Edmonton, Alberta

[John_Luu]

With all the good EDBA clubs in Edmonton getting a little full, and all the real clubs too expensive, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a new place to play? I think I might have something lined up, but I want to know if there's enough interest for me to start up a club. It would be like an EDBA club where we would play once a week. We could do twice a week if there was a demand, but the most important thing is to get people to come in first. Also for people who want training sessions, we can arrange something for you. But that's pretty much just a thought right now. I want to know what you people think. If you could PM with with your thoughts or replys, that would be great.

I want to know

1) Location - And how far you would want to travel

2) Price - There's going to be no profit on my part. So the higher the fee, less people, more hours. So let me know what would be a reasonable fee. If you want to pay $1..... then we're going to have to find a couple of thousand people to share the gym with. I know that there's no one that cheap, but I was just making an example.

3) Time - What day and what time you want to play every week? Is once a week enough?

4) Anyone interested in training?

So with that being said, I'm excited about the opportunity, but I need about 20+ people to really make this fun and to make this work. Plus it would be a great meeting place to play with the other people on this forum. Anyways. I know this is kinda sketchy, but it's just an idea. If enough people are interested in this idea, I will put the effort to see this will work and hopefully be successful and fun for anyone. Please PM me if you have any questions or thoughts. Thanks for reading.

-John

[yonexfanatic]

Sounds like a good idea and I'm assuming this would start in the regular season (Sept.) if it were to go ahead? Anyways, I would be interested, depending on what day(s) this club would be held on as I usually join IBC every year.. and would definately depend on how much it would cost to join for the year or to drop in.

Here are my answers to your questions.

1) Location - to me, I would like it near my residence :D..however, knowing that that would not be convenient for other people that do not live near me..I would suggest the club be located in central edmonton...perhaps concordia college whenever it's not booked (or another place). Central because it's in the middle and it'd be more or less equal distance to travel for everyone.

2) Price - It would depend on how many days a week the club would play. Most clubs usually have a similar joining fee for the year ($50-$80 single, usually 2-3 times a week)..so assuming the club played 2 times a week, i wouldn't mind the price being around $50-60 a year single and around$100 for family (up to 4 members). Of course the final say would be yours John..since you say it's not for profit, you have to account for the gym rental per month, etc.

3) The time would obviously have to be in the evening if it was during the weekdays (starting at about 7 or 8ish and perhaps ending at around 10 if possible). However if the club were to be held on a one day a week basis, the afternoon (1 or 2 o clock start to 4-6 o clock if possible) would be reasonable. To me, for a club that's just starting out, I think one day is suficcient for now...just because i'd assume many people would still be going to their regular clubs.

4) Training - I can't speak for anyone else...but I would most likely not be interested. Reason is that I already get my training at the Derrick club and I'd just be interested in playing some casual/semi competitive games for fun.

You probably already realize this..but there's aren't that many people that come on this forum from edmonton (fair amount but not near 20 people)..umm..an idea to spread the idea of making a new club might be to go to the present summer clubs such as castledowns, chinese club, st.albert club, etc..and give them some info ..as I don't think the idea of the new club will pass on as quickly on here..just a thought..

[Oranjmaan]

Hmm... i realli don't think there's demand enuf to warrant for another club. Tho the more baddy the better :D, i'm pretty sure breaking even on such a venture would be pretty hard to do, unless u have some amazing business plans in mind. But for sure, do ur research, a club placed in the rite area, with enuf advertisment/word of mouth could do well. I do not think i would attend such a club, as i am already a member of the RG, but i suppose if u must good courts would be better than location, a higher price for better quality, etc.

