seventeenth April, 2025
George Wooden is combining a private ardour along with his career as he ensures as many individuals as attainable can share his love of badminton.
The Badminton England Sport Director first joined the organisation in 1999 as a Programme Coordinator and is now in his third stint in Milton Keynes after time working with Swim England and in consultancy.
It’s expertise that Wooden is making use of in any respect ranges of the sport from grassroots via to main occasions as his function encompasses areas as various as growth, teaching, home competitions, and the participant pathway.
As a eager badminton participant on the Masters circuit himself, it’s inclusivity that underpins Wooden’s method.
“Inclusion is admittedly necessary. One of many issues I’m actually excited and captivated with is that badminton does interact folks from the campsite, not scoring and simply hitting a shuttle over a automobile, proper via to the Paralympic and Olympic stage,” he defined.
“It will possibly cater for all of that which is good, and all ages, gender and ethnicity, it goes throughout the board.
“Ensuring as many individuals as attainable really feel included inside our sport and that there’s a place for them is tremendous necessary to me.
“That’s one factor that’s actually vital, and that’s the golden thread that runs via all the things we’re attempting to do inside that.”
In that vein, Wooden is at the moment engaged on numerous thrilling tasks that intention to supply a spot for all present and potential badminton gamers.
One initiative focused particularly at making certain badminton is as inclusive and welcoming as attainable is the ‘Sport that Cares’ marketing campaign.
“It’s about ensuring that we’ve received a very inclusive and secure surroundings in all of our golf equipment and badminton environments throughout the nation,” mentioned Wooden.
“It applies to anybody who’s affiliated with us so we will guarantee and guarantee that folks will obtain a welcome, it is going to be secure, and it is going to be an incredible place to play their badminton.
“The primary factor inside ‘Sport that Cares’ is making certain that each one golf equipment have a welfare officer who’s educated and DBS checked.
“We offer free coaching and we’re offering a free welfare officer membership. It’s about discovering individuals who can present that welcoming surroundings and simply test in on folks to see that they’re okay, making certain that nobody’s being ignored throughout the membership.”
No Strings Badminton
One other initiative notably near Wooden’s coronary heart is No Strings Badminton, which he developed throughout his earlier stint with Badminton England.
Now one of many most lasting sports activities growth programmers at 15 years previous, it retains the core focus of enjoyable, health and mates however will evolve underneath Wooden’s newest relaunch.
The availability will now embody 4 sides: ‘No Strings: Play’, ‘No Strings Badminton: Youth’, ‘No Strings: Develop’, and ‘No Strings: Compete’.
Every seeks to fulfill a requirement recognized by Wooden and the crew at Badminton England, whether or not a need for younger folks to entry informal badminton, a willingness from gamers to have enjoyable competing or for gamers to study extra abilities earlier than they rock as much as periods.
“It’s about having informal environments the place folks can come together with another person or by themselves and so they’ll be welcomed. It’s so simple as that,” mentioned Wooden.
“It’s pay and play. So for those who come one week and don’t come the following week, that’s completely high quality. There aren’t any commitments, it’s nearly getting concerned.”
Each tasks sit amid a plethora of different initiatives that Wooden is overseeing.
They vary from Shuttle Stars, a brand new programme aiming to supply an excellent begin within the sport to younger folks from seven to 11 years previous, to increasing the Nationwide Badminton League (NBL) to type the top of membership badminton throughout the nation.
Wooden can also be engaged on a plan to stimulate the event of extra full-time coaches, whereas he may even work with county badminton associations to make sure governance techniques are as efficient as attainable.
On high of all that, Wooden is trying to develop Badminton England’s showpiece YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships to create much more of a spectacle within the coming years.
His ambition is derived from a pure enjoyment of a sport that has lengthy been a supply of pleasure.
“I’ve labored with about 15 to twenty totally different sports activities, so I’ve been tremendous fortunate,” he mentioned.
“Nonetheless, I do completely love the game of badminton.
“There’s something actually particular about it for me, most likely offering my private curiosity within the sport with my skilled profession.
“Which means I genuinely really feel fortunate and privileged to be working in badminton, and it’s so simple as that. It’s only a pleasure daily to be a part of this sport.
“I really like that it combines my private ardour with my skilled profession, and I simply really feel tremendous fortunate to be a part of it.”
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