Starting
a Junior Club
Interested in starting a
junior club? Want to know more? Then, see, below.
Contents
2 Decide where and when the Junior Section/club
will play
Decide why you are planning to start a junior club or section, and the age group you are targeting as this can affect how you go about it.
Some possible answers and consequences:
1.1 start junior club to help increase adult club membership:
if so, then targeting the 11+ age group will bring quicker results than 7+, but there is usually a drop out of youngsters around 13 years, more girls drop out than boys
1.2 members of the club have juniors who would like to learn to play: if so, then the age group is pre-selected
1.3 Altruistic feelings of wanting to put something back into the sport. If so, it is usually easier to find under 11 (U11) juniors keen to play than, say U13s or U15s.
It is harder to accommodate U10s and, say, over 13s at the same time as they have different motivation and physical strength: they will need different courts to play on and so, more people to help or coach them..
Often the
easiest time to run a junior section or club is the hour before the senior
club. Other club members interested in starting the section will be coming to
the club night anyway - it is not so arduous to come an hour early as to come
on a separate occasion. If this is not possible then 6-7pm week days or
Saturday or Sunday or mornings are often a popular time - dependent, of course
on the availability of the session organiser/s and the courts.
Courts can be cheaper at some times, depending on your facility’s charging structure. If the premises are at a school you may be able to obtain discounts if you take pupils from the school.
Basic
organisational and book-keeping skills are necessary.
You do not
need a qualified coach, but it helps. Anyone
can introduce juniors or adults to badminton – how to serve, score, etc., and if
your club is affiliated to BADMINTON England (BE) the insurance will cover any
unfortunate accidents. You do need qualified and insured coaches to coach, that
is, to refine or improve players’ skills.
Operationally, it is best if you have two coaches such as a Level 1 and a Level 2 (see below), or at least a coach and a helper so that holidays, sickness and days off can be easily covered. Many clubs have coaches that altruistically provide their services free of charge to their own junior section/club. If not then expect fees from £12 to £20 per hour. It costs coaches £34 to obtain their insurance each year so some appropriate financial help from the club would seem fair.
The most common coaching qualifications are:
Level 1 BADMINTON England (BE) coach is called an 'Assistant Coach' and the course is a 2.5 day course and the normal costs is £195 but HBA have, in some instances, managed to obtain discounts which bring the course about £100. HBA usually organise 2 courses per year.
Level
2 BE coach is called 'Level 2' and the course is a 4 day course with 4-week log
book and costs normally about £300. See funding below. HBA usually organise one
of each per year.
All coaches,
now, complete a Criminal Records Bureau clearance (free for volunteers),
details available from Herts Badminton Child Protection Officer.
See Coaching section of HBA website for details of coming courses, costs and syllabi.
Once you have decided which age group you would like to focus upon it is, unless the club has many players with children eager to play, necessary to attract juniors from the locality.
You can find juniors outside of club members by:
4.1 qualified coaches from your club giving 'taster sessions' in schools either in curriculum time or after school - as the school decides and then handing out invitations to your junior sessions. This scheme can be expanded to invite the children to a 'fun tournament' at a specific date where you select the juniors.
If you haven't coaches or they are not available during school hours then it may be possible to persuade other coaches to help but, they would prefer either payment or reimbursement - this can be afforded via Lottery Awards for All, see below.
4.2 Consulting the local Sports Development Officer who may be able to
speak with interested PE teachers who may help organise coaching sessions or a mini tournament
leave leaflets, depending when next going into the schools.
They will only accept promoting clubs that are affiliated to their governing body
4.3 Link with or establish an 'After School Club': this obviously requires a qualified coach and takes more time and commitment.
4.4 Advertise in the local press and Herts Badminton Assn and Herts Schools Badminton Assn newsletters websites. This takes weeks or months to have any effect, has variable success and consequently financial risks.
Costs:
Court hire,
shuttles and a few spare rackets will all need to be funded.
If you haven't got qualified coaches then they will need to attend either of the courses mentioned.
If you charge juniors £2 each session and you get 4 juniors per court and courts cost £8/h then you won't make enough to cover shuttles and any other expenses - some clubs charge £3/h. In the start-up period, typically 1- 2 months, when you are building membership there may not be even be enough income to cover court fees. So funding grants are very helpful!
Funding can come from
1 Perhaps a senior club subsidy
2 Your District Council via the Sports Development Officer
3 Awards for All grants (visit www. awardsforall.co.uk and download form)
4 Several other funds, e.g. see details on HSP website: www.sportinherts.co.uk
4 Eventually, when sufficient junior members - from their fees
The AfA will
pay up to £10,000. No Herts badminton club has been declined for
financial reasons. Notification of grant takes 6-8 weeks, currently.
Clubs have successfully asked AfA to pay for:
1 Club members to attend coaches courses (one club qualified 5 members as coaches at £230 each, this way)
2 Coaches to give taster sessions in schools for 2 hour/week for 13 weeks at £15/h
3 Coaches to mentor the club coaches in their club junior session for 2 hours/week for 13 weeks at £15/h
4 Court hire for junior sessions for 13 weeks
5 Nets and posts, 12 Rackets and 13 tubes of shuttles
6 Junior membership of the BAofE (to ensure information and maintain interest)
7 A video camera to video stroke production and tactics
There are
Sport England 'Running Sport' 3-hour courses entitled; ‘Running a Club’, 'Developing
Junior Clubs', 'Child Protection', etc. See availability on Herts Sport
Partnership website.
Any queries,
contact:
Herts
Badminton Development Officer, Tom Burton, tel: 07725 07725 413547, tom.burton@badmintonengland.co.uk
Your Local
Badminton Development representative (see HBA Committee on website):
North
Herts: Bob Green:
SW
Herts: Liz Bateman:
East
Herts: Doug Clark:
Herts
Development Co-ordinator, Dave Bartlett, tel 01438 715374, Dave-HBA@Bartlett.Plus.com.