Vitesse Padel brought padel to the Tri-Cities, opening two outdoor panoramic courts next to the Vitesse Soccer Academy in Gray, Tennessee. The club is the work of Michael Louter, a former Dutch professional footballer who has run the elite junior soccer academy on the same site since 2006. He discovered padel on trips back to the Netherlands and spent close to a year building the courts here, filling a gap so wide the club fairly claims to be the only place to play padel between Richmond, Virginia and Nashville.

Both courts are outdoor, glass-walled and floodlit for evening play, set on the grassy slope beside the academy pitches. The club is candid that it is still bedding in: the carpet on Court 2 is still settling, with some air bubbles that can affect the bounce. Formal instruction is not on offer yet, and players wanting to join in as an individual are pointed to call Michael Louter directly.

Court time and open play are booked through Playtomic. With two courts the schedule is compact, so it is worth checking the Playtomic calendar before driving out. Gray sits between Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol, putting the club within a short drive of the whole Tri-Cities area.