Yorkshire Badminton Association (YBA)
Advice to parents and players - 2015/16 season
Please read in conjunction with the advice on the YBA website (Junior Section) and the Badminton
England (BE) website
www.yorkshirebadminton.co.uk
www.badmintonengland.co.uk
How is competitive junior badminton organised?
Yorkshire is one of the county badminton associations that make up Badminton England, the sport's
governing body. Badminton England run a series of national junior tournaments.
Yorkshire selects teams to compete in national and regional county competitions. In addition, some
junior and secondary schools run teams that enter in local and national schools tournaments.
Junior badminton in Yorkshire is organised by the YBA Schools and Youth Committee.
How do age groups work in badminton?
At national and county level, the main badminton season runs from September to May although an
increasing number of tournaments are being held from June-August. However, age groups are
based on the calendar year rather than the school year. This means that children in the same
academic year at school may not be in the same badminton year. For the September 2015 to May
2016 season the age groups are as follows:
year of birth
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
age group
U11
U12
U13
U14
U15
U16
U17
However, some school and local tournaments are based on the academic year. In addition, it is
possible that Badminton England may review the age groups in the near future to bring England into
line with international practice.
What teams does Yorkshire select for and who decides the selection?
There are 3 Yorkshire squads. Each has a team manager:
U11/12/13 – John Ellis john.ellis@pccairfoils.com
U14/15 - Ashley Reed ashley.reedwork@hotmail.co.uk
U16/17 - Kevin Baker Kevin.15@hotmail.co.uk
Teams are selected to play in a variety of competitions during the badminton season.
The main competition is the national Shires League for the U13, U15 and U17 age groups. Yorkshire
usually runs A and B teams in each of these age groups. These are usually comprised of 4 boys and 4
girls. Progression to the national finals day depends on performance in qualifying matches against
other counties in the north and midlands.
The North Midway league operates at a regional level for the U16, U14 and U12 age groups. In
addition, there are a number of one-off events for specific age groups.
The pinnacle of a player’s junior career is the U17 Inter County Tournament (ICT) which takes place
over 4 days in the Easter holidays. This is currently held at Nottingham University. Usually 5 boys
and 5 girls are selected.
The team managers are responsible for team selection and will consult with local coaches and then
notify those who have been selected by e-mail. For the key tournaments managers will select the
team they consider will have the best chance of success, focusing on motivation, commitment and
ability. This will be based on county training sessions and performances at singles, doubles and
mixed doubles for the county and in national tournaments. Some other tournaments may be used
to help develop players, foster partnerships and to aid selection.
There are training and selection events in each of the 3 age groups at the start of the season.
Additional practices may be also arranged during the season. Attendance is by invitation. This
means that the initial selections are not set in stone and players who show improvement can force
their way into a team.
For most county games players will be asked to make their own travel arrangements. However, for
some tournaments the team manager may make arrangements for the team to travel and stay
together. Home fixtures are usually played at the York Railway Institute in central York.
For some events there will be a small match fee to help cover costs. Where overnight stays are
required there will be a charge to cover entry fees, travel, accommodation and food. Each year YBA
decides which junior events it will subsidise.
A calendar of county events is published on the YBA website at the start of the season.
Who is eligible to play for Yorkshire?
A player will be eligible to play for Yorkshire if they were born in the county, reside in the county or if
they go to school in the county. The county is made up of North, West and South Yorkshire plus the
area of Humberside north of the Humber and the area of Teeside south of the Tees.
Do I need a Yorkshire shirt?
Any player who is selected for Yorkshire or invited to attend a county training session is entitled to
wear the official junior kit. If you are likely to play for the county on a regular basis you should buy
the current Yorkshire shirt. Details are the YBA website.
Which tournaments should my child enter and how do they work?
It is up to you and your child to decide how many tournaments to enter.
There are two types of tournaments, sanctioned and non-sanctioned (Closed).
Sanctioned Tournaments
Sanctioned tournaments are approved by Badminton England and organised by counties in
accordance with BE regulations to form part of an age group national circuit.
Non-sanctioned tournaments are organised locally by counties and other groups.
There are sanctioned national junior circuit tournaments at U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19. In the
U15 and U17 age groups these are divided into three categories of difficulty - Bronze, Silver and
Gold. However, at U11 there is just one circuit and at U13/ U19 only Bronze and Gold. All
tournaments are open to everyone, unless their grading or age is above that allowed for the
tournament. The circuit runs from September to February/March.
All national tournaments include singles and doubles, but only some include mixed as well. From
U11 to U17 the initial round for singles and doubles is usually played in a group format, with
subsequent stages as a knock-out. Mixed is usually played as a straight knock-out. Most national
tournaments are seeded so the best players don't eliminate each other in the early stages. The
format (eg best of one to 21, best of 3 to 15 or 21 etc) varies from one tournament to another and it
is best to check on the day.
Bronze tournaments are usually a good starting point for younger players. Gold tournaments attract
the top players from around the country. Silver tournaments lie somewhere in between. If a player
is regularly getting to the quarter-finals or beyond in bronze tournaments they will probably be
ready to play Silver tournaments. Towards the end of the season there are a set of national
tournaments for each age group, known as 'The National Championships'. These attract the top
players from around the country. Please refer to the BE website for details.
In addition there are national 'open' events for the U12, U14 and U16 age groups; these are
sanctioned by BE and are open to players from any county. Many of these take place between
March and June. Yorkshire usually runs tournaments for U12 and U14 age groups.
