as you all know, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. and its not even popular in north america yet! so i was thinking what are ways we can promote badminton to have world recognition?

- Bring more Super-Series level tournaments to Canada and USA
- Have one of the two North American countries host international events like Badminton World Cup, Thomas&Uber Cup...
- promote badminton like the world promotes soccer?

i donno.

im complaining because when i tune into my tv... none of my channel will ever broadcast badminton! not even during the olympics.

have more exhibition games around the world? like often you hear about England vs Denmark in a international friendly. Last year was the england vs germany.

also, the stereotype about badminton is that it is a weak/soft sport, but we all know players and coaches can get into a brawl about a faulty line judgment. =P

what can we do?

as you all know, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. and its not even popular in north america yet! so i was thinking what are ways we can promote badminton to have world recognition?

- Bring more Super-Series level tournaments to Canada and USA
- Have one of the two North American countries host international events like Badminton World Cup, Thomas&Uber Cup...
- promote badminton like the world promotes soccer?

i donno.

im complaining because when i tune into my tv... none of my channel will ever broadcast badminton! not even during the olympics.

have more exhibition games around the world? like often you hear about England vs Denmark in a international friendly. Last year was the england vs germany.

also, the stereotype about badminton is that it is a weak/soft sport, but we all know players and coaches can get into a brawl about a faulty line judgment. =P

what can we do?

Comparing with soccer is no good, as one of the main reasons soccer is so big, is because you need next to nothing to do it. In badminton you need a lot more. Therefore a better comparison, at least for europe and US is icehockey.

Except that I think you're right, badminton has to get a hold of countries with much money, because money means advertisements, and advertisements is the best thing to promote badminton.

The problem will be to get big companies to invest as much money in badminton as they do in Icehockey. The best way is probably to start having more high-level events to America and also the rest of Europe.

Regards

i believe there's a couple threads with this already...don't have the links on me...but if you want my opinion (but take it with humour than serious), we need more of what Sharapova does in tennis, for badminton if you catch my drift ;)

Comparing with soccer is no good, as one of the main reasons soccer is so big, is because you need next to nothing to do it. In badminton you need a lot more. Therefore a better comparison, at least for europe and US is icehockey.

Except that I think you're right, badminton has to get a hold of countries with much money, because money means advertisements, and advertisements is the best thing to promote badminton.

The problem will be to get big companies to invest as much money in badminton as they do in Icehockey. The best way is probably to start having more high-level events to America and also the rest of Europe.

Regards

Actually Canada is bigger on hockey then any country in the world. we invented hockey! Sweden is big on hockey too right? you've got mats sundin playing here in toronto. yeah we really need more top level tournaments and more clubs in the hotspots like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary...

I think Badminton is doing well in Europe, you've got good players there, like the Danish and English. i think its also badminton brand names to do their duty too. like Yonex should do more advertising, BlackKnight should promote their sponsored players.

i believe there's a couple threads with this already...don't have the links on me...but if you want my opinion (but take it with humour than serious), we need more of what Sharapova does in tennis, for badminton if you catch my drift ;)
more sexy in badminton?
we should have, "Canada's Next Top Shuttler"
reality show that takes establish badminton players through a series of training and at the same time modelling badminton/sports fashion? i donno... doing badminton-related community work?

i believe there's a couple threads with this already...don't have the links on me...
...
..this idea has been cried out since nearly 6 yrs ago, and not just in a couple threads..even the same drift as yours..;)..see below for similar threads:

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22956
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29415
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24985
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8971
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6308
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6344

6 years ago? and nothing? we need to be active on this!

lol yet, we have no current solution still! and it's a good drift ;)

6 years ago? and nothing? we need to be active on this!

ok. so tell me, what are YOU planning to do? ;)

well we all have dreams right?
and my parents run business here in Mississauga. of course i get the genes from them for being adventurous... and so...
i plan to open up my own badminton-only facility!
my goal is to promote healthy living and also to promote badminton among youngsters.

my dad likes the idea, i possibly have the investment from my dad...

i also started this post because its not a hot topic right now, and it should be. im trying to get ppl pumped up to promote badminton.

Props to you jchan04. Badminton needs to be more recongnized throughout the world especially here in North America.

You should most definitely open up a badminton-only facility in Mississauga with professional courts and a pro-shop too! I would be a member, no doubt.

working my way! ive actually started importing shuttles and planning to sell to clubs.

