The Badminton World Federation (BWF) organized a back to back Shuttle Time Tutor Course (24 October) and a BWF National Classifier Workshop (25-27 October) prior to the start of the 2016 European Para-Badminton Championships in Beek.

The BWF team consisted of John Shearer, BWF Development Manager for the Shuttle Time Tutor Course and Dr. Shamsul Azhar Shah, BWF Senior Classifier for the National Classifier Workshop.

BWF Shuttle Time Tutor Course

During the course, John introduced the BWF Shuttle Time syllabus to all the participants. The participants consisted of BWF para-badminton experts who are involved in the delivery of regional para-badminton workshops. The content of Shuttle Time was discussed and participants conducted two coaching sessions after the theoretical part. All these were based on the lessons from the Shuttle Time lesson plan.

John Shearer (3rd from left) with the course participants

John Shearer on the course, ´The course in Beek is with current BWF para-badminton experts. This means we could deliver an adapted version of the Shuttle Time syllabus based on their prior knowledge and experiences both in badminton and para-badminton´.

On the next steps after the completion of this course, John added, ´The newly trained Shuttle Time Tutors will now support the implementation of a Shuttle Time inclusion project in 9 African countries, which is supported by the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNODSP). The project will see badminton being used to engage children with physical and intellectual disabilities in sport. Teachers will receive Shuttle Time training, which will focus on the inclusive nature of the sport and how it is possible to easily include persons with an impairment in badminton´.

Participants delivering their off court sessions

Participants at the course were: John Shearer (BWF Trainer), Kaity Hall (SCO), Alan Oliver (SCO), Lyndon Williams (WAL), Richard Morris (ENG), Bobby Griffin (ENG) and Tania Teoh (Badminton Europe). All participants were encouraged to register themselves via the Shuttle Time website, download the Shuttle Time app and get familiarize with the syllabus.

To register via the Shuttle Time website, click here.

To follow BWF Shuttle Time activities, click here.

To know more about the Shuttle Time App, click here.

Dr. Shamsul Azhar Shah delivered a three days’ course which consisted of 12 participants from 7 Member Associations and a staff from Badminton Europe. The course content covered the following player classification process:

The National Classifiers with BWF Classifiers post workshop

Day 1 - Theory session and presentations off court

Activities:
o Classifier Training/Roles
o Classification system
o Minimal impairment criteria
o Player evaluation - stages

Day 2 - Observation (player evaluation) in classification room and on court

Activities:
o Structured observation of the classification process in action.
o Observing BWF Classifiers undertaking player evaluation at an international event.

Day 3 - Observation (competition) on court

Activities:
o Observation of players in competition.
o Videoing of players from each Sport Class.
o Discussion

The aim of conducting this National Classifier Workshop is to provide ample information to the National Classifiers so that they can advise and guide new para-badminton coaches and players who wish to go through the classification process at international tournament. The course was attended by doctors, physiotherapists, physical physicians, coaches and administrators.

The participants:

1. Ulrike Plaggenborg (Siemer), Germany
2. Martin Plegt, Netherlands
3. Lukasz Baran, Poland
4. Anton Ivanov, Russia
5. Carmen Martinez, Spain
6. David Gomez Casanovas, Spain
7. Juan Carlos Cuevas, Spain
8. Fredrik Ingemansson, Sweden
9. Manuela Wettstein, Switzerland
10. Betul Utcu, Turkey
11. Hakan Ozkan, Turkey
12. Tania Teoh, Badminton Europe

To read more about the BWF Classifiers, click here.