Deciding on the number tournaments to play depends on a number of factors, including:
 how many competitive tournaments your child wants to play
 the number of weekends you want to devote to badminton
 how far you are prepared to travel
 how much you are able and willing to spend on tournament fees and travel arrangements
Silver and Bronze tournaments take place over one day and tend to be based more locally. It is
usually possible to arrange a satisfactory programme of events by entering tournaments that are
within 1-2 hours drive time. Gold tournaments, which are regionally based, and the Nationals take
place over two days with the semi-finals and finals played on the second day. There are less of these
events and so some overnight stays may be necessary. Many parents lift share where possible.
Details of national tournaments can be found on the BE website. The lists for the following season
usually come out in August. Entry is usually on-line, for which your child will need to be a BE
member (see below).
Details of the Yorkshire 'closed' tournaments can be found on the YBA website.
What are player rankings and why are they important?
All sanctioned tournament results are posted on the BE website under ‘Competition’.
Ranking points are awarded at each national tournament for singles, doubles and mixed. The
further a player progresses in the tournament, the more points they get. Gold tournaments offer
more points than Silvers and Bronzes and U17 events more than U15, U13 and U11.
A players ranking is important for two reasons. Firstly, it provides a reasonably objective assessment
of progress in comparison with other players, although no ranking system is perfect. Secondly, they
are used to seed tournaments.
The BE website provides more information and includes the ranking lists for all players in all three
disciplines (singles, doubles and mixed). These lists can be sorted by age group and county. They
are updated at the end of each month.
A player's ranking (see below) in singles, doubles and mixed is based on an average of the 6 best
sanctioned tournament results over the last 12 months. Consequently, many County players aim to
play at least 6 tournaments. The top 25 or so players in the country at U13 and U15 each entered
around 10-20 tournaments in the 2014-15 season.
What are player gradings and why are they important?
Gradings are used to identify individual playing standards and run from A to J. A player will have a
separate grading for all 3 disciplines. Players start at J and progress up through the letters
depending on how well they do in national tournaments. This is based on a calculation of the
win/loss ratio at the end of each quarter. Current gradings and related rules are set out on the BE
website along with more information about how they work.
Gradings are mainly used to ensure that players only enter tournaments which are suitable for their
ability level. For example, players graded A to G in a particular discipline cannot enter U13 Bronzes.
The full list of restrictions is on the BE website.
There is a also a profile for each player on the BE website which sets out their rankings, gradings and
tournament results.
Non-sanctioned (Closed) Tournaments
YBA runs ‘closed’ tournaments at U11, U13, U15 and U17. ‘Closed’ means that these tournaments
are only open to players who are eligible to play for Yorkshire. YBA and their team managers will
normally expect their squad members to play in these tournaments.
Where appropriate, closed tournaments may be divided into A and B sections, where the B Section
gives opportunities for competitive play to less experienced players.
Closed tournaments are seeded by the age group team manager and details of each competition,
entry forms and results are posted on the YBA website.
Should my child play singles, doubles and mixed?
Ideally yes. This is because county tournaments are usually based on all three disciplines and team
managers will be looking for versatile players as well as those who can excel in one discipline in
order to select a balanced team.
Finding the perfect doubles and mixed partners for your child for national and local tournaments is
not always easy. Ideally, you are looking for a partner of similar ability, in the same age group,
someone who lives nearby for lift sharing and training, who wants to play the same tournaments
and who your child gets on with.
Doubles pairs who are communicative and supportive of each other during and after games tend to
have a more successful and enduring relationship than those who don't.
How much training should players do should they join a local badminton club?
Players representing the county will be expected to show a commitment to developing and
maintaining their fitness, tactical awareness and skills.
Most county players will train between 1 and 4 nights a week. Some, but not all, players also have
individual sessions, either on a regular basis or from time to time to focus on a particular aspect of
their game. The amount of training depends on the child's commitment and how much time and
money you want and are able to spend.
Ideally they should join a local club.
Performance Centres (PCs)
Performance Centres have been set up by BE to provide focused squad training for talented junior
players. There are six in Yorkshire in Keighley, Hull, Leeds, York, Teeside and Sheffield . Coaches
working in Yorkshire recommend players to attend a PC based on their potential. Players can also
be recommended by team managers, teachers and clubs. It is for the PC to establish a performance
pathway for each player. Further details are available from individual PCs.
How can I best support my child?
There are many reasons for playing a sport, to keep fit, to socialise, for fun and for attainment.
Parental support and encouragement are crucial to a child's success and enjoyment.
Remember to praise your child after games, including those that they don't win. Focus on the
positives and avoid providing too much critical analysis shortly after they've lost. If you feel there
are learning points try raising these the next day and/or with their coach. But whatever you do, do it
with sensitivity and without negativity. Your child will want to do well and to enjoy their sport. Too
much pressure early on may lead them to give up a sport they could derive great value from.
Do players need to be a member of BE?
Yes, if you want to enter BE tournaments and have a ranking and grading. If your child joins a club
which is affiliated to BE they will automatically become enrolled as a member. You will then receive
a BE membership number, username and password. This will allow you to enter tournaments online. If you are not a member of a club you can contact BE direct about joining - see the section of
the BE website on 'how to become a member'.
Volunteering
All those who help run the YBA, including the team managers, junior committee members and
tournament organisers are unpaid volunteers. If you feel you might be able to help in anyway please
contact one of the team managers. For example, this could involve helping with the cafe at the York
Railway Institute or running tournaments .
Presentation evening
All players who have represented Yorkshire during the course of the season will be invited to the
end-of-season presentation evening. This is usually held in June or July and the YBA Secretary sends
out invitations. Awards are presented in each age group and all players and parents are encouraged
to attend.
More information
This note only aims to provide general advice. The best sources of further advice and information
are the age group team managers, coaches and other parents.