study, and prepare for the future.
