A career and a perspective on padel
Raúl, how did your relationship with padel begin, and what has the sport meant throughout your career?
It started like it does for any amateur player discovering a rewarding, social sport, and eventually became a passion.
You have worked as an entrepreneur, club manager and national and international referee. What has each experience given you?
Every role you mention has been a continuous learning experience. All of that allows me to make my own contribution to helping this sport keep growing.
What does refereeing at national and international competitions mean to you?
When you are passionate about something and enjoy it, it stops feeling like work. That is what refereeing is like for me.
What have you learned from your experience with the Aragonese and Spanish padel federations?
It is a constant learning process that confirms something I already knew: from the outside, in any area of life, everything looks easy. But it all takes a lot of work, and getting things right requires considerable effort and dedication from every member of a federation.
From your perspective, how has padel evolved, and what are the main challenges facing clubs today?
If this sport has taught me anything, it is that it is constantly evolving for many different reasons.
Players' habits and preferences change frequently. Clubs and federations need to pay attention to those changes so that players feel the club is keeping pace with their needs.
“The main issue is disorganised management.”
The origins of MiP
What gaps did you see in clubs, coaches and players that led you to create MiP?
The main issue is disorganised management and, as a result, poor use of the time of those who run the school and then deliver coaching to players.
We are moving towards a shortage of professionals in this sport, where a high proportion of the work is also seasonal.
Improving the quality and efficiency of the service will increase player satisfaction, which will be decisive in whether they stay at a club.
Why did you decide to start with padel?
Because of the knowledge I have gained throughout my years in this sport, across all its different areas.
What value does it bring to MiP that its founders know the sport from the inside?
It undoubtedly adds value to each club's operations, alongside the option to adapt it to their needs.
What is the main problem you want to solve with MiP?
Above all, improving both the financial and sporting efficiency of the club, regardless of its size.
How would you explain MiP to a club that does not yet know the platform?
Within a short time, they will have everything under control and know what is happening at their club, at minimal cost.
Working with Javier
How did your collaboration with Javier Viñuales begin?
It grew from an idea to improve the day-to-day running of clubs.
Your backgrounds are different but complementary. What does each of you bring to the project?
Javier handles the technical side and support, while I focus on the commercial side and product development.
Javier mainly handles technology, while you bring business insight, contacts and knowledge of the sector. How do these perspectives come together?
It is the perfect combination: one perspective understands the market and the improvements that can be made, while the other translates them into the technical side.
As well as being partners, you are friends. How important is that relationship in building MiP?
It adds something extra to our partnership and undoubtedly brings enthusiasm to the project.
How do you respect each other's areas of responsibility while staying aligned on important decisions?
By always respecting each other's area of responsibility.
The future of MiP Sports
MiP starts with padel but aims to evolve into MiP Sports. How do you imagine the project's future, and what would you like to achieve with Javier?
The future is still to be written, but if clubs back and trust this tool, I believe it could mark a turning point in how they are managed.
What kind of relationship do you want to build with the clubs, coaches and players who use MiP?
A direct, supportive relationship with all three roles, making their work easier.
Finally, what would you like to say to people discovering MiP Sports for the first time?
As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. I would ask them to trust the brand: it will help their business and, as a result, help them improve on the sporting side too.