When are you going to start selling to customers as well? What shuttles are they?

let's stay on topic here.

sorry kwun, won't do that again.

any ideas?
we should take badminton to the local media. you know, whenever there is a local tournament for example... i saw a post for the Richmond, BC Open Tournament... maybe whoever hosted that tournament should of informed the media to write an article about it.
i know that in elementary school they teach badminton but they teach it as a very relaxed activity (not sport)... they dont emphasize the fact that badminton is a sport where the fitness level and the intelliegence for game play is comparable to any other competitive sports. i remember in junior high and high school, we were taught all these football passing plays and soccer positioning... floor hockey skills.
but for badminton it only went as far as knowing rules.

like there are many soccer, basketball, hockey and football house leagues here and probably in the US. we need that, we need to reach to the kids, because as you all know, they are the future.

[quote=jchan04;815016]yeah we really need more top level tournaments and more clubs in the hotspots like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary...
quote]

That would be great to have more clubs here in calgary theres currently only 2 major ones where majority of players train. As compared to other cities where there are lots like in Vancouver.

But yes to promote badminton i agree with the tournaments, i feel that the tournaments need to be there for sure the higher level tournaments need to be brought to the countries that dont exactly get them or have any big ones of their own like the when worlds was brought to the US although yes i know they also have the US open.

[quote=jchan04;815016]yeah we really need more top level tournaments and more clubs in the hotspots like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary...
quote]

That would be great to have more clubs here in calgary theres currently only 2 major ones where majority of players train. As compared to other cities where there are lots like in Vancouver.

But yes to promote badminton i agree with the tournaments, i feel that the tournaments need to be there for sure the higher level tournaments need to be brought to the countries that dont exactly get them or have any big ones of their own like the when worlds was brought to the US although yes i know they also have the US open.

Markham has three badminton-specific only clubs... Toronto has the some clubs, Oakville... Woodstock... while every other club in the GTA is held on different days, once a week, mostly adult-only oriented and hosted in a local high school gym. remember! the kids are the future.

i also applaud to those out there in the community who are coaches because they help a lot... bring the badminton spirit within kids.

US Open is only a grandprix tournament, maybe it could be better if it was upgraded to a Grandprix Gold tournament? and that's what Canada needs... for benefiting the Canadian Economy and the badminton community around the world.

you know what would be cool? if Nike or some other big brand name would start sponsoring badminton related things. like clothing, shoes, rackets? lol...

more tv live covergae...

well we all have dreams right?
and my parents run business here in Mississauga. of course i get the genes from them for being adventurous... and so...
i plan to open up my own badminton-only facility!
my goal is to promote healthy living and also to promote badminton among youngsters.

my dad likes the idea, i possibly have the investment from my dad...

i also started this post because its not a hot topic right now, and it should be. im trying to get ppl pumped up to promote badminton.

It's great to have ppl like your family willing to invest in badminton. However, it takes more than 1 company to promote a sport. :o The problem is the lackness of "root", and the government don't really support it. Therefore, it lacks talent from the younger generation (most players are 1st or 2nd generation immigrants), and the media treated it as a joke.

I wish your business to have a great success, but it definitely takes more than a few gyms / shops to promote a sport. :cool:

of course,... so thats why its got to be a majority movement! i do my job, you do yours, other people around the world get interested and they do their thing to promote badminton.
i have to applaud to the creators and moderators of BadmintonCentral... its been such a great contribution to our community.

Promote this! ;)

http://i29.tinypic.com/icijxj.jpg

I'm your potential sponsor, he is your average player around the gym. Your mission: sell me your plan.

Good luck! ... you'll need it.

This = badminton.

Promote this! ;)

http://i29.tinypic.com/icijxj.jpg

I'm your potential sponsor, he is your average player around the gym. Your mission: sell me your plan.

Good luck! ... you'll need it.

This = badminton.

is that really you? :cool:

I organized a doubles tournament last November. I had 180 participants in Men's and Ladies' Doubles, from levels B (experts) through F (beginners).

I went around and got some funding from corporate sponsors. I charged a modest registration fee from each player. With help from a couple of friends I took care of Registration, Scheduling, Levelling and the Logistics.

