Community Spotlight: Yeovil Badminton Club

Yeovil Badminton Membership are making massive strides to beat the gender disparity in age group badminton of their space with a brand new initiative.

The membership have arrange a brand new ‘Ladies Solely’ badminton session for women below 13 to supply a extra comfy area to study the game.

Whereas there had beforehand been an absence of ladies taking over badminton in Yeovil, the membership’s part-funded periods have given them a recent impetus to take up the game in a protected area.

It has allowed younger ladies to search out their very own enjoyment from the game away from the efficiency of gender roles that may usually be the case in combined periods.

“We get lots of ladies coming in however they don’t really feel comfy taking part in with boys. They get overawed and you may see they need to do it however they don’t really feel they will compete,” stated head coach Jane Lipton.

“I used to be studying about Sport England and the way ladies solely periods assist promote self-confidence, so I simply determined that I’ll give it a go.

“Final 12 months we put in for the funding and we’ve been operating it for a 12 months. It’s been actually good. The women get pleasure from it, they’ve blossomed and you may see they’re extra assured in what they do.

“It’s now getting them to the purpose the place they exit and compete if that’s what they need to do. They don’t at all times need to however that’s what we’re making an attempt to get them to do, giving them abilities after which making an attempt to see if they will use them.”

Whereas the periods had been set-up to allow participation in a much less aggressive ambiance with a extra co-operative ethos, as the ladies’ confidence has grown their very own aggressive streaks have additionally been allowed to flourish.

The women, together with their new discovered confidence, had been taken to an exterior session in the summertime the place they had been taking part in with boys aged 10 to 16.

They quickly realised they had been capable of hit the shuttle higher than a number of the boys and took to the courts able to problem for a win.

It was right here their competitiveness shone by means of, as whereas either side had been susceptible to errors in scoring, it was the ladies who proved the most important sticklers for correcting their opposition.

Lipton added: “The women periods began off as under-13s however there was a gaggle of older youngsters who stated they needed to have an area as properly.

“The instances we have now once we do the junior golf equipment is dominated by boys so the older ladies determined to come back and take part and that’s made it a bit extra fascinating for them and a bit extra aggressive for them as properly as a result of the older ladies can hit it a bit extra.

“Ladies need to study the talents. Boys will simply hit issues and run round. They simply need to do it and hit it however the ladies really need to know the best way to hit it and the best way to hit it higher in order that they’re extra skill-oriented.

“The women simply want that little bit extra time and so they don’t need to be rushed in the identical approach.

“When boys play video games, they like aggressive video games and the ladies love to do a little bit of studying after which attempt to get to make use of it in a match or a rally as a result of they’re extra eager about creating abilities than simply operating round.”

The periods present that discovering the suitable atmosphere is the important thing to permitting any participant to search out their confidence on courtroom, and Yeovil’s dedication to making sure everybody can entry this has allowed ladies within the space to fall in love with sport.

Yeovil Badminton Membership are actually hoping to run a Ladies’ Badminton Competition to recruit extra youngsters to their periods and provide an opportunity for present individuals to point out off their new discovered abilities and confidence.