Herts Open a Great Success!

Lynne Parker, organiser of the Herts Open tournament, 30th & 31sr August pronounced this years event at the new Herts Badminton Centre the best ever. A full report will be in the September HBA Newsletter.

Ladies Singles winner Reshmi Ouseph (18years old) from Middlesex beat Caroline Westley (also 18) from Essex. Mens Singles Winner Raju Ouseph (17, birthday on the day) beat Simon Hardcastle (19) from Essex.

Laura Cousins the Hertfordshire and England Badminton player from Potters Bar who attends Bishops Hatfield girls school swapped her Ashaway badminton racket for a pair of running shoes for the day. She joined 1400 fundraisers at Stanborough park Welwyn Garden City on Sunday for the 5k Race for life run by Cancer Research UK and raised £200 for the charity, Laura dedicated the race to her cousin Lee Cini who was tragically killed in a car accident recently.

Laura follows a daily training schedule to be able to compete at the top of her age group in domestic and international badminton competitions and found the challenge of the race for life a welcome addition to her training for the coming season.

Laura would like to thank all her personal sponsors for the support. She will be visiting soon to collect all your pledges.

26 Herts Coaches attended a Masterclass with World Class Start Manager, Jens Grill, Sunday 15th June at Gosling Sports Park 

Topic: What juniors should know at U11, U13, U15 and how to coach it. The record number (26) of Herts coaches attended - great session, new ideas from the BAofE WCS Head Coach with active links with Denmark.

Young Volunteer and Young Coach of the Year

This year HBA and HSBA have inaugurated two new awards: Young Coach of the Year, and Young Volunteer of the Year.
Young Coach of the Year – Helen Walker
Helen (a player at Swifts and Gosling) gained the Leaders Award at 16 and progressed to level two Coach Part 1award. She has helped coach juniors within the County, at Gosling Junior Badminton Club and other regular junior club sessions, as well as one-off taster sessions in schools. With her brother last year she started an Adult Turn Up and Play session at Hatfield sports Centre, which they have continued to run. Unfortunately Helen is leaving the area this summer, moving near Southampton with the family and starting University. Both Helen and her brother, Barney, will be missed by juniors and coaches alike. All best wishes to them both.

Young Volunteer of the Year – Ceri Lumb
Ceri has been a keen badminton player since the age of seven. She regularly and successfully played in all the Herts junior county badminton tournaments, and gradually became interested in running them. For a number of years now she has been a key member of the organising team. She is fast, efficient and unflappable She has also been a willing and valued helper at Swifts Junior Badminton Club, and we are all grateful for her contributions to junior badminton in the county.

HSBA and HBA congratulate these young people who have made a significant impact on badminton within Hertfordshire.
Herts Coaching Co-ordinator, Dave Bartlett

Ceri Lumb receiving Young Volunteer of the Year Award from Dave Bartlett, HBA Development Committee Chairman at Swifts JBC AGM

Helen Walker, Young Coach of the Year receiving her Award at Gosling JBC club night from Gill Bartlett, HBA Newsletter Editor and Gosling JBC Chairman.

At the HBA AGM, 2nd June League winners shields and County colours were presented and Neil Deans Herts Club & Coach Development Officer told us of the exciting new opportunities for coaches and clubs - see Coaches & Club Organisers Pages button below, left, and HBA Newsletter, later this month.  We need a new County League Organiser following Lynne's departure from this role - she will continue as Tournaments Organiser: we thank her very much for her support  .

Post meeting:  Jackie Lansdowne has kindly agreed to be league organiser for 2003-4.  Please give her all the help you can.

Herts well represented in BAofE under 15 Junior Grand finals Sat 24^th May

The top eight point’s earners from the season's tournaments, including 3 of our under 15 Girls, were invited to play in the finals at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes - Read more in the June  HBA Newsletter.

Laura Cousins receiving her award from Eric Brown, 

Chairman of BAoE Youth & Schools Board. [photo: Roy Cousins]

Two Herts girls in the winning U15 Home Countries Quadrangular

We have had a very exciting week end at Milton Keynes.  Katie Comras and Laura Cousins both reached the Final of the Girls Singles.  Laura took the Gold and Katie the Silver.  Laura also won a gold in the girls doubles.  Two Herts girls in the Final!  In the team event England beat Ireland 10 - 0 Wales 10 - 0 and Scotland 7 - 3 to win the Emslie Trophy.  England take an U14 team to this event.

Herts Youth Games at Gosling Sports Park, 11th May

This year seven Districts' badminton teams competed on the day - and it was a very enjoyable event. In the run-up to the finals most Districts organise trails and coaching sessions with the help of local coaches and team managers.

All seven teams earned points for towards their District's overall total and the top three District Teams receive medals with the winning team retaining a trophy.

Medals were presented by a BAA Stansted and the trophy and medals to winners, Dacorum, by Triple Commonwealth Gold and Olympic Bronze medalist, Jo Goode.   