I think I did my part in promoting our sport. :)

Promote this! ;)

http://i29.tinypic.com/icijxj.jpg

I'm your potential sponsor, he is your average player around the gym. Your mission: sell me your plan.

Good luck! ... you'll need it.

This = badminton.
wow, looks like this man is our demolidor:):):p;)
we shud promote this!
haha/(juz kidding)

There are many minor channels on digital TV, surely there's room for a Badminton Channel. If all the Country Associations got together with some of the major sponsors then surely something could be done. Livecast over the internet isn't worth the investment at the moment.
The Super Series ought to have been attractive to some TV Channels but alas it seems not. I wish I had the answers and wish I understood more of the TV Rights. There are little pockets of brilliance here and there but not Global, surely someone in Badminton can pull all these little strings together and make an attractive global package.

Take a lesson from Cricket for instance.
The 20/20 game has boosted attendance and interest with short sharp innings, day and night games etc etc.

We could have matches played between TV personalities. Lets say Billy Connolly against Lee Evans. I think Lee would win the sweating competition!!

is that really you? :cool:

:D Maybe if I ran into a wall, cut of one leg and split the remaining one to get broomsticks like that AND bleached my skin ;). Just take a look around your gym and tell me that is not your average badminton player. If you say that isn't you're lying :rolleyes:. He's got the works, plain t-shirt tucked into his Urkel shorts with color-matched shoes to finish it of.

I ran into that pic through a link in the Swiss Open picture thread to the Swiss Badminton Federation homepage etc,. There's only a couple of lucky people on the board who know what I look like :p.

Oh yeah I forgot, I'd need to add about 20 years haha

There are many minor channels on digital TV, surely there's room for a Badminton Channel. If all the Country Associations got together with some of the major sponsors then surely something could be done. Livecast over the internet isn't worth the investment at the moment.
The Super Series ought to have been attractive to some TV Channels but alas it seems not. I wish I had the answers and wish I understood more of the TV Rights. There are little pockets of brilliance here and there but not Global, surely someone in Badminton can pull all these little strings together and make an attractive global package.

how should we approach the BWF? saying that if they want to promote this sport then maybe they should upgrade some lower level tournaments into a superseries. and require that those tournaments must broadcast their matches on a national sports channel? cmon! canada and usa is a multicultural country and we can't find badminton?

:D Maybe if I ran into a wall, cut of one leg and split the remaining one to get broomsticks like that AND bleached my skin ;). Just take a look around your gym and tell me that is not your average badminton player. If you say that isn't you're lying :rolleyes:. He's got the works, plain t-shirt tucked into his Urkel shorts with color-matched shoes to finish it of.

I ran into that pic through a link in the Swiss Open picture thread to the Swiss Badminton Federation homepage etc,. There's only a couple of lucky people on the board who know what I look like :p.

Oh yeah I forgot, I'd need to add about 20 years haha
oh ok, i guess not. lol
the average badminton player in our clubs are usually chinese people... haha... and our shorts are shorter and our shirts are more colourful.... and if you look around the average badminton player... 70% of them are wearing yonex shoes.

as for this long hair white guy, we need to upgrade his style for him to be more marketable. maybe cut the hair, untuck the shirt, have beggier shorts, lose the mustach, and... a lot of other things. haha

http://i29.tinypic.com/icijxj.jpg


For a moment, I thought this is Koo Kien Keat :p

Promote this! ;)

http://i29.tinypic.com/icijxj.jpg

I'm your potential sponsor, he is your average player around the gym. Your mission: sell me your plan.

Good luck! ... you'll need it.

This = badminton.
nah man, that's a potiental Lin Dan threat right there! watch out world number one!

I think the European and Asian countries are doing a great job at promoting Badminton...
On youtube I saw a Fedex commerical with all the top Chinese players "delivering" the promotion of badminton or the service itself. Also, Peter Gade made commericals... the English badminton has been holding charity events... where they would play an exhibition game at a mall or something and raise money for children or something. We need something like that... in Canada... we endorse hockey so much... and basketball as well... ... i know i know.. businesses' ideas are only eyes for profits.. but we need some kind of organization that is willing to promote sports like badminton. or CBC needs to show more badminton on TV.. NBC or ABC should have badminton matches broadcast too... like seriously... in my opinion baseball and golf are sort of a dull sport to me... (my opinion) so they should show a fast sport like badminton! Televised North American badminton matches.
if you put something in the hands of Americans... they will use their money and invest their time to promote it. it's possible!... like how many rediculous realty shows we have... put that millions into badminton!!!!!!!!!!!!! for crying out loud.