[yonexfanatic]

i'd suspect it'd be held at a shool gym...considering it's a city club..that's where most of these sort of clubs are held. But oranjmaan, ur right..i too think that there isn't that much of a demand for another club..there are already tons of city clubs and people will most likely continue to go to the ones they already attend

[John_Luu]

Wow, go to Calgary for a weekend and this is the response I get ;)

I didn’t really expect to get the detail response that I did, but this does certainly help out.
Right now there is a bit of skepticism of me opening up a club. People are giving me mixed reactions, so based on this, I have rethought my plan. For now, I have enough people (who are serious) to just start up a decent club. The plan right now is just to just get a gym and just run it for a couple of months with a core group of people and see if it grows or not. Starting off big might have been too ambitious. For the location of this gym, I’ve narrowed it down to a couple. Right now it’s going to be in the Concordia area or the North Central area. I think I will find out in the next month or so. With the new plan, I guess the pricing would change dramatically. I would have to wait until I find out the final pricing of the changed schedule before I can get back to you on the pricing. But now I do know what costs people are expecting, so if I can’t meet that expectation, then it would be pointless to open up a club.

Right now the most popular time requests are Wed and/or Thurs starting at 7 pm. For training, I talked to Lionel Chong, and he’s on board to train anyone who’s interested. If you know the Edmonton badminton scene, I’m sure you would have heard of him. Of course there would be a fee for his time.

Right now because I’m juggling things around, this might seem like a huge mess, but I do have details in my head, but I don’t want to promise anything publicly unless I can confirm it 100%. All the things that I’ve said in this message makes things sound uncertain, but it’s because of the availability of an affordable gym. Once we get that out of the way, I think things are going to start rolling. Anyways, I don’t know if this all makes sense to you guys, but I’m trying. Let me know what you guys think and thanks for your replies.

[cappy75]

Wow! Getting trained by Lionel Chong?!! I just might sign up for it:D

[yonexfanatic]

The new club is a good idea if people are interested. But because it might be held on Wednesday, I can't say i'm 100% on board because I'm usually playing at IBC (more convenient for me). Thursday's a different story..however I can't say for sure that I'd be able to play on that day either because of lack of transportation for me. If anything, you might be able to count me in for occasional drop in for now since I'm not sure about the days I'm able to go.

Anyways, about Lionel Chong coaching, that's a great idea..I've seen some great games played by him and Austin against some other high quality players. But like I mentioned before, I already get some training at the Derrick.

Keep us posted, thanks

[coupii]

I'm not too sure about whether or not I'd join a new club, simply because I don't have the time to play so much. I would really have to try it out before deciding. But determining factors for me would be time and location, cost, quality of play, and quality of personalities. I'm planning to play at IBC this season.

As for training, it might be something I would consider, if it was affordable and if I could spare the time. Do you know whether Lionel would be willing to train somewhat older players (late 20's)? I'm not about to be making any big noises in the badminton scene, but I'd consider getting some help with my technique and mental game. I'm not expecting any big leaps in my play, but it could help later when I have kids. Also, getting some technical help now might be good for preventing injuries later.

[cappy75]

Also, did anybody read about a new sport fitness facility being planned/built around Edmonton or Sherwood Park? Somebody told me that he read something about it in the Journal. Seems that 11/12 courts will be devoted to Badminton in the new facility. I tried to seek confirmation from my papers at home but that pertinent edition was thrown away after a few days.

[yonexfanatic]

Originally posted by cappy75
Also, did anybody read about a new sport fitness facility being planned/built around Edmonton or Sherwood Park? Somebody told me that he read something about it in the Journal. Seems that 11/12 courts will be devoted to Badminton in the new facility. I tried to seek confirmation from my papers at home but that pertinent edition was thrown away after a few days.

Although i never read about it..it does sound interesting..so 11/12 courts JUST for badminton?:confused: that'd be nice..

[Oranjmaan]

Hmm.... after the construction of Sherwood Park's Millenium Place fitness and recreational facility, it looks like the Edmonton area has gotten into the trend of building new, expansive and very nice sports facilities. I've heard of a plan for a new one..... in south edmonton, or a town south of edmonton, but it hasn't been confirmed as of yet. I highly doubt tho, that so many courts would be available, much less dedicated to badminton. However, a facility such as this would be a great place to hold a badminton club.

[cappy75]

well, if it doesn't happen... we could always dream:D

[coupii]

If true, I would guess it would be a large number of courts laid over top of something else. Hard to believe Edmonton could support that number of courts for only badminton.

