Development

Adam Mendrek: 3 months of hard work
Date: 9/3/2013 4:47 PM
Published by : Manuel Røsler

Badminton Europe is creating links with the National Training Centres of excellence within the Member Associations. The idea is to certificate those centres that have the required standard and to cooperate on offering training for talented players from other Member Associations by awarding scholarships. Badminton Europe has confirmed eight Certificated Training Centres all around Europe.
  
Adam Mendrek (pictured) from Czech Republic got a Scholarship to practise at the Certificated Training Centre in Odense, Denmark. Here you can read the report about his stay in the Southern part of Denmark.

Adam Mendrek: Three months of hard work

I came to Denmark immediately after coming back to Czech Republic from USA, where I spent my vacation and played US Open Grand Prix Gold. I arrived in Odense on Saturday 20th of July. After the first easy training, I went to check my flat. I was quite happy, because I lived in the city and it was about 15 minutes to the training hall by walk. In the evening we were playing friendly matches against Danish national team under 19. I played some good matches against players of my age and younger players. Despite I won all of them, I didn't feel so good. Because I was tired after the journey. On Sunday, I took a little break to get ready for the new week.

Physically and mentally tough sessions

On Monday I started to practice normally with 120 %. I was lucky I could practice with great sparring partners. For example I trained with Raul Must from Estonia, Steffen Rasmusen or Patrick Bjerregaard from Denmark and so many other players. In the beginning we practiced a lot of 2 or 3 against one, where two players were standing at the net and one in the back court, then two in the back and one at the net. Those exercises were the hardest. Not only physically, but mentally too. After two weeks, we started to play more technique and movement on court. Specially in the morning trainings, who started at 8:00 and lasted until 10:00. In the morning sessions we had two coaches: Lennart and Jakob.

Exhausted before going to bed

These coaches are very good, because of their knowledge and experiences in badminton. Since I was 14 I have made a big step in my badminton career and I must thank to Lennart, who has changed a lot in my game. In the evening, we practiced mostly one against one intervals, or we played matches, where I played a intense matches against older players, which gave me a lot of experiences. On Wednesday and Friday we did a special training in the afternoon. It is called "multi" and it is only about feeding to the other player, who has to work very hard for 45 minutes. The constitution of the exercise is: 3 big series, in each series are 4 different exercises, which will be repeated three times. In the last two weeks, we started on Tuesday and Thursday to practice in the evening a little bit of physicall exercise. It was running over the hall on time, then running on the lines on the courts and in the end some shadow badminton on court. That was always the best way, how to get totally exhausted before going to bed.

Cooking is the hardest part ...

Now some words of living in Denmark: The hardest thing I had to do was cooking. It is quite hard to cook every single day a different meal. I tried to deal with that, but someday I went to the restaurant and enjoyed a "normal" meal. The rest of the home duty (scauring, ironing and washing) was quite okay. I the beggining Ivan and Filip (Croatia) and Ruben (Netherlands) joined me in my flat. I had a great time with my room mates. Then my friend and compatriot Lukas Zevl and in the end Slovenian players Alen and Žan joined me. So I was very satisfied with my room mates and I hope, they were satisfied with me as well.

Last thing, I have never had the experience of such a sunny and hot weather in Denmark! It was about 30 to 34 degrees! That was a nice suprise.

After 3 months of hard work I look forward to playing tournaments again! It has been a long preparation, but it gave me a lot of improvements and experience.

Article by Adam Mendrek, Czech Republic.

Go to our Development page to find out more about the Certificated Training Centres of Badminton Europe.

If you are an international player and are interested in receiving a Scholarship please contact your Member Association. Read about the criteria to apply for a Scholarship here.

©badmintoneurope.com. All rights reserved.

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