For the year 2010, funding from the Irish Sports Council under the Women in Sport Initiative has been reduced considerably.

From a figure of €144,400 in 2009, this year our funding is €103,500. While this reduction in funding is disappointing, it is hardly surprising given the current economic circumstances. For this reason, it has been important to critically examine all Women in Sport Initiatives and evaluate their value to Badminton Ireland members and potential future development. At the moment, we are less than half way through our funding year (Jan-Dec) and many projects are underway.

Brenda Barry is our WIS Development. For queries on any of the areas outlined below, please contact her at 087 6412 760 or at CLOAKING  

All projects are open to both women and men.

Coaching

Over the past few years, the Badminton Ireland Women in Sport Initiative has made available a subsidy for Level 1 Coaching Courses. In 2009, this subsidy was available to those who completed Level 1 Coaching Courses; a total of 90 coaches were funded, 61 have now qualified.

As part of our funding re-evaluation, it has been decided to invest the funding in further Coach Education of coaches who are already active and are eager to add on to their qualifications. This will include all active Level 1 and above coaches. Details of Coach Education opportunities that will be made available to these coaches will be announced in late August with a number of planned events from August to December 2010.

Leadership & Club Training Workshops

The Badminton Ireland Regional Development Officers are actively in communication with county associations and clubs nationwide. They are available as a source of support to our members and in assisting clubs and county associations who are looking to develop their structures from within.

A number of training workshops are available to clubs, county associations, leagues and branches. 16 workshops and meetings took place this year with a further 197 club members attending.

1. Club Structures and Funding
2. Public Relations for Badminton Clubs and Associations and
3. Organising Competitions
4. Ideas for Club Nights
5. Fixtures Live Tools for Clubs, Leagues and County Associations 

Empowering clubs, leagues and county associations to take control of planning and development at a grass roots level is the overall goal.

The needs of each club, county association, leagues within any development area are different and many information nights presented by the Development Officers throughout the season were tailor made for each individual club, county association, leagues. Development Officers attendance at club and county meetings throughout the year gave individuals, clubs and county associations opportunities to request assistance at a local level and to be advised of development within their area. 

Club Development Manual

We are currently in the process of finalising our updated edition of the Badminton Ireland Club Development Manual. This will be available in hard copy and on the Badminton Ireland website from early August 2010.

Court Officials

Badminton Ireland Court Officials Group is keen to recruit new members to its ranks;

• Like many other sports badminton requires officials.
• A significant increase in the use of umpires’ services at all levels in the sport has occurred.
• To enhance the presentation of badminton.

Funding is available under the Women in Sport Initiative to train as a court official.  Contact Carol O’Farrell at CLOAKING

A Juvenile Umpiring Scheme Award was piloted this season in Baldoyle Badminton Centre. The award targeted juveniles from 12-18 years and it is envisaged that more opportunities for participants to gain practical experience to umpire at events as part of the training will be arranged for the new season commencing in September 2010. It is also hoped to expand this programme in late 2010 to other geographical areas.

All Regional Development Officers also completed a Court Officials training course in early 2010.

Branch and County Association Development Plans

A number of County Associations are in the process of working through their own specific Development Plans. Assistance is available for County Associations and Clubs, who wish to development planning strategies, please contact Brenda Barry or your Regional Development Officer.

Badminton Summer Camps

Our 2009 Badminton Summer Camps proved to be very successful. 36 Camps ran nationally and were supported through resources and subsidies through the Women in Sport Initiative. All levels were catered for, from elite to beginner and we had 730 participants. Coach Jens Erikkson from Sweden returned to Ireland again and camps with Jens were held in Lisburn, Sligo, Limerick, Kilkenny and Baldoyle.

 Once again this year, we aim to assist clubs, leagues and county associations to run Summer Camps. As with previous years a subsidy is available through the Women in Sport Initiative. Details and Summer Camp Information Packs are available to download on the Badminton Ireland website. Jens Erikkson from Sweden will coach camps in Lisburn, Sligo, Limerick, Kilkenny and Baldoyle. He will also coach at a Disability Camp in Lisburn.

