Juvenile Badminton serves off
The Kilcullen Juvenile Badminton Club got under way last weekend with its customary small but enthusiastic group to start. But if last year's interest is repeated, there are likely to be up to 40 members in fairly short order.
"It was a very successful year," says club secretary Rose McMahon, who got involved in the adult club a few years ago and then decided that she should do something for youngsters. "Otherwise there's a danger of them all turning into couch potatoes," she says with a grin.
Rose is being helped by Sheila Smyth from Kildare, who has been a Badminton coach for many years, specialising in the Juvenile sector for much of the time. Her daughter Sheila is an international player ranked 90th in the world.
"That's why I'm in it, because I was always playing with my kids," she says. "It is how I got to be involved in training Juveniles before going on to coach adults."
Assistant coach is Ger Bissett, who claims to just be 'giving a hand' with the Juveniles, but Sheila is quick to commend his unfailing appearance at every session. Last Saturday's was relatively easy, but it's all likely to get much more intensive.
"We only had a small group starting back, and it takes a few weeks for it to build up, Rose says. "One will tell another and so and pretty soon we'll have a big group."
Though some of last year's group wanted to get involved in competition, the elders figured they weren't really ready yet. Maybe this year there will be a move in that direction, when they've had a bit more coaching.
"But we had an internal competition last year, and we always end the 11-week session with a 'fun day', and there are trophies at that."
As usual, girls outnumber boys in the club -- "if there's football that's where boys go" -- but there are already a number interested for this year. "And there's plenty of room for more."
The club sessions for the next 11 weeks will be on Saturday mornings between 11am-12.30pm, except the 5th of November, which is booked by a circus.
Brian Byrne.
