Herts Badminton Development Review (and links to League Results) 2001-02

Introduction

The Development section of HBA-HSBA comprises Richard Doling, part time (funded jointly by HBA, HSBA and the BAofE), and David Bartlett (semi-retired). Richard joined us in August 2001. Development is managed by the Development Committee composed of; Duncan Conway (Herts Schools Badminton Association), Malcolm Fraser (Chairman HBA), Richard Doling, Gill Bartlett (HBA Newsletter) and David Bartlett (Chairman Development Committee). When Richard is not employed on Development projects he coaches, mainly juniors and at all levels. There are many other coaches and clubs involved in specific aspects of Development (see examples below).

As a section, we are glad of the support from and are in constant communication with; BAofE Headquarters; County bodies like the Herts Club and Coach Development Forum; District Sports Development Officers (at least one in each of 9 of Herts’ 10 Districts) and of course our clubs and coaches. Developments generally affect clubs within a District, or badminton as a whole Countywide. The rest of this report, therefore, looks first at those developments that are countywide and then within each of several of the Districts. Sport England’s useful mantra for development speaks of increasing ‘More People’ playing sport, ‘More Places’, to play sport in, and ‘More Medals’ – increasing the performance level of players – and these are our aims, too.

Countywide

Our Own County Badminton Centre

The HBA-HSBA working party have been in frequent discussion with UoH on the 12 court centre on the De Havillande site that is due to open in August 2003. Efforts are ongoing to maximise our use of this magnificent facility and to this end we are looking at pooling resources for block bookings wherever possible: initial draft ideas include at least 6 courts every Sunday, 10-12 courts every Wednesday 6-8pm for U13 Squad and Development, 8 courts Thursdays for U17 and U19 with 4 for a senior ‘County Club’. The Goode’s Academy will also be housed there.

Sports Funding and Club Affiliation in the Non-affiliated Leagues

Active Sports funding is bringing in £280,000 each year for 7 years into 10 sports in Herts and as badminton is not included it is probably the biggest threat to our sport: for example, already it is noticeable that some of our juniors are being diverted into the Actives Sports sports. Furthermore, Local Authorities are focusing increasing attention on these. sports A criterion for Active Sports is that it is not possible to participate competitively without being a member of the governing body.

The greater the proportion of Herts badminton club players that are affiliated (currently about 50%) the more influence, resources and funding we can attract. So, to increase membership, we have had a programme this year of trying to attract more clubs in the larger non-affiliated leagues, namely, SW Herts Independent BL and Letchworth & District BL. Richard has been progressing SWHIBL - see his report under Three Rivers - and is to give a presentation at their AGM (June 13^th). Dave is progressing our case with Bob Green, Chairman of L&DBL.

Herts Youth Games

Badminton was again one of the 10 sports chosen for the county Youth Games (sponsored by BAA-Stansted, Sport England and Local Authorities). Eight of the nine Districts entered teams for our U13 tournament and the occasion was a great success once again. Richard Doling supported the Three Rivers squad during training and presented medals at the tournament to the winning District, East Herts. Overall for badminton, the games introduced many children who would not other wise have participated in our sport let alone competed and were a triumph of efforts from coaches and team managers, with the help of SDOs, across the county.

New Opportunities Fund (NOF)

Herts County Council Planning, asked us at very short notice to comment on requests by schools for capital funding through the NOF. The total requests were for about £50M whereas the NOF grant was for £5.68M. Several requests came from schools and clubs that we had been working with but many were new to us. All items were described in less than one sentence so with insufficient time to obtain more information we tended to support mainly those that we were familiar with. The supported bids included: St Mary’s, Bishops Stortford, Sele School, Hertford, Rickmansworth School (by Richard), Kings Langley School, The Highfield, Letchworth plus in general, junior schools having 1-2 courts and secondary schools having 4 courts or more. The outcome of NOF bids will not be known until December 02.

Herts Sports Partnership

HSP is the new county-wide forum reporting into the Eastern Region’s embryo Regional Government for progressing sport issues where we hope to bring influence to bear to redress the imbalance of Active Sports and promote badminton higher up the list of worthy sports: the inaugural meeting is 27^th June.

Benefits to Members

As well as the leagues and tournaments provided by other members of the committee, we have continued to find vendors to give discounts to our members. All suggestions gratefully received.

Broxbourne

Expansion of interest in junior badminton was helped for the second year in succession by Pat Walker and coaches by putting in a team into Herts Youth Games. The opening of the new John Warner Sports Centre, originally expected for October 2001 is still beset with problems and has further delays as we go to press. This continues to have an impact on the expansion of Stanstead Abbotts club which hopes to move there.

Dacorum

Head Coach, Frances Morrison, who started teaching at Bridgewater Middle School this year successfully obtained an ‘Awards for All’ grant for £5000 to develop the junior section of Berkhamsted Badminton Club and initiate a Borough Badminton Squad. She has formed links with her own school and is developing those with other schools. Frances was helped in her bid by Berkhamsted BC members, Richard Doling, Dave Bartlett and Dacorum SDO, Nikky Walshaw.

The juniors started to benefit immediately and the Dacorum U13 Herts Youth Games team came 2^nd.

Hemel Sports Centre Club continues to produce juniors under coach Eileen Parker. Initial attempts to establish coaching sessions have so far not progressed at the new Longdean Sport Centre that opened summer 2001. This is an opportunity for the coming season.

East Herts

This District has gone from strength to strength. The Lottery Award obtained by Stanstead Abbotts BC 3 years ago helped the club qualify several members as coaches, provided coaching in many local schools and created a solid base from which juniors can progress. The snowball effect of this together with the activities of All Saints JBC and all our clubs and members in East Herts has given rise to the Local Authority naming badminton as one of their ‘focus sports: this will help increase the badminton opportunities still further over the coming years.

