EPISODE · Jun 25, 2026 · 1H 7M
Episode 6: He Put Pickleball Courts on a Parking Garage Rooftop. Now He's All In on Padel.
from Padel With Bryant · host Bryant Salcedo
Most people hear "no" and stop.Jay Lerner heard "we'll evict you" and started Googling garage rooftops.He built one of the most talked-about pickleball communities in the US, right in the heart of downtown Austin. Now he's watching padel grow in real time, and he has more ideas about what it needs than most people in the game.In Episode 6, Bryant sits down with Jay Lerner, founder of Urban Pickleball, for a conversation that goes everywhere, from playing padel with Woody Harrelson to why the sport needs a $10 court option to survive.We go deep on:Why padel burns 50% more calories than doubles pickleball (and why that matters in Austin)What pickleball figured out about open play that padel hasn't caught up to yetThe naming problem quietly slowing padel's growth in the USWhy affordability is the biggest barrier between padel and a pickleball-level explosionThe shot Jay invented and why he's dead serious about its legacyWhat padel needs to crack college athletics and reach the OlympicsMain Topics CoveredFrom duct tape on a rooftop to one of the most recognized pickleball brands in the USWhy pickleball and padel can and should coexistWhat padel can learn from pickleball's open play cultureThe economics of padel and why $30 a session is a real friction pointPlaying paddle with Woody Harrelson and Ben JohnsHow to get English-speaking Americans to actually adopt the gameEl Muerto, the shot, the legacy, the merchKey TakeawaysPadel rewards patience, just like pickleball, but the learning curve is steeper and the payoff is deeperOpen play and easier matchmaking are the missing keys to padel's growthAffordability and college programs are what will take padel mainstream in the USCulture and community are what make people stay, not just the courtsWhen everyone tells you it's a bad idea, that's usually the best time to do itConnect with the GuestUrban Pickleball Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanpickleballatx/Connect with the HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/padelbryant/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQ_FEGKumhlb9qkxGV6c2wSpotify: Padel with Bryant https://open.spotify.com/show/033r50PpI0j57hS1uuB93PFree Training & CommunityJoin the Padelbryant Academy Community (100% Free): Stop drilling alone. Level up your court IQ, master the mental game, and connect with driven players today: https://www.skool.com/padelbryant If this episode brought you value, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps us keep bringing these conversations to you every week.What conversations in padel do you want to hear next? Leave a comment or send a message with the guests, questions, or topics you would love to see on the show.And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.
What this episode covers
Most people hear "no" and stop.Jay Lerner heard "we'll evict you" and started Googling garage rooftops.He built one of the most talked-about pickleball communities in the US, right in the heart of downtown Austin. Now he's watching padel grow in real time, and he has more ideas about what it needs than most people in the game.In Episode 6, Bryant sits down with Jay Lerner, founder of Urban Pickleball, for a conversation that goes everywhere, from playing padel with Woody Harrelson to why the sport needs a $10 court option to survive.We go deep on:Why padel burns 50% more calories than doubles pickleball (and why that matters in Austin)What pickleball figured out about open play that padel hasn't caught up to yetThe naming problem quietly slowing padel's growth in the USWhy affordability is the biggest barrier between padel and a pickleball-level explosionThe shot Jay invented and why he's dead serious about its legacyWhat padel needs to crack college athletics and reach the OlympicsMain Topics CoveredFrom duct tape on a rooftop to one of the most recognized pickleball brands in the USWhy pickleball and padel can and should coexistWhat padel can learn from pickleball's open play cultureThe economics of padel and why $30 a session is a real friction pointPlaying paddle with Woody Harrelson and Ben JohnsHow to get English-speaking Americans to actually adopt the gameEl Muerto, the shot, the legacy, the merchKey TakeawaysPadel rewards patience, just like pickleball, but the learning curve is steeper and the payoff is deeperOpen play and easier matchmaking are the missing keys to padel's growthAffordability and college programs are what will take padel mainstream in the USCulture and community are what make people stay, not just the courtsWhen everyone tells you it's a bad idea, that's usually the best time to do itConnect with the GuestUrban Pickleball Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanpickleballatx/Connect with the HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/padelbryant/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQ_FEGKumhlb9qkxGV6c2wSpotify: Padel with Bryant https://open.spotify.com/show/033r50PpI0j57hS1uuB93PFree Training & CommunityJoin the Padelbryant Academy Community (100% Free): Stop drilling alone. Level up your court IQ, master the mental game, and connect with driven players today: https://www.skool.com/padelbryant If this episode brought you value, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps us keep bringing these conversations to you every week.What conversations in padel do you want to hear next? Leave a comment or send a message with the guests, questions, or topics you would love to see on the show.And until next time, protect your inner peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.
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Episode 6: He Put Pickleball Courts on a Parking Garage Rooftop. Now He's All In on Padel.
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