[cappy75]

Yeah... a sport center with 11/12 badminton courts does sound excessive. I think the most badminton courts available in a gym would be Education Gym at U of A (7 courts) and Concordia (7 courts). However if you have played there before, you would know the weakness of those gyms;).

[yonexfanatic]

Originally posted by cappy75
Yeah... a sport center with 11/12 badminton courts does sound excessive. I think the most badminton courts available in a gym would be Education Gym at U of A (7 courts) and Concordia (7 courts). However if you have played there before, you would know the weakness of those gyms;).

i don't really mind playing at either of those gyms...in fact, in my opinion, those two are probably the better gyms in edmonton for recreational play. Looking at all of these other school gyms..many are pretty similar in the fact that it's "hard to see" and what not. But I find Concordia to be an ideal place to play because there's so many courts.

I guess if you're really into the perfect gym, there's always the private clubs..:D

[cappy75]

Hmm... yeah, I had a look at Derrick Club's courts and the ceiling seems abit too low for my taste. You even get lots of lost birdie on top of the low hanging lights. How's the lighting there?

[yonexfanatic]

Well..the lights are placed in between each court..so there shouldn't be an excuse if you hit it onto the lights because the shot would most likely have been a unforce error. However, i can agree that the ceiling is pretty low..i myself had to get used to it at first when i first played there..now i find that i haev an advantage whenever i play someone that hasn't had as much time to play at the club..just because i'm used to the ceiling, i know what shots/adjustments to make. My previous coach always told me that because the ceiling is low, the game will be much faster than if you play at a place with a higher ceiling (eg. concordia, roayl glen, etc)

Anyways overall, i think that the ceiling at the Derrick isn't that much lower than the ceiling at nait...the ceiling is just low because they have the big support beams sticking out therefore it's unlucky if you hit the bird right at it doing a clear or something...about the lighting, i find that it's fine...it doesn't get in the way like it does at concordia (look up sometimes and the light gets in the way there)...it's placed like the RG..but just lower.

RG is definately a better place to play though if you are looking for quality:D

[Oranjmaan]

Lol, thx for referring my club over your's yonexfanatic. But for sure, the RG's courts are the best in edmonton, in fact, I'd prefer them to the Glencoe Club's courts in calgary, tho they have one more court. Everything is excellent there, lol besides temperature during the summer, and the ceiling is quite definitely higher than the Derrick Club's.

[kwun]

Originally posted by cappy75
Hmm... yeah, I had a look at Derrick Club's courts and the ceiling seems abit too low for my taste. You even get lots of lost birdie on top of the low hanging lights. How's the lighting there?

you guys are so spoiled. i play regularly in a gym in which the ceiling is only 19 feet high! high clears are unheard of in that gym. but it does forces you to be constantly be aware of how high to hit the birdie. very hard to be a defensive player in that gym.

[yonexfanatic]

Originally posted by kwun
you guys are so spoiled. i play regularly in a gym in which the ceiling is only 19 feet high! high clears are unheard of in that gym. but it does forces you to be constantly be aware of how high to hit the birdie. very hard to be a defensive player in that gym.
Sry, I guess this reply isn't too on topic,

Kwun, it's not that bad actually, playing in a gym with a low ceiling. I actually don't mind at all playing at places with low ceilings, as long as it's not insanely low. Reason is, it helps your game in which it forces you to play a more fast, aggressive game.

If you do end up playing in a gym wiht quite a high ceiling, I would think you'd have some sort of advantage. You'd be making quicker shots (fast lower clears, etc)..and if you did get in trouble, you'd have the high ceiling to make the recovery shot now.

[Oranjmaan]

But at the same time as one would be better at the lower, more offensive fast shots, an opponents high clear, which one would not be used to because of training under a low ceiling, could throw the timing off, causing one to misshit the bird, or even miss it all together. This depends mostly on skill level tho, but it's a common problem in many players training in low ceiling gyms.