We are still working with Bishops Stortford Badminton Club to try to get a new 6 court centre at St Mary’s school, but complications and politics keep delaying the process.

Albury Village are being assisted in establishing their adult club and submitting an ‘Awards for All’ bid to develop junior badminton with links with their local school.

Harlow Bluebirds obtained a second Lottery Award last year to enable them to expanded their junior club to include 7-11 year olds. They have had further success in being part of a capital funding award.

Ware BC has recently expressed an interest in establishing a junior section and Richard is following this up.

Hertsmere

No adult clubs have junior sections in Hertsmere and Gazelles junior badminton club is the only junior club. Hertsmere disbanded its Sports Development Team two years ago and so we have been unable to obtain assistance with development. They entered no teams in HYG, for example.

North Herts

Badminton is a focus sport in NH. The SDO Department are very helpful in promoting badminton and helping to fund events such as the North Herts Junior tournament that ran for the second year with 70 U11 and U13 juniors. Winners and finalists received medals and each participant was given a free invitation to a junior club and a lollipop. As a result, the three junior sessions at Hitchin’s HBA Sports Centre are full and increasing numbers from this area are taking part in HSBA county-wide tournaments and finding their way into squads.

Hitchin Junior club, the District Cell for NH, is coached on Sundays by Anthony Searle and Richard Doling has provided coaching there which has helped to raise the standards.

Many of the attendees at the two Leaders Award courses held at the new Knights SC, Baldock, this season were locals. Coach, Bob Green, has run Saturday sessions for U11 and over 11s every Saturday at Knights SC with the help of one or two of the junior Leaders and this is helping to expand badminton in this previously neglected town.

St Albans

This District has several adult clubs, all unaffiliated, and one junior club, Harpenden: the coaches, Martin Wood and Mary Rogers have been producing junior badminton players for several years and their District Team came 4^th. There are a number of interesting possibilities in this District that are being progressed mainly at a National level, as they are in the very early stages no more will be reported, currently. However, we are keen to establish an adult affiliated club with a junior section.

Stevenage

Stevenage has one HBA-BAofE affiliated adult club, Cobra. The junior HSBA-affiliated club SCOBE, continues to produce juniors for leagues and tournaments. One of their juniors was in receipt of a District Award this season: Dave Bartlett represents badminton on the monthly Stevenage Sports Council meetings that makes recommendations to the Borough.

The new Shephall Sports Centre (at Barnwell School) formally opened for business 9^th June built (due to HBA influence) to similar badminton-friendly standards to Knights SC. Junior and adult coaching is pencilled in to start on Saturday 16th June: we would be glad to hear from coaches interested in this new venture.

Three Rivers

This is the District that Richard has focused upon this season, mainly due to the lack of badminton opportunities in the area when compared to the majority of Hertfordshire. His report follows:

It was felt that for the first few months it was important to make contact with the schools, and to see if it was possible to organise meetings, with the idea of starting the clubs as the schools went back in September. The results from this have been the development of 11 different groups within 5 different schools, along with two additional sessions at schools run by other coaches. Following Christmas the schools that I have been connected with have all continued, where as the others have petered out due to inconsistency with availability, among other things. For further development within the school structure, regardless of area, I feel that it is necessary to develop a “package”, which could then be marketed and would make “selling” it to schools far easier, and therefore would begin to promote itself. It would simply include a good quality qualified coach, who has undergone all necessary checks for working with children. That coach could then be tied into a specific development programme i.e. coaches working in schools join together to form local clubs. As part of the package we can provide backup to the coaches with ideas but have to attend training session such as coaching clinic.

The other major objective was to try to target SW Herts league clubs with a view to re-affiliation. Primarily, a questionnaire was sent out to each club asking about club numbers, problems and asking how we could help. Worryingly, not one club targeted had a junior section, or anyone under the age of 18 playing. Following the responses, I contacted the clubs that had shown an interest, either by phone or visiting. With all the information at hand a proposal for the league regarding re-affiliation was drafted and sent to Marcus Pressland, along with information from the BA of E to be presented at their league AGM.

Development for Royal Masonic, follow up to which has been a course involving juniors from seven local primary schools along with the development of a new junior club.

Richard assisted Rickmansworth School with their NOF bid and is assisting Sue Robb of Bushey Barons BC with their preparation for an ‘Awards for All’ bid.

Watford

Richard approached schools by letter in February/ March within the Watford area but was not as successful as in Three Rivers. This was possibly due to the approaching summer term, which is always a busy time.

It is also unfortunate, too, that Watford were unable to enter a team in Herts Youth Games this season. Earlier identification of problems and providing appropriate support will be implemented next season.

Welwyn Hatfield

The 3 junior clubs in Welwyn Hatfield (Swifts, Goode’s Academy and Gosling) continue to interest and progress junior badminton and look forward to the opportunities that the County centre at UoH will provide. An additional Sunday adult session was started by Helen and Barnaby Walker (of Swifts and Gosling JBC) at Hatfield LC.

Conclusion

On the whole this has been a very good year for development, there are, of course many more interesting challenges to come. Some of these challenges will impact on junior clubs that would like to register with the Herts County scheme: this will require ‘Clubmark’ which requires coaches to have not only Criminal Records Bureau clearance but Child Protection, Equity and Working with People with Disabilities training.

We would like to thank all those who have helped with the development of badminton this year not least Goode Sports who have generously contributed to the supporting Voluntary Development Fund through shuttle commissions. If anyone feels able to assist either directly with development or sponsorship we would be very pleased to hear from them.

How did the senior clubs fare in the leagues 2001-02?

County and Hertford Area League Results-02 Inter-County End of Season Results - 02