Meet James

About James

James is a young man who loves playing sport, and most recently has discovered a love for padel.  

James has Downs Syndrome, learning difficulties, hearing loss, no speech and autism, and his main method of communication is Makaton sign language.  

You may ask, how has he discovered and started playing padel? Well, it is thanks to an amazing club in Bromley (Sundridge Park) who, with a grant from the LTA Tennis Foundation, deliver inclusive padel sessions.  

This is James’ story, and how padel has changed his life, and his family's life.  

James needs constant 1-2-1 supervision, and due to his additional needs, he was excluded from college. This left his mum Jackie, not only as his primary carer, but solely responsible for keeping James active and engaged each day.   

James really thrives on routine, and during lockdown this was drastically affected. Once lockdown was over, Jackie wanted to find as many sports as possible for James to take part in, to get him active again, socialising and to help him build a strong routine.   

Jackie heard about an inclusive padel session that was running at Sundridge Park, their local Tennis Club, and took James along to see if he liked it. Jackie said, “he really loved the sessions, and he was so engaged with it.” 

Due to his love of the game, and how much Jackie could see James was engaging, Jackie enquired about 121 sessions which he soon started with the padel coach, Jonas.

Jackie said, “When he started the 121 sessions it was like a lightbulb went off above his head. I was just sat there watching as the belly laughs started.”  

After a couple of sessions Jonas asked Jackie what the signs were for specific movements in padel – like spin, off the wall etc. so he could communicate directly with James. This made a huge difference, Jonas said, “James loves telling you the signs, he likes that you have shown an interest in his Makaton.”   

Jonas has seen a huge improvement in James’ playing, saying: “He is very talented, his hand/eye coordination's is very good. He has played tennis before, so with padel, he is just getting used to the walls, and the control. We also have fun and try and do trick shots – James likes it when we are silly!”    

As James progressed, Jonas asked James and Jackie if two other club members – Sheena and Lisa could play with them to make up a four; this was an instrumental moment, not only for James, but for Jackie too.  

When we asked Jackie what impact this had on James's sessions, she said: “My god, it made such a difference having two other people on the court, as when you have four it is more competitive, and James is very competitive. James really loved them as they started signing to him, they made an effort to ask and learn the signs for certain things so they could speak with him – it meant so much, I feel like I have won the lottery”.   

Since starting his lessons, James has become more confident and independent, and Jackie thinks a lot of that is to do with the incredible relationship between James and Jonas; “He has a really good relationship with Jonas, I feel really confident with Jonas, and I don't worry if James is not in a good mood, as I know Jonas get it, he knows how he ticks and he will adapt the session for him. A lot of the time James is left out, or in the background. Isolation is not good for anyone, even more so when you have learning difficulties, hearing loss, no speech, and autism. Jonas has opened up another avenue to James and it's made his and my life happier. 

“As James doesn't have speech, sometimes he sends me things using his predictive text on his phone. It is very simple, it might be something like “Tennis, Jonas” when he wants to play, or he will take a picture of Jonas and upload that and say “Good, Happy, Day, Fun” it is that sort of speech, but I know it means he is happy.

“Jonas makes James shine, we are so very grateful to him – he is genuine and truly cares, I can feel James’s happiness”. 

Jackie praises the Club and its members, saying, “I thought we would be like fish out of water at the club and on the court, but it was such a welcoming and relaxed club. The sessions have opened up James’s world.”