WBA Affiliated Junior Clubs
Junior players are welcome at a variety of affiliated clubs across the Waikato including Cambridge, Hamilton, Putaruru, Te Awamutu. Please see the Clubs section on this website for more information and contact them directly to join.
SHUTTLE TIME JUNIOR CLUB
Players aged between 8-16 years old are welcome to attend the Shuttle Time Junior Club on a casual drop-in basis. Fun play, skill development and games under the supervision of qualified Shuttle Time Youth Leaders / Coaches after school on Fridays in School Terms 1 & 4 from 4.00pm-5.30pm at Eastlink Badminton Stadium.
JUNIOR OPEN GROUP TRAINING
Players aged between 13-18 years old who are on a waitlist to join the Junior Rep Squad and/or are unable to make regular commitments to badminton but would still like to improve their skills in a structured training environment can subscribed to Junior Open Training sessions on a Term-by-Term basis. Junior Open Training is held twice per week on Fridays (5.30pm-7.00pm) and Sundays (9.00am-11.00am) during school term. Registrations are taken on a quarterly basis (first come first serve to a maximum of 20 players each term).
This development opportunity is open to players in the following order of priority:
- Previous WBA Development / Junior Rep Squad member
- Junior Club players with minimum 1 year playing / training experience
- All other players
Squads & Representative Teams
The Waikato Badminton Junior Squads & Teams are selected upon conclusion of an annual Talent ID Day in February at Eastlink Badminton Stadium. The following squads will be selected:
- WBA Development Squad
- WBA Junior Rep Squad
- WBA Elite Squad
- WBA Performance Squad
From the above squads the following teams are selected to represent Waikato at key regional & national events during the season (subject to availability of players for each age group)
- WBA U13 Team
- WBA U15 Team
- WBA U17 Team
- WBA U19 Team
View: 2022 Squads
Development Squad Program
The Development Squad coaching program is aimed at players aged under 13 years old wishing to progress their game to be able to represent Waikato’s junior teams in regional and national tournaments. It places an emphasis on developing a strong foundation across physical, technical, and tactical skills. Players are coached by professional coaches, experienced volunteers and Waikato High Performance players.
Players for the Junior Development Squad program are selected from anywhere in the Waikato region and from an annual Talent ID Day in February. Players / parents may also request a trial session by contacting the Coaching & Development Manager email coaching@waikatobadminton.co.nz or by phone on 027 856 3049.
The Junior Development Squad trains twice per week (Mondays and Thursdays 4.00pm-5.30pm during school term) and players are required to participate in 4-5 competitions per year which are held on weekends.
Junior Rep Squad Program
The Junior Rep Squad program is aimed at players over 13 years old wishing to challenge themselves, represent and compete for Waikato in regional and national tournaments, whilst constantly striving to be the best within their age groups. This coaching program facilitates the continued growth of physical, technical, and tactical skills whilst psychological and lifestyle skills are also introduced to help develop players’ confidence and self-belief. The coaching team supports positive attitude, commitment and an atmosphere where players get every opportunity to excel. Players are coached by professional coaches, experienced volunteers and Waikato High Performance players.
Players for the Junior Rep Squad program are selected from the clubs in the Waikato region and from an annual Talent ID Day in February. Players / parents may also request a trial session by contacting the Coaching & Development Manager email coaching@waikatobadminton.co.nz or by phone on 027 856 3049.
The Junior Rep Squad trains three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4.00pm-5.30pm at the Eastlink Badminton Stadium.
Elite Squad Program
The Elite Squad program is aimed at players over 14 years old, who are selected from the Junior Rep program and receive additional coaching sessions and mentoring. Elite Squad players have a greater commitment to training and competing. The Elite Squad program aims to prepare players for performance at national and international level. Players in the Elite Squad also have the opportunity to apply for a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship at the University of Waikato when they finish high school.
The Elite Squad trains a minimum of four times per week, usually on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons but the days / time may vary depending on the time of year. Training and tournament attendance during weekends is also common depending on the time of year.
For more information with regards to any of the above programs, please contact the Coaching & Development Manager on 027 856 3049 or email coaching@waikatobadminton.co.nz