With increasing international economic interdependence, demographics are rapidly changing in N. America, with more people coming to the States and Canada from Asia and Europe to live and work. The tv networks will eventually recognize the growing demand for coverage of other sports than just baseball, basketball, football, tennis and golf. I think the key is tv exposure. We need to kick the networks and advertisers more. How is it that Gatorade or Pepsi doesn't realize that badminton in many of the Asian countries it markets in?

It would also help to have more interesting, strong personalities in Badminton. Even bad is good, sometimes.

With increasing international economic interdependence, demographics are rapidly changing in N. America, with more people coming to the States and Canada from Asia and Europe to live and work. The tv networks will eventually recognize the growing demand for coverage of other sports than just baseball, basketball, football, tennis and golf. I think the key is tv exposure. We need to kick the networks and advertisers more. How is it that Gatorade or Pepsi doesn't realize that badminton in many of the Asian countries it markets in?

It would also help to have more interesting, strong personalities in Badminton. Even bad is good, sometimes.

You've hit the nail on the head.
This thread dwells a lot on what could be the case in North America....if only [Nike/the networks/governments/schools/your aunt Ethel] would do their part. But you can't blame them. Change is something that these entities reflect, not initiate. They react to demand. That's as it should be.

In North America the changing demographics will slowly make badminton more popular. The only way to speed up the process is, as you said, to have a couple really flashy players with looks and personality that will grab headlines. You can't underestimate the power of a pretty face...just ask the Trojans.

Thanks for overlooking my careless grammar.

More ads. More coverage. That's about all you can do.

if you ask me I think badminton has made lots of progress in the past few years. It's just not getting the funding it needs to get big in the Americas. We need a big company to sponsor the sport, like Mercedes and Toyota sponsors Tennis. Then maybe Americans will see it in advertisements on tv and such and eventually one day Americans will overcome their stereotype of badminton, and they will learn to appreciate it.

yeah this has been a subject of many many professional badminton players as well. I've read in an interview how Peter Gade is helping promoting the sport spending his time with kids and doing badminton camps... also he has a website so fans can track his progress. That is why Peter Gade is my favourite player, besides being a former number one... he has worked really hard at contributing to the community. I am not saying that other's done, but Gade seems to stand out more. I know we should bring the world's top shuttles like Lin Dan, Bao, Gade, Jonassen, Lee, ... just all the big names to North America... and do tours of promotions. This should ok... because Americans have no problem spending too much or too little on anything that is profitable. haha. Canada too!

It is marketing, marketing, and more marketing.

I live in CA, so I can speak from US's perspective only. Yes, badminton is seen as an Asian sport. OK, so be it being an Asian sport. The Asian communities in CA, NY, Vancouver, Toronto, have a pretty sizable consumer base. Let us be the targeted consumers and let the businesses sell to us. As badminton fans, we should do business with these sponsors.

Look at the recent US National, the major sponsors are Yonex (of course), United Commercial Bank, Southwest Airlines, and Sheraton Gateway Hotel. Pretty good list. That should open the opportunity for Bank of America who likes to corner the Chinese market (their calendar is in English and Chinese). How about Singapore Airlines, Air China, Cathay Pacific, and other Asian airline. How about Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota (Asian's favorite brands). There are plenty of opportunities for these sponsors to ... yes ... target the Asian consumers.

kwun, I remember you had a dream for a BC tournament. If you still like to explore that, PM me. I live in bay area. Maybe we can start here. :)

Badminton is yet to be popular because of DISCRIMINATION.

Badminton as a sports is DISCRIMINATED by many people in this world, in the same effect and extent as Racial Discrimination, *** Discrimination, etc... Discrimination is a social issue. This is not just Marketing, Sponsorships, Money, or any celebrities efforts.

Badminton is seen as an Asian sport, a backyard sport, a sport for wimps, a sport you play on Sundays only. We have to remove these Discriminations. The world has to accept badminton, as much as they accept football. Money and marketing can help, but it still requires time and miracles to change one's mind.

I like all the ideas put forth in various posts, like ads, tourneys, high profile individuals, etc. These will sure jump start baddy popularity. But to me the most important is to increase the players' base from mostly Asian immigrants to more participation by average Americans in our weekly ritual of playing (as a way to exercise). Without their involvement, the sports will never become mainstream sports in US.