Tues	27th July	Ard Scoil Rios, Limerick
Wed	28th July	The Watershed, Kilkenny
Thurs	29th July	National Badminton Centre, Lisburn
Tues	3rd Aug	Sligo TC, Sligo Town
Wed	4th Aug	Baldoyle Badminton Centre, Dublin

 

Further development camps with Coach Daniel Magee are also planned for the end of August in four locations nationwide. Details of these camps will be posted on the Badminton Ireland website.

Competition from other National Governing Bodies and Community Groups, particularly the FAI, IRFU and the GAA, is difficult when promoting Summer Camps especially when you take into consideration that summer time is during the Badminton off-season and that these NGB’s have much greater resources at their disposal. We are constantly striving to better our Summer Camp programme and to attract new players to our sport. However we are limited, thus dependent on clubs, leagues and county associations to promote badminton at a local level and we, the Badminton Ireland Development Team are there to assist and advise in every possible way that we can.

This summer we have less man power available but we will endeavour to run our Summer Camp programme to the best of our ability. Please contact Brenda Barry at CLOAKING for any information on our Summer Camp Subsidy Initiative.

Juvenile Club Initiative

Badminton Ireland recognises the importance of juvenile clubs. The Juvenile Club Initiative seeks to promote Juvenile Club Development within existing Adult Clubs that do not currently have a juvenile section or links with a Juvenile Club.

• To increase participation numbers of juvenile players
• To increase the opportunities for juvenile players to play in a club environment
• To encourage routes of progression through badminton from schools to juvenile to adult clubs
• To ensure that all development actions are sustainable and that clubs will continue to build on the work of this initiative

Badminton Ireland Development Officers are currently working with a number of selected clubs in developing Juvenile Clubs within currently existing Adult Clubs. These clubs include

• Boyle, Co. Roscommon
• Oranmore, Co. Galway
• Conamara Thiar Junior, Co. Galway
• Mungret, Co. Limerick
• Limerick PYMA, Limerick
• Cratloe, Co. Clare
• Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
• Ratoath, Co. Meath
• Vicarstown, Co. Laois
• Moneenroe, Co. Kilkenny

New Badminton Club Initiative

We have acquired funding through the Women in Sport Initiative to assist a number of potential new badminton clubs through financial and human resources. These resources will include our Club Development Manual, Badminton Basics programme, equipment, coach education and development support. Locations will be finalised in late August with work to commence from then for the new season. The Wednesday morning Ladies Social Club in Baldoyle Badminton Centre has been proudly supported by the Development Team, Fingal County Council and the Women in Sport Initiative.  The annual Ladies morning blitz now attracts over 35 women to come down and play against each other.

Club Websites and E-mail Addresses

Badminton Ireland continues to offer clubs the opportunity to avail of club e-mail addresses under the domain irishbadminton.com. A website template is also available to all interested clubs. This is a free service available to all affiliated clubs. A number of clubs, leagues and County Associations have taken up the offer and have both dedicated club e-mail addresses and websites. Currently, there are 14 websites set up under the irishbadminton.com.

To sign up for this e-mail address and the website template. Please contact Brenda Barry at CLOAKING

Badminton Ireland’s membership database and communication programme

What is Fixtures Live?

• Web-based software that is integrated with the Badminton Ireland website
• Designed to help players, clubs and leagues to create accurate competition content
• Supports club officials who carry out various roles including secretary, league secretary, treasurer

How much does it cost?

• Free to individuals, badminton clubs & leagues affiliated to Badminton Ireland
• Badminton Ireland have retained Fixtures Live to make all services available to clubs and leagues nationwide

Club Administrator/Official - How can Fixtures Live help?

• Manage your members – allows individual members to update their own details so that you don’t have to
• Communicate with your members using Fixtures Live by e-mail
• Advertise and publicise club on-line within your own website and through Badminton Ireland website
• Register members to Badminton Ireland on-line

 

Exhibition Stand at the National Ploughing Championships

The National Ploughing Championships 2009 took place in Athy, Co. Kildare in September and we had an information stand present. This allowed us access to huge numbers of people in attendance at the event; the average attendance was approximately 170,000 thus increasing awareness among the general public of exercise opportunities available to them in their communities. Queries are still coming to the office on where to find a local club, interest on setting up new clubs and queries on our schools programmes.

Due to funding constraints, we are not in a position to have an exhibition stand at the 2010 National Ploughing Championships.