Why football clubs are so much more than just football

When people think about football clubs, the first thing that comes to mind is often what happens on a Saturday afternoon, but for many of us working in community sport the real impact is seen during the rest of the week.

At Barnsley FC Community Trust we've recently launched a weekly padel session at Shaw Lane, with funding support from Barnsley Council and Sport England. 

On the surface, it's a chance for local people to try one of the UK's fastest-growing sports (which, according to data from the LTA, has seen the number of participants in Britain rise from 15,000 in 2019 to one million in 2026), but what we're seeing is about far more than physical activity. It's about connections. 

Beyond the sport

Every week, dozens of adults of all ages, backgrounds and abilities arrive as individuals and leave as part of a community.

Some come looking for a new way to stay active, while others want to meet new people, improve their confidence or simply have a reason to get out of the house. 

And it’s all ok, because whatever brings them through the door, they're discovering the benefits that come from being active, alongside others, in a welcoming and supportive environment.

One participant told us that the padel sessions at Shaw Lane had been a great way to exercise and meet a friendly group of like-minded people.

Another person celebrated the opportunity to learn a new skill, being outdoors, meeting different people and, above all, the chance of having fun. 

Those motivations might seem simple, but they speak to something much bigger.

Across communities, many people face barriers to being active – with some people lacking confidence and others feeling isolated or that they don't believe sport is for them.

The wonders of the community spirit

That’s why creating opportunities that are accessible, enjoyable and social can make all the difference – and this is something that football clubs are uniquely placed to help with. 

That willingness to help is part of Barnsley FC's DNA and something that can be seen in the club’s badge – which features a miner and a glassblower. 

This club’s symbol is a visual celebration of the region’s heritage and its hardworking and community spirit. The emblem also carries a sense of trust and belonging that stretches far beyond the football pitch. 

And that’s why these padel sessions are never about the score, but about something more valuable – the opportunity to engage people who may never attend a traditional sports session or fitness class, but who are willing to try something new because it's linked to a club they know and identify with.

We see this time and time again. 

Football clubs act as anchor institutions within their communities. They bring people together across generations, backgrounds and experiences in a way that few other organisations can.

For us, padel has simply become another vehicle for that engagement.

While participants are developing new skills and improving their fitness, they're also building friendships, increasing their confidence and strengthening their connection to their local community. 

These wider social outcomes are often just as important as the physical ones.

The power of partnerships

As practitioners, it's easy to focus on participation numbers, attendance figures and activity levels. Those measures matter, there’s no doubt about that.

But some of the most meaningful moments happen in the conversations before and after a session, when participants swap stories, encourage one another and begin to feel part of something bigger than themselves.

That's when sport becomes more than just physical activity.

The success of our weekly sessions highlights the value of partnership working too. 

Together, Barnsley Council and Sport England are demonstrating how investment in community sport can deliver benefits that extend far beyond the court.

Football clubs have a powerful role to play in creating healthier, happier and more connected communities. 

Whether it's through football, padel or any other activity, the principle remains the same: using the power of sport to bring people together and help them thrive.

At Barnsley FC Community Trust that's what we're striving to achieve every week and, judging by the smiles on court, the friendships being formed and the confidence growing among participants, we're headed in the right direction.