«A partner like Prima Sport has been crucial: with its studies, it has managed to cover and connect eight fields.»

Padel in Tuscany got off to a late start, but the run-up was swift, especially thanks to the commitment of managers like Raul Cosi who, together with Ariel Mogni, one of Italy’s most appreciated coaches, created two jewel clubs in Florence and San Miniato. Here is their journey, starting with the choice of reliable partners such as Prima Sport, Italian Padel and Playtomic

Monica de Maria, owner of Prima Sport, a leading company in sports roofing, offered a very precise overview of the roofing market, with several new products on the way: ‘The best choice is laminated wood, while the new trend will be cooling, even in pressostatic balloons’.

«We have designed a very good cooling system. The summer is getting hotter and hotter, so it is necessary to find a solution so that there is no drop in attendance,’ Monica de Maria, Prima Sport»

The next step to improve the playing experience is to cool the courts in the summer and keep the occupancy of the facility high even when the heat becomes extreme. How to achieve this? With the Clima system devised by Prima Sport, which is applied to their pressostatic balls and makes it possible to significantly reduce the perceived temperature

With sufficient honesty, Monica De Maria, owner of Prima Sport, a leading company in sports coverings, admitted that “I would have never imagined building over 2,500 facilities when we started the business in 2002.” Now Prima Sport has become synonymous with the pressostatic dome, the preferred solution for tennis clubs to meet the needs of players and the club’s budget. Alongside this, there has been growth in demand for fixed structures made of laminated wood and many other services that can make a sports facility efficient and high-performing. With some new trends on the horizon.

What is the current situation in the tennis coverings market?
The trend is growing. We noticed strong signals last year, and this year the demand continues to rise. The “Sinner effect” is undeniable; many clubs have waiting lists for membership or lessons, so the clubs are adapting. There are also several renovations of obsolete facilities: some installed a laminated wood structure in the 1980s and have never done a bit of maintenance! We recommend an annual inspection and a more thorough check every ten years, as regulations would suggest. In reality, few do this, and in the long term, they pay the consequences.

What are the ideal solutions for tennis coverings?
The pressostatic dome remains a must because the needs of a tennis club must consider the demands of players and the budget of the manager. Moreover, not everyone has available volume to allow the installation of a fixed structure, so the dome is the ideal choice because it is completely removable and only requires a municipal notice to obtain permission, always respecting current regulations, particularly regarding wind load.

However, if there’s the possibility of opting for a fixed structure, the battle is between wood and steel.
And we have no doubt: wood has always been the preferred option, though it used to cost 40% more, while now the prices have become essentially identical. Wood is aesthetically more pleasing, eco-friendly, and more performant. We could easily install steel structures as well, but a company should promote a product in which it firmly believes, and for us, that is laminated wood.

There was a time when it was said that a good way to lose money was to launch a new tennis academy. Giorgio Galimberti is proving the exact opposite because his academy in Cattolica (province of Rimini) is completely sold out, with 40 (forty!) full-time players—young hopefuls who have moved to the heart of Romagna to pursue their goals. How did he succeed? With an ambitious project and a carefully crafted business plan that he was able to follow through by adhering to two essential paths: on the one hand, he assembled a top-notch technical staff, and on the other, he relied on competent suppliers capable of creating a top-level facility.

Among these is Prima Sport, a leading company in sports coverings with two decades of experience in the industry. Its pressostatic domes have spread across Italian tennis and are well-represented at the Galimberti Academy, with some particularly captivating design solutions that cover the clay and Play-It courts (complete with a very dark gray surface and matching cover).

It’s a prestigious facility with the ambition to grow further. In fact, the academy and Prima Sport have already begun an expansion project, as Galimberti—coach and entrepreneur, who is both the driving force and the brains behind this successful sports-business story—told us.

How did you develop the Academy project, considering that you started from a complex situation?
There was absolutely nothing! I sometimes look back at the photo from when we started and think about what exists today… Anyway, I had a clear path from the beginning, which was to primarily create an academy for competitive players and leave the club activity as a secondary priority. Then, to establish a good tennis school that could serve as a feeder for the competitive sector. Real academies thrive on competition, and we were quick to fill the spaces: we have 40 full-time players, a number that very few in Italy can boast. My partners didn’t believe it, but I was aware of what would happen by observing the numbers from our camps. We still have room for 4-5 more players, so we can select exactly who we want.

Do you have the academy you envisioned?
Five clay courts, three hard courts, and one natural grass court—a choice that sets us apart and allows us to host various professional players during the pre-Wimbledon period, as happened last year with Nardi, Passaro, Darderi, and Cecchinato. Having three different surfaces creates a strong appeal and allows for proper training. Then there’s everything else, from the clubhouse to the gym and the physiotherapy center.

A success that has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations, as explained by Prima Sport owner, Monica De Maria: “In 2019, we launched the PadelBox line, and since then, we’ve installed 207 of them, covering a total of 485 courts.” And counting, because 60% of padel courts in Italy are still uncovered. But Prima Sport has also started looking beyond Italian borders: France, Austria, Belgium, Germany…