Pickleball in Barcelona: inclusive sport for young people in rehab

Pickleball is gaining ground well beyond competitive courts. In Barcelona, a project led by the Guttmann Institute and the FC Barcelona Foundation shows how this racket sport can become a genuine inclusion tool for young people in rehabilitation. The goal is simple and powerful: let them take part in physical activity with their classmates, on foot or in a sports wheelchair, without feeling left out.

A sport designed to bring very different profiles together

Created in the United States in 1965, pickleball stands out for accessible rules, a compact court and a pace that can be adjusted. Unlike other racket sports that demand explosive movement or a wide range of motion, it allows short rallies, controlled trajectories and an intensity tailored to each participant. That is precisely what makes it a credible option for adapted physical activity and inclusive school sport.

Official rules also include adaptations for wheelchair players, with specific allowances on ball bounce or the service zone. The result: teenagers with different motor abilities can share the same court, cooperate and compete in a safe setting. For a young woman in outpatient rehabilitation after a spinal cord infarction, like Cocó, 15, the stakes go beyond the score. "It is important not to stay on the sidelines and to be able to play," she says. That sentence sums up the ambition of the Barcelona project.

Guttmann and the FC Barcelona Foundation: a partnership for rehabilitation

The initiative is part of an agreement between the Guttmann Institute, a neurorehabilitation hospital in Badalona in the Barcelona metropolitan area, and the FC Barcelona Foundation. Both organisations share the same conviction: sport should not be limited to the hospital phase. It should continue in everyday life, including at school.

The programme is supported by Pulseras Blaugranas, a solidarity scheme from the FC Barcelona Foundation aimed at improving the emotional wellbeing of children and teenagers facing serious illness or disability. The idea is not only to offer a fun activity, but to complement medical care with an innovative therapy that is socially rooted and motivating over the long term.

In a first phase, ten young people aged 8 to 15 were trained in pickleball during their treatment at the hospital. Learning was supervised by Cristina de Puig, a physical educator at Guttmann, with support from coaches at the Vila Pickleball association. Before even hitting the ball, each participant went through motor, cognitive and perceptual assessments, sometimes using interactive technology, to adapt the level of demand and the type of support.

Pickleball integrated into ten schools

The most original part of the project is its rollout in the school environment. Guttmann teams worked with the ten schools attended by the young people involved to integrate pickleball into their educational practice. Jordi Finestres, a specialist in inclusive physical activity programmes at school, led a session in each institution bringing together the pupil in rehabilitation and the rest of the class.

This approach changes the game. Rather than isolating the young person in a parallel circuit, the project normalises adapted sport within the school group. Classmates discover a cooperative sport, learn to adjust their game and take part in a concrete inclusive dynamic. Afterwards, each school organised two additional sessions, advised by Guttmann, to embed the practice over time.

In the long run, programme leaders want to measure the social and educational impact of this experience and identify pathways to clubs or federations able to welcome these young players on a lasting basis. Dr Narda Murillo, head of functional rehabilitation at Guttmann, already sees an encouraging signal: "The motivation of some children increases as they discover and practise pickleball."

Why pickleball works so well for inclusion

Several features explain pickleball's effectiveness in this type of project. The court measures 13.41 m by 6.10 m, a much smaller footprint than a tennis court. It can be set up in a sports hall, gymnasium or existing multi-sport space, which limits infrastructure constraints for a school or healthcare facility.

The game also favours precision over raw power. Exchanges at the net, dinks and serves below waist height support fine motor control, coordination and concentration. For a young person in neurological or orthopaedic rehabilitation, these qualities are therapeutic goals that remain compatible with the pleasure of playing.

Finally, pickleball cultivates a convivial culture that is rare in racket sports. Doubles matches strengthen communication, trust and a sense of belonging. In a context where social isolation can weigh as heavily as physical limitations, this human factor matters as much as the sporting effort itself.

What this initiative changes for pickleball in Europe

In France as in Spain, pickleball is still growing mainly through clubs, local authorities and networks of passionate players. A project like the one in Barcelona broadens the picture: it shows that sport can also serve public health, inclusive education and social reintegration. That is a strong argument for municipalities, schools and medico-social structures still hesitating to invest in dedicated equipment.

For a club, association or school that wants to replicate a similar approach, equipment remains central. An official-size net, paddles suited to different levels and quality indoor or outdoor balls are often enough to launch inclusive sessions in a gymnasium. Professional structures can rely on resources such as our page dedicated to pickleball equipment for clubs, associations and schools to build a coherent and durable kit.

Clubs looking to structure an inclusive offer will also find useful guidance in our guide on setting up a pickleball club and essential equipment. The challenge is not only to open sports slots, but to think about welcome, coaching and continuity between school, hospital and community settings.

An inclusive dynamic that crosses borders

The Barcelona project fits a wider trend. In the United States, initiatives such as those led by Roger Belair have already shown pickleball's potential in extreme social inclusion contexts, including in prison settings. We recently published an article on Roger Belair and the role of pickleball in inclusion, which sheds light on this community dimension of the sport.

In Catalonia, the alliance between a leading hospital, a major sports foundation and a local association such as Vila Pickleball illustrates a replicable model: medical expertise, school anchoring and community coaching. If results are confirmed, they could accelerate adoption of pickleball as an adapted discipline in other European rehabilitation networks.

Conclusion: a sport that heals as much as it brings people together

Pickleball is no longer just a sporting trend imported from the United States. In Barcelona, it is becoming a concrete lever to help young people with disabilities or in rehabilitation find their place in collective play. By combining motor accessibility, a low technical barrier and a strong social dimension, it ticks boxes that few sports manage to fill at the same time.

For educators, occupational therapists, school leaders or association managers, the lesson is clear: investing in inclusive practice does not necessarily require outsized infrastructure, but above all a method, training and a willingness to play together. Pickleball makes the rest easier naturally.