July
It was over 87 years ago, on 5 July 1934, that the International Badminton Federation (now BWF) was founded. In recognition of this significant date, and to make this a day of celebration for badminton globally, World Badminton Day will be held annually on 5 July.
Play Badminton Club joined in worldwide celebrations of the first World Badminton Day, by holding a special come and try session. We had nearly 50 enthusiastic badminton players, young and old, come and take part. A huge thank you to some of our regular club players who were on hand to welcome and speak to new players coming for the first time to try out a session.
August
Aloha! In the summer we held our first ever Club Summer Social with a Hawaiian theme! It was great to see everyone in their summer and Hawaiian clothes, so relaxed and mingling in the warm afternoon.
The tempo turned up as we introduced some teambuilding games on the lawn, starting with adults casually showing their might over tug-of-war. They soon became strategic and louder as they entered a three-legged race, lots of tangled legs and some great finishers. Then came the children’s turn with the three-legged race – most paired with a parent which needed a few practice rounds to get some rhythm going. It was great to watch, the children and parents really had fun.
Having built up an appetite we then rounded off the afternoon with cake, celebrating Play Badminton Club’s 8th birthday. A huge thank you to all the club members who came and the volunteers, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to host the wonderful Hawaiian party!
September
Every second Tuesday of the Month we hold a dedicated session for Seniors’ (50+). Our aim is to encourage more participation by elders to take up more active sports, by providing a friendly, fun, safe and positive environment.
In September, we introduced dedicated induction sessions which are an opportunity for potential new members to learn about the club, get a quick assessment of their badminton ability, and sign-up for sessions to play at the club on the regular basis. Feedback from the sessions have been excellent and we have welcomed many new players into the Club.
October
In the run up to the Club Competition, we introduced new fitness sessions, comprising of circuit training and strength and conditioning. The aim of the circuit training session is to improve strength, stamina, cardio and muscular endurance working on specific muscles. Strength and conditioning allows athletes to strengthen supporting muscles, helps even out muscular imbalances. Increases mobility and range of movement ultimately correcting posture. We are supported by Vanessa, a qualified fitness instructor.
November
In November we held our biggest and best Club competition so far! We have well over 50 participants across three competitions: Men’s singles, Women’s singles and Doubles competition. It was wonderful to see so many Club members take part and so many volunteers help run the whole competition. Special thanks to Waseem for being this year’s competition co-ordinator. It was not an easy task to schedule and oversee over 160 matches across three competitions, but Waseem did an exceptional job!
It was wonderful to see who many friends and family members of the participants come to see the grand final. Many congratulations to all our competition winners and all the participants for making it the best Club Competition in our history.
December
As a Club we recently helped run the badminton taster session at WheelPower Sports Festival. WheelPower is a national UK charity that provides opportunities for disabled people to get into sport and lead active lives. The Sports Festival welcomed around 50 disabled participants aged from 5 to over 60 years, to try five different sports, including badminton. It was supported by qualified coaches and local volunteers. These activities were about having fun, trying something different, learning new skills and receiving coaching in a friendly safe environment. A special thank you to all our wonderful Play Badminton Club volunteers for their commitment and enthusiasm.
In December we held our annual winter social event. This year, we partnered with The British Polio Fellowship to raise awareness about polio as well as help raise funds for sports disability and mobility equipment.
