Living in Sweden, IKEA expat partner Matthias Lang discovered a new racquet ball sport called Padel. He loved it so much that he set out to become a professional coach.
Integrating through sport
“When I first moved to Helsingborg, Sweden, I started playing football with some locals. Sport is a great way to learn languages and get to know people from another culture,” says Matthias, who is originally from Frankfurt, where he used to work in the real estate sector. “I am also passionate about racquet sports so,
one day, I went looking for some squash courts, which, in Sweden, are also used for Padel, a fast-growing sport that I’d never tried.”
A lifelong learner
“I’m a lifelong learner and I love to discover new things. I was immediately hooked by Padel! It’s quite easy to learn how but to master it, well, it is a never ending story!” says Matthias, who was so enthusiastic about the sport that he decided to become a Padel coach. “What better way to learn Swedish and understand Swedish culture? While training to be a coach, I also volunteered at the club, helping whoever I could, establishing personal contacts and practising my Swedish.”
You can do this!
“To be honest, I don’t have a gift for languages but I found a great teacher through Global Connection. As I wanted to be a coach, and as I would be teaching locals, the challenge for me was being able to get my personality across when using a foreign language,” says Matthias, who is full of praise for the openness of the Padel community in Helsingborg. “It’s a very social sport and everyone has been very welcoming of the ‘crazy German guy’! In particular, I am very grateful to the owner of Helsingborgs Racketklubb, Anders Mattsson, who backed me from the beginning. Basically, he pushed me into cold water and told me to swim!”
A lifetime pursuit
Having earned his coaching badges, Matthias is now teaching regular private classes through the club. “I am still establishing myself as a trainer but I am really positive about the potential of Padel. In 2019 there were 750 courts in Sweden. Now there are 1,200. The sport is also growing around the world. So wherever
we go next, I am confident I can find Padel players. I hope to work as a Padel trainer for the next 25 years and develop the sport even more!”
