Day 4: Reaching for the stars

When you make the decision to go to a Summer School and practice intensively for a week, it is because you have something you want to achieve in badminton. The participants for this project love the sport and want to make it a big part of their lives. On Day 4, we focused on the dreams and goals of the players and coaches. We asked them what their goals are and what they do when they lose:

On losing a match, Harry Mobey (Scotland) advises: “Keep fighting and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Start training to prevent it from happening earlier on in the match, then looking back on it thinking: I could have one that and I should have won that!”

If you want to be the best, you have to learn something from every match – even when you lose. Steffi Van de Vel (Belgium) explains: “If I lose a game but play good and I fight for every point, then I’m really happy because I learned something from that game.” There is always a lesson to be learned, and you can improve if you perform your best. Which is why it can be disappointing to play poorly and lose. “If I lose because of giving up I get really angry and I go away from everybody”, Steffi continues. 

In situations like these, the role of the coach is also very important. They must be helpful for a player also when the outcome was negative, to help them move on and learn something from the losing scenario. 

Plan, do, review, evaluate

Like the previous day, Day 4 was divided in 2 sessions for the players; The morning training was led by the staff coaches, where the focus this time was on attack from the rear court. For the second session, the coaches took over and covered new areas of the Level 1 Coach Education-material.

In the morning, the coaches started where they left off the evening before with the Level 1 Coach Education – but this time on court. They had more practical sessions and went over the coaching process; plan, do, review, evaluate. And also how to set goals and hot to observe the players. With these tools they can provide the support a player needs, when setting a goal to become an elite player. In the afternoon they had a chance to deliver what they have learned to the players, while staff coaches where observing them. Ending the Summer School’s second delivery session with feedback from their staff coaches.

After dinner it was time for a team tournament, played by the players. A tournament that will be continued on the 5th day as well. The coaches, on the other hand, where back in the classroom to go through the theory to different learning styles.

“I am here to become a better coach for the Gibraltar Badminton Association. I am starting as a Sports Development Officer [in Gibraltar] and I am hoping that this course is going to help me learn new techniques, new styles, and improve Gibraltar as a badminton group”, tells Ram Purswani (GIB).

Hopefully, everyone can leave this Summer School, while having gotten one step closer to achieving their badminton dreams.

Pictures from Day 4 are already uploaded to our FB .

Follow us on Instagram @badminton_europe and show us your side of the BEC 2016 Summer School using #BECSS16 #WELIVEBADMINTON