INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS

This is the Somerset's Junior branch of Badminton England and is non-profit making, all monies being ploughed back into promoting badminton within Somerset. The £20 subscription fees members pay each year helps us work with more and more children across the county. Our membership is made up of Somerset schools (both state and private). Schools subscription entitles a child from that school to £1 off the entry to the 3 non-county player tournaments, so children please encourage your school to affiliate. We prefer to maintain contact via e-mail to keep the costs down so please provide an e-mail address in the contact details if at all possible.

What Do You Get From SSBA?

We currently have numerous ways we are trying to develop the game in Somerset. From Sept to Aug each season we provide affiliated schools with:

1. Advertising and promoting existing Junior clubs locally. Member schools will be sent these posters to display.

2. For non-county players we organise 3 tournaments per season - 1 in Taunton, 1 in Yeovil and one other (Shepton Mallet 2005/06). These tournaments are held at weekends, for any child in the area (until they have played more than 1 match for the county) Member organisations will receive notification and application forms for these tournaments automatically by post or e-mail. Publicity for winning children includes the name of the school they attend.

3. County trials run a minimum of once a year in each area. Affiliated Schools receive information on all trials.

4. Encouraging the formation of more Junior Badminton clubs locally and the expansion of existing clubs. This in part is in co-operation with the Badminton Development Officer (BDO) Stephen Pritchard. (Part funded by Badminton England). Somewhere for your keen children to play and develop outside of school activities.

5. Encouraging schools to form Badminton clubs, and putting staff in touch with appropriate organisations and individuals who can advise, assist and provide training for interested individuals. (Also with the BDO)

6. Selecting and training children for the Somerset County Junior Teams in Taunton, Yeovil, Bruton and a school group in Wincanton. A nomination form is available on the Nomination form page. Players are normally nominated by their schools or clubs, but in the future they may also be “spotted” at the tournaments. The main teams are U13/U15/U17 among the South West Counties, but wherever possible an U11 team is also run. Team players are also offered team training with a top coach. Publicity for winning children includes the name of the school they attend.

7. The county runs regular trails events for all other children. We advertise these events through the year on the website, through the member schools, registered coaches, local clubs and anywhere else we can think of. Information on upcoming events is first available on the News page

8. Increasing the availability of information on the subject of Badminton generally. This we do by providing a website, which you can visit at any time. Keeping the website up and running each year costs us money. The website gives information on the activities of Somerset Schools Badminton Association, county match and tournament results, and also provides links with other badminton organizations and local clubs. From time-to-time coaching tips are also published. You do not have to be a member to visit our website. Try giving it a browse!

9. Affiliated Schools will be listed on the website, which is one of the most visited Badminton sites in the UK and is regularly visited by large numbers of people from all over the world.
   Should you wish to be added to our website, contact the Webmaster.

We are always on the look-out for new talent, and of course, should any child from your school/club go on to become a County player, or win any tournaments, your school/club gets the recognition in any press coverage. As the first point of contact, we are asking Schools and Coaches to be talent-spotters for us. If you have any child between the ages of 8 and 15 that you think shows an aptitude for the game, then please do get in touch. Contact names are available on our Contacts page and you could download our Nomination form. They do not need to be professional players - we will provide the training! We are particularly short of girls, throughout the age range. A 4wk trial at Yeovil or Taunton will cost £12 payable in advance.

If you or your school is interested in affiliating to the SSBA then please download the application form and details.
The necessary contact details are available under “Contact Us” for the committee supporting SSBA.

The Training

We provide four County Squad training sessions, all of which take place at Westlands Sports & Social Club Gymnasium, Yeovil each Saturday between the end of August and the end of May, including half-term holidays:-

The Taunton cell coaching is by Catherine Sertin (Level 2 coach) with the assistance of Peter Spencer.

The Bruton training is carried out by James Elkin (Level 2 coach) at Sexeys School 5-7pm.

The cost of the Yeovil and Taunton training is currently £6.30 for 2hr sessions and £4.70 for the 1.5hr session. Refer to James Elkin for the Bruton Cell (details below). Payment is in advance, usually at the start of each term, but details on payment will be provided by the cell organizer before you start. We prefer cheques as they are easier to collect and pay in. Concessions are available for those eligible for free schools meals.

At the start of the season (Sept) we run a selection tournament and the results of this is taken into consideration when selecting the Squad for each of the age groups playing the matches described below. From this year the Squads have been invited in rotation to Stanchester 7-9pm to train with Kelvin Edwards (Coach Level 2 Instructor/ Examiner). We are lucky that he has moved into the county this season and these sessions will be continued next year. We also have a number of guest coaches from the County Adult section and visiting national coaches who take sessions or small groups from time-to-time.

There are plans to start at least one more cell north possible Frome. Keep watching the News page for this and other information.

Who we play

As a trainee's standard of play improves, he/she may be selected for Somerset in his/her own age group. (Cut-off points are 1st January 1996 for U11's; 1st January 1994 for U13's; 1st January 1992 for U15's; 1st January 1990 for U17's). There are six boys and six girls in each team and selection is decided upon by each Team Manager in consultation with the Head Coach after the Selection Tournament. We play other South West counties, namely Gloucestershire, Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Avon on a home and away basis. County players are also encouraged to take part in "invitation only" individual events in other counties, as well as national competitions, which is the acknowledged route to England selection. This year we have sent or will send players to the following team events SW Counties U13/15, Avon Invitation Doubles, Kathy Wood Invitation Doubles (was Gloucestershire Invitation) U12 and U14.

Useful contacts

Role	Contact Details	Responsibility
Badminton England Regional Development Manager	John Edwards 01392 262504 johnedwards@badmintonengland.co.uk	Information on the strategic development accross the County
Somerset County Badminton Association Secretary	Mike Sertin 07785 576541	Information on local clubs, leagues and the county badminton structure. If you are unsure as to whom to direct your enquiry to, please contact this person.
Somerset Schools Badminton Association Secretary	www.somersetbadminton.org.uk	Information on junior badminton including junior clubs, county squads and badminton in schools.
Somerset Development Officer	Stephen Pritchard 01823 447128 (w) 07725 413879	Information on badminton development programmes in education and the community including club accreditation, volunteering and membership
Somerset Coaching Co-ordinator	James Elkin 07947 056333	Information on all coaching including information on local coaches and the coaching pathway
Badminton England (BE) Development Department	Bradwell Road Loughton Lodge Milton Keynes MK8 9LA Tel: 01908 268400 Fax: 01908 268412 www.badmintonengland.co.uk	All information on Badminton Development.