To increase the base, more gym space and time will be needed to attract ppl to come and play. That's really the hard part. We are competing with other sports for very tight gym schedules. It's almost impossible to get more without the vocal support of local non-Asian community.

Another important thing in developing the base is to get more kids involved. Without kids playing soccer, there would never be soccer Moms. More after-school baddy classes, student clubs, and kids playing time, etc. will all help to grow the base. The PE teachers in my kid's middle school teach a lot of less useful activities, but they won't teach baddy. The reason is very simple: the teachers don't know how to play.

All major sports have wholesale kids programs, from after-school class, camp, league to facility (field). But baddy has little to no such infrastructure as support mechanism. Even Karate is much better organized and better participated sports in US than baddy.

I agree with Birdwood 100%. In order to get the tv programming and events we want, we have to go more mainstream or go the way of racquetball (remember that sport)? I am happy to report that there are people in the Seattle area who have plans to do just that - getting badminton into the schools and building more badminton-specific facilities. Demonstration in the schools by good players would erase the wimp view of the sport in a hurry.

Although it is not a team sport, neither is tennis. And that sport has a very broad following. A lot of tennis parents could easily be badminton parents, once they recognise the sport for what it is - a physically demanding sport of skill (that is not gained overnight),not brute strenght (although that helps); a decorous sport that prizes civility, and a life-long means to exercise in an enjoyable manner.

Having large number of participants, you will get large number of participants. Reportedly (I don't know for sure) that badminton is the second most played sport behind soccer. So, there are a lot of people play badminton, still, it is not as popular as other sports.

In the US, soccer is a great example. Drive by any school on a Saturday morning, you find many kids of all races playing soccer. MLS or Major League Soccer continues to struggle for survival. Popularity at the grassroots level doesn't translate to popularity in term of money and sponsorship.

For us here, sport is a game or a hobbies. For businesses, it is a marketing opportunity to promote their name, their brand, and ultimately make more money. They look at sponsorship in term of Return-On-Investment. If the sport can give them access to X number of customers, it could be a well worthwhile for them.

Having large number of participants, you will get large number of participants. Reportedly (I don't know for sure) that badminton is the second most played sport behind soccer. So, there are a lot of people play badminton, still, it is not as popular as other sports.

In the US, soccer is a great example. Drive by any school on a Saturday morning, you find many kids of all races playing soccer. MLS or Major League Soccer continues to struggle for survival. Popularity at the grassroots level doesn't translate to popularity in term of money and sponsorship.

For us here, sport is a game or a hobbies. For businesses, it is a marketing opportunity to promote their name, their brand, and ultimately make more money. They look at sponsorship in term of Return-On-Investment. If the sport can give them access to X number of customers, it could be a well worthwhile for them.

In US, soccer has to compete with sports like American football and baseball, which are more 'exciting' to watch, at least in the eyes of most Americans. Soccer matches are called "boring" (scoreless or 1-3 goals/match). That's why soccer is not popular in US. But around the world, it is. The problem is unique to US market and does not prove baddy can not be successful here if there are more ground swelling effort because baddy is exciting to watch and to play. Ppl can play baddy to old ages, but not with soccer. I see the problem in US is mostly: gym availability at low cost. If that can be overcome, ppl will show up sooner or later.

Having large number of participants, you will get large number of participants. Reportedly (I don't know for sure) that badminton is the second most played sport behind soccer. So, there are a lot of people play badminton, still, it is not as popular as other sports.
...


In term of badminton is the second most played sport, they may be counting it as being played in backyard. Cost to play indoor may also hinder its popularity and progress in other countries.

It was as expansive as or more expansive to play in China than US. Last summer, it cost me 50RMB/court/hr (about $7/court/hr). With four ppl playing for 4 hrs, it came to about $30, similar to US, but not very affordable by the average Chinese. To kick a soccer ball around would cost almost nothing in comparison.

Where do you live in California? The court fees you cite seem very affordable. Here in the NW, there are plans to build badminton courts charging $14-18/hr.......Could you please describe the private courts in your area (facility description: age, color of walls, flooring material, amount of use during the day, membership fee(?), method of payment, etc.)? The reason I am asking is because I am deciding whether to invest in such a venture here.