[yonexfanatic]

haha, i dunno about that..:rolleyes: ;) ...at a certain level, i would think that returning clears is not a problem..not even if they're very high. Playing at the glenora, they have quite a high ceiling..but who ever hits that high anyways?

[cappy75]

We are indeed fortunate to have some variety in our badminton facilities. Thanks to previous municipal administrations' emphasis on lifestyle and recreation in our fair city, we have a decent number of varied facilities for badminton and other sports. It's just that some of the better ones are either in private recreational clubs (only one that is exclusively for badminton) or built by post secondary institutions. Can't play there unless you're a club member or a student/staff of said post secondary institutions. Majority of the clubs that accept drop-ins in our city plays in highschool gyms. We have many badminton clubs, yet I have the impression that we are slowly outgrowing present facilities:(.

Even with fast-pacing offensive doubles, I would like to have the option of occasional high clears. You'll be surprised how even some experienced players would misjudge the timing of their shots:D.

With regards to Derrick club, I was just as concerned about surface and lighting as height of the ceiling. I felt claustrophobic just watching the tournament being played in Derrick club. Have yet to play there, but I don't think that I would miss it even if I did.


Originally posted by kwun
you guys are so spoiled. i play regularly in a gym in which the ceiling is only 19 feet high! high clears are unheard of in that gym. but it does forces you to be constantly be aware of how high to hit the birdie. very hard to be a defensive player in that gym.

[BLind.caT]

If the club gets build up, I'd liek to sign up as student!

I've been looking around for badminton lessons for quite awhile. My mom's not supporting me on Derrick club cuz the fee's abt 1500/per year. Other badminton classes are either too full or too far. And as long as the price for this club isn't too high. I'd be more then happy to join.

Plllllllzzzzzzzzz succeed in the club. I'm dying for badminton lessons!!!!

[phungurl1]

Hi
this is a good idea. I'm interested in joining. I need to find people to play with since i'm not very good right now. I played before, and i have pretty good endurance but I'm not that skilled.. yet.

[cappy75]

Phungurl1,

It's gonna be a tall order to find a decent club around Edmonton. Most clubs operate out of school gyms. Depending on where you live, I could recommend a club to you. You could also google Edmonton District Badminton Association for more info. The clubs under that organization use nylon shuttles and usually has no coaching program for adults, but they usually have room for new members.

[Tweak]

I'd be interested in joining a new club in Edmonton.

Would the club be more adult-oriented or all around? I'm a 14 year-old that is about a high-intermediate player that would like to get a lot more competitive.

As long as the price isn't outrageous, I wouldn't mind paying over $150 to be part of a club. I'm not sure what my limit is, but I know I could pay that amount if necessary.

School gyms are much cheaper to rent out, some of them renting them out for free.

[HappyPlato]

I need to find a place to play during the July-August period. Can't afford to join the expensive clubs like Glenora.

[chickenpoodle]

heres the link for the EDBA club listing... http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/edba/clubs.htm

give the contacts a call and ask about drop-in information during this period.
after you give them a few tries and find a place you like, you can ask about joining, right?

keep in mind that some of the scheduling will be different now due to summer hours...

[Kenny]

Hi all, im attending U of A next year and i was hoping on meeting some new people for dropins around the University...so if your interested, please give me a pm. Thanks!

[junp282]

Im just wondering if there are any new clubs to play with in West Edmonton Area. I think most of the clubs here are too expensive and just use a feather birdies.

[inferno32]

It's a bit late, I know, but the recreation facilities planned in Southwest Edmonton will feature a 'flexhall', which is basically 3 gyms attached to each other. So, while it's not designed specifically for badminton, one 'gym' probably can hold 4 courts, so that's 12 potential badminton courts.

http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_1653367_0_0_18/southwestcommunityrecreationcentreconceptdesign.ht m

[Roman00]

well if theres a club in edmonton id definately join :D

[ruleroftheapes]

hmmm sounds interesting, if club is successful (been about 3 years now from the post dates), or still running, give me a link or email about the clubs info (like i read b4 training, gamedays, location, etc...)

my email is chung_yep_fung@yahoo.ca

thanks in advance ^^

[inferno32]

What edmonton needs is more Junior/Youth clubs... the only one that I can find isn't even running this season. How am I supposed to practise for tryouts with no access to a club, with the wind blowing almost all the time outside, and a basement ceiling 3 ft above my head?

