Make space for a lot of new stars in the badminton universe – five, four, three, two, one…Shuttle Stars is go!
Shuttle Stars is Badminton England’s groundbreaking new junior participation programme for 7-11 year-olds.
Shuttle Stars is here to introduce a new generation to our fantastic sport within a fun, welcoming, inclusive environment – offering primary school-aged children the opportunity to learn and develop their skills, keep fit, make friends and take their first steps on a dynamic new pathway into the world of badminton.
Badminton England’s mission is to make badminton the most inclusive and accessible sport in England. A sport for everyone. And that starts at the very beginning, sparking, fostering and nurturing a lifelong passion for badminton among young boys and girls.
Shuttle Stars is broken down into six structured stages, designed to be delivered across a minimum of two years in total for those who want to take part from its start to its finish.
Stages 1-2 will introduce fundamental movement skills, the footwork needed to succeed on court, the hand-eye coordination techniques and the basic racket grips that will help get your child started.
Stages 3-4 will help players develop the core badminton skills with speed and agility. Then Stages 5-6 will introduce game play and tactics, preparing children for beginner competition.
Besides the staged programmes, there will be Shuttle Stars Festivals to sign up for – 90-minute celebrations of badminton, featuring games, skills sessions and fun for all. And Shuttle Stars will also aim to introduce early competition, bringing together the skills which participants have developed in the programme and letting them flourish in a friendly competitive environment.
And who knows? Shuttle Stars could be the place where the next big badminton talents are spotted! This programme is fundamentally an entry point into the sport we know young people will love, but this initiative will also provide a structured talent pathway for those young players who – at the end of their Shuttle Stars journey – may want to take their talent to the next level, representing a club, a county or their country.
Upon signing up as a Shuttle Star, every participant will automatically receive a participant pack consisting of a Shuttle Stars racket, a Shuttle Stars t-shirt and shuttlecocks! Everything you need to start your badminton adventure.
And at the end of your first four weeks of the programme, every child will be well on their way towards successfully completing Stage One of Shuttle Stars at which point they will receive a certificate to recognise their achievement and to show off to their classmates, friends and family!
The programme is launching in January with a series of pilot sessions run in more than 20 different locations. In the Spring, roadshows will take place so more people start to know about Shuttle Stars and what it can offer to young badminton players – and simultaneously the shuttles will really start to fly when Stage One sessions kick start in clubs and coaching environments up and down the country – for all those who sign up to the programme. And later in the year, Shuttle Stars will start to be delivered in leisure centres and then schools when badminton comes to classrooms near you!
There is no need to delay – players can start to sign up to sessions now! New locations, dates and times are being added every day so keep your eyes peeled for a programme near you!
Or, if there is not yet a Shuttle Stars session emerging near you, ask your local leisure centre or your school to sign up to our network of Shuttle Stars delivery partners. Clubs and coaches can sign up to run Shuttle Stars sessions now!
The Shuttle Stars programme is providing a full library of digital resources to make the delivery of every single session a smooth and simple process, from stage one to stage six!
Whether the sessions are being delivered by quality coaches in leisure centres or badminton club facilities across the country or PE teachers in the classroom, those delivering the programme will have access to online and downloadable activity cards and a comprehensive series of instructional videos which will equip them to guide each child through every step of their badminton journey.
Shuttle Stars is also designed to reflect the sport’s inclusive nature – while the programme is tailored to primary school-aged children of all abilities, there is no age restriction to any of its stages – the same session plan resources can be used to teach beginner level badminton to any player new to our sport.
Come together and be part of the constellation. Become a Shuttle Star today and get a taste of the nation’s favourite racket sport!