I've read in an interview how Peter Gade is helping promoting the sport spending his time with kids and doing badminton camps... also he has a website so fans can track his progress. That is why Peter Gade is my favourite player, besides being a former number one... he has worked really hard at contributing to the community.



.
Hi jchan04,

IMHO, we can promote Badminton in 3 different ways, namely;
(1) as a participation sport,
(2) as an entertainment, and
(3) as a hobby.

Peter Gade has been working on it as a participation sport by trying to get as many people to get on the court to get a hit at the shuttlecock. Doing Badminton kids camps is an excellent way to introduce Badminton to the younger ones.

BWF has been working on it too, not only as a participation sport but as an entertainment also. That was the reason why they introduced the SS Tournaments and the New Scoring System. They were hoping for better live and television coverage with these new introductions. Also, BWF has been trying to get non-playing nations to know and to play Badminton better.

Badminton Central is working on it too, generating it as a hobby. :):):)
The more we share and read/talk about Badminton, the more we will get interested in it. :D

My suggestion:
In the next few days, let us just double the population knowing about Badminton.

If each of us can...
(1) get one new person to get on the court to get a hit at the shuttlecock
(2) get one new person to watch Badminton matches
(3) get one new person to read/talk about Badminton matters

then, our Badminton Community will be doubled. :D:D:D

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
.

.
Hi jchan04,

IMHO, we can promote Badminton in 3 different ways, namely;
(1) as a participation sport,
(2) as an entertainment, and
(3) as a hobby.

Peter Gade has been working on it as a participation sport by trying to get as many people to get on the court to get a hit at the shuttlecock. Doing Badminton kids camps is an excellent way to introduce Badminton to the younger ones.

BWF has been working on it too, not only as a participation sport but as an entertainment also. That was the reason why they introduced the SS Tournaments and the New Scoring System. They were hoping for better live and television coverage with these new introductions. Also, BWF has been trying to get non-playing nations to know and to play Badminton better.

Badminton Central is working on it too, generating it as a hobby. :):):)
The more we share and read/talk about Badminton, the more we will get interested in it. :D

My suggestion:
In the next few days, let us just double the population knowing about Badminton.

If each of us can...
(1) get one new person to get on the court to get a hit at the shuttlecock
(2) get one new person to watch Badminton matches
(3) get one new person to read/talk about Badminton matters

then, our Badminton Community will be doubled. :D:D:D

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
.
Sounds good: very concise and precise. Chris' three keys to promoting badminton = participation, entertainment, knowledge. Thank you Chris.

Yep, actually this summer my friend and I are using our university facility to play badminton. I'm going to introduce him into the sport.:D Also, in my senior year of high school I organized a intra-school junior badminton tournament targetted at grades 9 and 10. It was a success although we didn't recieve any profit.

Any others who can share their experiences of promoting badminton.

In US, soccer has to compete with sports like American football and baseball, which are more 'exciting' to watch, at least in the eyes of most Americans. Soccer matches are called "boring" (scoreless or 1-3 goals/match). That's why soccer is not popular in US. But around the world, it is. The problem is unique to US market and does not prove baddy can not be successful here if there are more ground swelling effort because baddy is exciting to watch and to play. Ppl can play baddy to old ages, but not with soccer. I see the problem in US is mostly: gym availability at low cost. If that can be overcome, ppl will show up sooner or later.

Soccer competes with football and baseball, much like badminton competes with tennis. Soccer is perceived "boring" (by some people, exciting by others), much like badminton as "boring" (by some people, exciting by others). Soccer has never proven can not be successful, much like badminton.

I see more similarity than difference between soccer and badminton, except soccer is very American sport among the youth (much wider popularity). Yet, soccer continues to struggle. Grass-root popularity doesn't work.

In term of badminton is the second most played sport, they may be counting it as being played in backyard. Cost to play indoor may also hinder its popularity and progress in other countries.

It was as expansive as or more expansive to play in China than US. Last summer, it cost me 50RMB/court/hr (about $7/court/hr). With four ppl playing for 4 hrs, it came to about $30, similar to US, but not very affordable by the average Chinese. To kick a soccer ball around would cost almost nothing in comparison.

Of course badminton is expensive. There is another thread going on right now on that topic. So, I won't repeat it here.