[andrewlaw]

go to glenora..

[cappy75]

Glenora is not a drop-in facility. Membership itself cost over $1000, and private club players are notoriously snobbish. 4 courts only. Recommend joining if you already know someone in the club.


go to glenora..

[Tweak]

Glenora is not a drop-in facility. Membership itself cost over $1000, and private club players are notoriously snobbish. 4 courts only. Recommend joining if you already know someone in the club.

I think it's actually over $4000, and it's 5 courts (maybe 4 courts waayyyy back? not too sure)

[cappy75]

Huh? $4000 per month:eek:?! Man, inflation really sucks ass. I haven't been back in Edmonton for quite a while now, but I did visit Glenora before in 2003. Did they really add one more court? A full court? Or was it a halfcourt for practice?


I think it's actually over $4000, and it's 5 courts (maybe 4 courts waayyyy back? not too sure)

[Tweak]

not $4000 per month :D that would be outrageous. the rates are listed here https://www.memberstatements.com/tour/tours.cfm?tourID=4018 but I always have trouble understanding any kind of club rates because of all the different age categories and sports.

and yes, they have 5 courts. I've never been to glenora before I went there about a month ago, but they definetly have 5 now regardless of how many they had before.

[fh911]

I'm attending UofA this coming September, and I have no idea where I can continue playing badminton over there. (currently in BC). What I know so far is that UofA itself has a badminton club, which is limited to only 90 people so I'm worried that I might not be able to get in. Where else can I play in Edmonton? Any clubs or rec centres are fine. I play in B circuits in BC.

[evylgrynn]

If you're attending U of A then you can go to E19, just check the schedule, they play most Saturdays and Sundays 9-4, as well as some evenings. You can also drop in at the Education gym on Friday nights. Also there are many clubs in Edmonton, check the EDBA website to see which clubs play in your area.
http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/edba/

good luck!

[chickenpoodle]

during the school year, theres a fair number of decent level players who go regularly to e19.
thursday, friday evenings, and sunday morning/afternoons are when the better players frequent.

if you play B level in BC, you should be able to easily find players to play with at the times i listed.

education gym (the ua badminton club) has a few players of the level you seek. but on an average, the level at e19 on is greater than that of education gym.

a few of the EDBA clubs as listed by evylgrynn has a number of players as well, but very scattered due to the more family-orientation of the clubs.

then obviously there are derrick, glenora, and red willow, that you may want to check out if you have the time. its guarenteed you'll find what you want there.

[fh911]

Thanks for the information. Now this E19, is a badminton club like VRC, no? If it is do I have to pay in order to play there? Thanks again.

[EWL168]

Hi fh911!

E-19 is just the rooms number of the gym at the U of A. When you're a student, you can use the gym whenever it's available for badminton. There's a website to check the times for that gym which are updated every week on Monday. Any other questions, just ask away!

[fh911]

Ah that makes sense. Thanks for your help EWL168!

[Elixau]

Membership for Glenora is $7500.
You can use any of there facilities with the membership.

[cappy75]

Thank goodness that I have moved out to Vancouver. Vancouver Racquets Club membership is only $750 with 6.5 baddy courts, shower facility and a gym. Probably one of the best deals in town since feather shuttles probably cost bulk of my badminton expenditures. I can't imagine how it'll be if I ever have to move back to Edmonton:(.

Then again, it might go up to $1000 in a few years' times when we finish upgrading the facility to 12.5 courts.

[Chimpan-A]

I will be returning to Edmonton in July and would be very keen to join any new club. Wed. at 7pm sounds good. I could very well be into lessons but I have to figure out how I compare to other players in the Edmonton area (I'm currently living in Busan, South Korea).

[allenzhou_]

I would be interested in joining the club if you plan on starting one.

