Emilio Canela Melgar, a junior at Solon High School (SHS), is currently in Mexico to compete at the XIII Youth Padel World Championships from Sept. 20 to 26.

Padel is a racquet sport similar to tennis invented in Mexico in 1969 and has grown in popularity, with many players competing throughout the world.

Melgar has always had an interest in sports. He began playing padel at the beginning of the pandemic and ended up taking a liking to it.

“I started playing padel like [two] years before because of the pandemic, so I used to play more soccer,” Melgar said. “Padel is my favorite sport now.”

Melgar’s interest in padel has allowed him to compete in an international tournament and multiple national tournaments in Mexico. Because of his experience, he feels familiar with the competition and its ins and outs.

“I played one world padel before,” Melgar said. “I’m kind of nervous, but I know what it’s going to be.”

Along with pdel, Melgar continues to compete in soccer. Melgar is a part of the boys’ soccer team at SHS and has already formed bonds with the other players on the team.

“I love soccer and all the guys are so, so nice,” Melgar said. “They really make me feel like one of the guys, one of the team, [my teammates] invite me to things… since the beginning I came here they were so nice.”

Melgar isn’t sure what his future holds but continuing to participate in sports is on his radar. Currently, he’s thinking about playing soccer in a US college or possibly returning to Mexico to continue playing padel.

For now, Melgar has found a place for himself in the halls of SHS. Although unsure at first, Melgar quickly integrated into the school and has become a part of the student body.

“It was kind of scary in the first couple of weeks because I’m new in town, I’m new in all of the school so it was like ‘oh man, what am I going to do?’” Melgar said. “But Alex Rosen is in the soccer team with me so that way it was easier to be in the school and have new friends and meeting new people, and I thought it was going to be more difficult but it’s kind of cool. I like it here.”