Court availability is a big problem. Until 3 years ago, in SF/Bay Area, you have to look for colleges, high school, community center to play. There are inexpensive but with very limited hours. Now with 8 dedicated facilities (soon to be 9), although expensive, there are so many players nowadays. Cost is a factor but I think availability is a bigger factor. However, in your example, court rental fee in China is expensive, given the cost of living there.

As compare to court rental in SF/BA, they go for $40-$45 per hour up to 8 people. I don't know of any reason to rent court by the hour (maybe except of special training). Most people I know have club membership (monthly), multiple or single pass with $7 per entry. For 4 to 6 players, that is $28 to $42 and you can play until they close.

no money... no honey...

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Badminton Central is working on it too, generating it as a hobby. :):):)
The more we share and read/talk about Badminton, the more we will get interested in it. :D
....
..one must be interested enough in badminton (playing, following the trends, keeping up with any badminton-related news etc.) to last/stay quite a while in BC...So, interest should come first..;)

...
To increase the base, more gym space and time will be needed to attract ppl to come and play. That's really the hard part. We are competing with other sports for very tight gym schedules. It's almost impossible to get more without the vocal support of local non-Asian community.
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Where do you live in California? The court fees you cite seem very affordable. Here in the NW, there are plans to build badminton courts charging $14-18/hr.......Could you please describe the private courts in your area (facility description: age, color of walls, flooring material, amount of use during the day, membership fee(?), method of payment, etc.)? The reason I am asking is because I am deciding whether to invest in such a venture here.
...
Court availability is a big problem. Until 3 years ago, in SF/Bay Area, you have to look for colleges, high school, community center to play. There are inexpensive but with very limited hours. Now with 8 dedicated facilities (soon to be 9), although expensive, there are so many players nowadays. Cost is a factor but I think availability is a bigger factor. However, in your example, court rental fee in China is expensive, given the cost of living there.

As compare to court rental in SF/BA, they go for $40-$45 per hour up to 8 people. I don't know of any reason to rent court by the hour (maybe except of special training). Most people I know have club membership (monthly), multiple or single pass with $7 per entry. For 4 to 6 players, that is $28 to $42 and you can play until they close.
..in that we have at least, as far as i know of, 4-5 public gyms, in and around L.A. & Ventura counties where we can play for FREE. I know such "luxury" is not easy to find and if one finds one, one might have to wait a while in order to play; let alone the amount of time allotted to play in those public gyms.

Where do you live in California? The court fees you cite seem very affordable. Here in the NW, there are plans to build badminton courts charging $14-18/hr.......Could you please describe the private courts in your area (facility description: age, color of walls, flooring material, amount of use during the day, membership fee(?), method of payment, etc.)? The reason I am asking is because I am deciding whether to invest in such a venture here.

There are two dedicated places to play around LA as I know of. They are very close in distance, but due to large Asian population, are very busy in late afternoon and onward and on weekends. One is San Gabriel (http://sgvbc.net/membership.html) and the other Arcadia (http://www.abadminton.com/facility/hours.php). The former is an older facility open 24 hrs a day charging $7 for non-members/day, the later a newer one with $8 fee to play all day and evening (the website has some information regarding floor, etc).

Charging $14-18/hr would be unthinkable for anyone to play unless you are talking about per court, not per person. It will depend on your objectives whether to open a full time business (dedicated) or just to find some places to play. The easiest thing to do is to find a gym (college, high or middle school, community center, etc.) by either renting or as part of their business. Paint the layout when the floor is redone or tape it to get a quick start. Of course, a big investment in a warehouse type baddy club will require you initially have a critical mass of players already.

..one must be interested enough in badminton (playing, following the trends, keeping up with any badminton-related news etc.) to last/stay quite a while in BC...So, interest should come first..;)



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Hahaha ctjcad... But I have to disagree that "interest should come first". :):):)

We cannot generate interest@Badminton Central if we don't "talk about Badminton first". I believe that the more about Badminton BCers get to know, the more curious/interested they will become.

So, I was saying...
"Badminton Central is promoting Badminton, not Badminton is promoting Badminton Central". :D:D:D

But of course one cannot do without the other, like the chicken and the egg.

:):):)
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I see more similarity than difference between soccer and badminton, except soccer is very American sport among the youth (much wider popularity). Yet, soccer continues to struggle. Grass-root popularity doesn't work.

