About
An academy built because there wasn't one
IM Padel Academy came out of a very practical problem — in 2019 there was nowhere in Sarajevo to learn padel properly. There were courts, but there was no methodology.
Today we are the largest padel academy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That was never the goal; the goal was for somebody to finally teach this sport seriously.
One court, twelve students, far too much enthusiasm
We opened the first court in March 2019 on a plot we leased for a year, convinced that would be long enough to find out whether any of this made sense. In the first month we had twelve students, nine of whom are still here.
In the second year we added two more courts and wrote the first version of the methodology — a forty-page document that has been rewritten eleven times since. The third year brought the junior academy, the fourth the first league.
Everything we do now grew out of the same question we asked on day one: what would actually help this player the next time they step on court?
We didn't want a club where people pass the time. We wanted a place where people get better.
About
- active players
- 620+active players
- courts
- 4courts
- years running
- 7years running
- tournaments a year
- 18tournaments a year
Principles
Four things we don't change
Small groups, always
Never more than six players per coach. If a group grows, we open another one — we don't add a place.
Progress gets measured
Every cycle opens and closes with the same test. Feeling better is not evidence of being better.
Play from day one
Points are played in the very first session. You don't learn padel by waiting for your technique to be finished.
Your coach knows your name
And your backhand, and that you're in a rush on Tuesdays. The academy stops working the day that stops being true.
Timeline
How we got here
- 2019
The first court in Ilidža
We open a single court and take twelve students in the first month.
- 2020
Methodology and two new courts
We write the first version of the training plan and expand to three courts.
- 2021
The junior academy
Ahmed Musić takes over the children's programme, which enrols forty students in its first year.
- 2022
The first padel league in Bosnia
We organise a league with twenty-four pairs across two divisions.
- 2024
A fourth court and a centre court
We add a covered centre court with seating for two hundred spectators.
- 2026
Six hundred members
The academy passes six hundred active players and eighteen tournaments a year.
The facility
Four courts, one of them under a roof
Three outdoor panoramic courts operate year-round, with under-surface heating in winter and lighting that meets the tournament standard. The centre court is covered and seats two hundred spectators.
Changing rooms, lockers and the clubhouse are open to anyone with a booking — and stay open for an hour after the last slot, because that is often when the best part of the evening happens.
- Three outdoor panoramic courts
- Covered centre court with seating
- Under-surface heating in winter
- Tournament-grade LED lighting
- Changing rooms and lockers
- Clubhouse and café
- Racket service and restringing
- Free parking
Frequently asked questions
No. More than half of our students held a racket for the first time on our court. For beginners we recommend a trial session where we assess your level and suggest a group.