Show notes
Padel is scaling fast but building a great club is harder than people think. In this episode, Cesc & Julian sit down with Patricio Misitrano (CEO of Racket Social Club, Founder/CEO of Misitrano Consulting, and part of the Racquet 360 ecosystem) to break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes of U.S. padel growth.Patricio explains Racquet 360:Racket Social Club (multi-location padel clubs)RacquetX (the industry convention & trade show)Racket Central (e-commerce marketplace)National Padel League (NPL) (amateur leagues + interclub competition)We also dive into his interactive data dashboard tracking courts, pricing, indoor vs outdoor trends, booking platforms, and how club economics are shifting. If you’re a club owner, investor, coach, brand, or entrepreneur, this is a must-watch.Topics covered:Scaling clubs across Denver, Atlanta, and Houston (plus Katy)The truth about permits, municipalities, and build delaysWhy coaches + community decide whether clubs winWhy country clubs and tennis clubs will drive the next wave of padel growthHow data changes the game for investors and operators00:00 – Rack 360 explained00:58 – What is Racket Social Club? (clubs + operations)01:10 – The locations: Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Katy02:31 – The Atlanta acquisition (Windward Lake: tennis, pools, marina)03:14 – Sports Haus (CT) origin story + why Patricio sold05:01 – The 4 Rack 360 business units (RacquetX, Racket Central, NPL)06:03 – Misitrano Consulting + advisory work for club builders08:00 – The padel data mission: tracking every court in the U.S.11:34 – The interactive dashboard: pricing, indoor/outdoor, growth, platforms14:26 – Indoor padel trend + growth acceleration numbers18:00 – Club pricing mistakes + dynamic pricing future20:10 – Why country clubs/tennis clubs will drive padel growth21:44 – Scaling challenge: leadership + local community differences24:07 – Permitting/inspection delays + how to avoid losing months26:43 – Best advice to new club owners (hire the right experts)27:15 – Staffing structure + director roles + systems before opening29:28 – The coach shortage problem (and how he hires)30:25 – Risks of importing coaches (culture, language, retention)35:54 – “No juicy news” + focus on member experience + retention37:00 – Payment platforms + processing fees + alternatives39:31 – Why different clubs use different platforms41:40 – Building internal dashboards + CRM + automations44:14 – Closing thoughts + padel ecosystem collaboration