Firstly, my apologies to anyone who was hoping to find out about the Badminton Horse Trials; this article is about the racket sport of badminton.
For generations, families have strung up a net in the back garden or on the beach and knocked a shuttlecock back and forth. Any sort of wind, however, soon makes the game unplayable, so badminton is primarily an indoor sport. Despite the lack of exposure on British television it is popular. According to Badminton Scotland, the national body north of the border, four to five million people play the game in the UK.
The game of badminton
Essentially, player one must get the shuttlecock over the net in such a way that player two cannot return it. Providing it falls to the floor within the court boundary lines, player one gets the point. The first player to 21 wins the game. Like tennis, badminton can be played in singles or doubles format.
Of course, there's a bit more to it than that. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) rule book is the definitive guide to all aspects of the game.
Badminton organizations
Each country in Great Britain has a national body to which local clubs are affiliated. The above mentioned Badminton Scotland lists over 160 and Badminton England recognizes over 2200. Badminton Wales, also known as the Welsh Badminton Union, has about 100.
The Badminton Union of Ireland looks after the sport for both sides of the border. Northern Ireland has over 50 clubs and there are many more in Eire.
The next tier in England and Wales contains the County Associations who organize leagues, tournaments and training in their areas. Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, arrange themselves in a more regional way. Finally, local clubs can assemble teams to play in the league groups in their own areas.
Not all clubs are affiliated to the county and national bodies, preferring to play non-competitive social games.
Badminton fitness
Fitness, obviously, is important if you want to play competitively, but for social games the best attribute is to be reasonably agile. It can be a fast moving sport, but it is more about quick reactions than the sustained endurance needed for, say, cycling road-races.
Badminton equipment
Very little equipment is needed beyond the racket and, if no-one else is providing them, shuttlecocks. For social games and practice, those with plastic flights are often used because they are fairly robust. The more expensive but more fragile feathered variety are reserved for formal matches.
Some sort of sports clothing and a pair of trainers suitable for indoor sports-hall floors completes the basic necessities. A few clubs may insist on high on-court sartorial standards, so check before you spend too much money.
Finding badminton clubs
Given the staggering cost of fuel, it is tempting to simply join the nearest club. But, if there is a choice, visit them all, then pick the one you are most comfortable with. Some are for purely social players, others have teams in local leagues. Larger clubs may offer coaching for youngsters or older players. Virtually all of them will allow you to play as a visitor for a short period before expecting you to formally join and pay your subscriptions.
The web sites of the national bodies keep registers of club details which can be used to track down a club. For example, if you live in England, the Badminton England 'club finder' section allows you to enter your location to get a list of affiliated clubs in your area. Alternatively, do an internet search; many clubs now have a web site where you can see what facilities are on offer.
If your preference is for a non-affiliated club with a more informal atmosphere, try looking for posters and/or asking at the local sports hall, community centre or library.
In some cases, a club may be reluctant to accept people who have no badminton experience, so you may want to get started by join an evening or weekend class at your local college.
Progressing in the game of badminton
Typically, aspiring players will first play for their club in a local league. The next level is to play for the county or regional area, and then in national championships. Success here could lead to playing for their country in international competitions, possibly in the Olympics.
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