See summarised Badminton results, below, and for complete badminton  teams' results click here

See full Herts Youth Games Results click here

Results

Position (points gained)  District 

1 Gold (9) Dacorum

2 Silver (8) Welwyn Hatfield

3 Bronze (7) North Herts

4 (6) East Herts

5 (5) St Albans

6 (4)Broxbourne

7 (3)Three Rivers - Watford

Combined HYG medallists

Click here for larger (210KB) picture

Sunday 11th May seven Herts Districts competed in the badminton: medallists, above, with trophy presenter and triple Commonwealth Gold, Jo Goode, centre.   

Click here for a larger picture

The Dacorum team with medal presenter Jo Goode and Frances Morrison, back row right.

Silver  - Welwyn Hatfield

Click here for a larger picture

Bronze - North Herts

Click here for a larger picture

It is with great pleasure that I advise you that Hertfordshire Under 21's became National Champions today (Saturday 23th April 2003) at Birmingham University.

Under the guidance of team manager Howard Stephens ( Hertford) the team beat Bucks 5-1, Lancs 5-1 and drew with Hamps 3 -3.

The squad of six players - Phil Hammond (Goffs Oak), Jack Lippiat (Hoddesdon), Mark Bayliss (Cuffley), Rachel Howard (Hertford), Fiona Perry (Hertford) & Samantha Alexander (Tring).

Final Results 1st Hertfordshire, 2nd Lancashire, 3rd Hampshire & 4th Bucks.
It is without doubt the icing on the cake following a very successful season for all the senior county teams. The under 21's finished runners up last year to Yorkshire.

The quality of players continuing to come through Herts Schools Badminton Association is developing in to a senior squad now with strength in depth.

I look forward to next season.
Paul Widdicombe
Chairman of Selectors

Photo: Back row: Sam Alexander, Fiona Perry, Rachel Howard, Howard Stephens.  Front row: Jack Lipyeat, Phil Hammond, Mark Bayliss

The BAofE Executive Board endorsed the nomination for Tony to receive the above Award which was given him by Bill Andrew (long associated with Herts Badminton) - see picture below.

As for the ICT results, we finished a creditable 5th out of 38 Counties. We were seeded 6th.

Tony Clarke, Herts U17 Squad Manager and Coach, receives English Badminton Award from Bill Andrew  in his 21st year taking his team to the ICT 14-18th April 

Back row: Bill Andrew, Will Westwood, Simon Maine, Anthony Moye, Joe Webb and David Westwood. Front row: Frankie Edelmann, Katie Comras, Emma Stokes, Laura Cousins, Nicola Farr and Tony Clarke

British Open Raketlon Results

Played at David Lloyd Club (Bushey-Watford) 12& 13th April,  Herts BA chairman of county selectors, Paul Widdicombe, became runner up in the British Open Vets Event, playing three matches and winning all the badminton events you will be pleased to here.  To enter the Racketlon you need to compete in all 4 racket sports: table tennis, squash, tennis and badminton.
HBA Development Officer, Richard Doling lost in the 2nd round of the mens open and Geoff Daniels (Stanstead Abbotts BC) lost in the mens open plate 1st round.  See Racketlon website for more details. 

County Players Dinner & Presentation

At the Bull, Stanborough, Saturday 12th April county colours were presented to particularly deserving players. See HBA Newsletter in May for more details. 

The Badminton Association of England announces its 'BISI Club' club accreditation scheme particularly for junior clubs and senior clubs with juniors: click here to download a  leaflet in pdf format.  To read more go to the Coaches and Club Organisers page.

Herts County 2nd Team's Brave Bid for Premier Promotion 

Lyndsay Orchard Sarah Jones Jenna Tye Kath Mulligan
County 2nd team ladies wave the flag.

Leaders Award 5th April at Shephall Sports Centre, Stevenage

Badminton players from across the county, and three from outside the county, attended a very successful Leaders Award Course delivered by Ray Learney, Tutor-Assessor and Area Development Manager and Francis Morrison Tutor-Assessor.  The 18 attendees were the highest number attending a Leaders Award course in Herts for at least 12 years.  Some of the attendees plan to start coaching in sports centres, others at their club, others are already helping.

Herts Largest ever Coaching Course for Leaders Award

18 successful new badminton Leaders from coaching session by Ray Learney and Frances Morrison at Shephall Sports Centre, Stevenage, 5th April!

Interim Senior Inter-County Report

The county season is almost over, except for the 2nd team who play in the division one play offs this weekend at MK. Having won Division 1B last Sunday with a 13-2 home win over Notts 2.

The first team finished 3rd in Premier A, behind Yorks (1st) and Avon (2nd). With the top four ladies in Japan the 1st team did really well beating Warks 8-2, Hamps 8-2 and a 5 all drew with Avon. If only.........

The third team finished 2nd in division 2. Their best ever result and with two wins over Surrey 2 who won the division.

The fourth team finished 4th in division 4. We need to work on this team they only won 1 out of 16 mens singles. Coaches take note!

The under 21's are in the national finals to be held in Birmingham on 26th April.

An excellent season so far. Full details available soon.

I am putting the final touches to the meal/presentations on the 12th April at the Bull, Stanborough. If you have not already told me you are coming we still have places available.

Paul Widdicombe             You can email Paul at PaulWiddicombe@AOL.com