[gmevibration]

i think that a new place to play that is specifically only for badminton is a great idea, Especially if its considerable cheaper that Derrick and glenora.

[Ncoder]

here is the link to the schedule, they update every week so just check it out and see when badminton is available, Pav = pavillion, another gym at the university, but i dont really like the light settings there, check it out tho. E-19 is much better in my opinion.

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/campusrec/recuse.cfm

[beebawp]

Hey everyone!

I was just wondering, apart from The Derrick, Glenora, Red Willow, Kinsmen, U of A Education Gym, E-19, and Pavilion (this list seems longer than I initially thought), are there other places that have badminton courts available?

I am not particularly certain, but The Derrick, Glenora or Red Willow do not allow non-member drop in, correct?

Are there other places in Edmonton that offer drop in badminton? Perhaps some high schools or junior highs have periodic drop in badminton court times?

Some assistance would be great,

Thanks all!

[chickenpoodle]

go do a search for the EDBA site.
there is a list of on-going clubs that have regular drop in hours.

you are correct in regards to RG, derrick, and red willow about drop ins. they do not allow non-member drop ins. you can however be admitted as a guest when accompanied by a member. the prices are crazy though. for example, a day guest pass at red willow is 15 dollars.

if you want drop ins, you're stuck with...
University of Alberta (Ed gym, E19, Pavillion)
Grant MacEwan College
NAIT (maybe? not sure)
Stadium Recreation center
Kinsmen Rec and Parks
Millenium place (in sherwood park)
EDBA clubs

[Pascal_Ly]

Hey guys,

I have a gym that's currently being under used in the Downtown Edmonton Area. If you and a couple of friends want to come out for badminton on Mondays 8 - 10 and $3 drop in fee, just send me a PM.

[Roman00]

Hey, Is there any place to play (drop ins) in the time of Christmas @ Edmonton?

[mg27]

http://www.stalbertbadmintonclub.com/

[Jayson21]

Does anyone know any places to play in Southeast edmonton for relatively cheap?

[mkwanster]

I am a member of Red Willow. You are correct, not drop-ins for non-members. You must come with a member to drop-in. The membership fee is $900 per year for adults (18-64 years). First six months is $100 per month ($50 membership + $50 entrance fee), then it's $50 for every month. The fee is less if you live 100km away.

Add GST on top of the fees.


Hey everyone!

I was just wondering, apart from The Derrick, Glenora, Red Willow, Kinsmen, U of A Education Gym, E-19, and Pavilion (this list seems longer than I initially thought), are there other places that have badminton courts available?

I am not particularly certain, but The Derrick, Glenora or Red Willow do not allow non-member drop in, correct?

Are there other places in Edmonton that offer drop in badminton? Perhaps some high schools or junior highs have periodic drop in badminton court times?

Some assistance would be great,

Thanks all!

[mkwanster]

on Sunday mornings there is a club called Capitol Academy. It is a training club for adults run by Alan Thom (used to coach Grant MacEwan College and Derrick Club).

Sunday mornings from 9am to 11am
fee is $80
private message me for more info

I know it is a little bit off the subject, but there are a few spots available.

[jacam]

on Sunday mornings there is a club called Capitol Academy. It is a training club for adults run by Alan Thom (used to coach Grant MacEwan College and Derrick Club).

Sunday mornings from 9am to 11am
fee is $80
private message me for more info

I know it is a little bit off the subject, but there are a few spots available.


is this fee yearly? or every time u drop in its $80?

[mkwanster]

$80 for this year

[jacam]

^^ i might be interested

[junp282]

Is there any drop ins in west end area? or somewhere in edmonton that use feathers? thanks!

[mkwanster]

the closest place to the west end is NAIT, unfortunately they use plastic shuttles (or byofb).

Red Willow Badminton Club in St. Albert uses feather shuttles, but you must be a member there and byofb.

Royal Glenora(River Valley Road) and Derrick Club(Southside), I believe, use feather shuttles. Don't know if they do drop-ins.


Is there any drop ins in west end area? or somewhere in edmonton that use feathers? thanks!

[wedgewenis]

bump ............