That's a very depressing thoughts. But until we try it, we can not be sure of that. Your idea of marketing may work, let's see if anything will come out there :rolleyes:

Of course badminton is expensive. There is another thread going on right now on that topic. So, I won't repeat it here.

Court availability is a big problem. Until 3 years ago, in SF/Bay Area, you have to look for colleges, high school, community center to play. There are inexpensive but with very limited hours. Now with 8 dedicated facilities (soon to be 9), although expensive, there are so many players nowadays. Cost is a factor but I think availability is a bigger factor. However, in your example, court rental fee in China is expensive, given the cost of living there.

As compare to court rental in SF/BA, they go for $40-$45 per hour up to 8 people. I don't know of any reason to rent court by the hour (maybe except of special training). Most people I know have club membership (monthly), multiple or single pass with $7 per entry. For 4 to 6 players, that is $28 to $42 and you can play until they close.

With 8-9 dedicated facilities, availability is still "a bigger factor" :confused: Can you please explain this a little more. I'd think with the competition among all the facilities, the cost to play would be way down and anyone who wants to play can find an empty court anytime.

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Charging $14-18/hr would be unthinkable for anyone to play unless you are talking about per court, not per person. It will depend on your objectives whether to open a full time business (dedicated) or just to find some places to play. The easiest thing to do is to find a gym (college, high or middle school, community center, etc.) by either renting or as part of their business. Paint the layout when the floor is redone or tape it to get a quick start. Of course, a big investment in a warehouse type baddy club will require you initially have a critical mass of players already.
..in the earlier days prior to the SGVBC and OCBC opening (i believe both opened their doors roughly in the mid 90s, so it hasn't been too long), the only available baddy facilities are public school gyms (high schools, colleges, Junior colleges or public parks' multi purpose gyms). I believe it's the same story up north, in NorCal, as they also used to borrow public gyms prior to the recent explosion of FT baddy clubs.

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Hahaha ctjcad... But I have to disagree that "interest should come first". :):):)

We cannot generate interest@Badminton Central if we don't "talk about Badminton first". I believe that the more about Badminton BCers get to know, the more curious/interested they will become.

So, I was saying...
"Badminton Central is promoting Badminton, not Badminton is promoting Badminton Central". :D:D:D

But of course one cannot do without the other, like the chicken and the egg.

:):):)
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...i think we might be referring to different point of views...:);)
Of course, the talk & discussions @ BadmintonCentral.com would be and should be mostly centered around badminton. And BC is promoting badminton. No doubt.:);)
...But would you, say, visit an NFL (American football) forum and stay there a while & be active if you don't have interest in the sport??..I certainly wouldn't want to visit, let alone stay a while, in a "How to Build a Space Station" forum if i didn't have any interest...:p ;)

..in the earlier days prior to the SGVBC and OCBC opening (i believe both opened their doors roughly in the mid 90s, so it hasn't been too long), the only available baddy facilities are public school gyms (high schools, colleges, Junior colleges or public parks' multi purpose gyms). I believe it's the same story up north, in NorCal, as they also used to borrow public gyms prior to the recent explosion of FT baddy clubs.

The gym type system is the proven route to get baddy started from scratch. Even today, we see these type facilities everywhere, charging $2-5 to play 2-6 hrs baddy on a given day. Some may get too crowded so more become available, eventually leads to dedicated ones, like SGVBC. A lot baddy players would prefer to play $7/day+evening, rather $5/a few hours, but not many have the deep pocket for a baddy investment. If anyone can do it, it would make a lot ppl happy :)

..and i would say quite a big part of it...But another factor is the level or type of challenges/competitions one will get, say, in an open/public gym in comparison to a full-time baddy club. If there are available baddy clubs, i'm sure more competitive/serious/active players will probably prefer to play there.
But yeah, i guess the saying is probably true "the more the merrier"..:cool:

Thanks for the info, Birdwood. The proposed fee was $14-18/hr/court. That still seems high to me, esp. if you like to play singles. The difficulty is getting enough people together to reserve the court. And you don't have the option of just "dropping in". That's why I say $7-8/person/day sounds like a real bargain.

I realize I got off the thread a bit when talking about building courts for profit rather than promoting the popularity of the sport. Courts for profit still indirectly promote the sport, I guess, by reflecting the local demand for dedicated facilities and offering facilities for scholastic and team events. As a means of popularizing the sport, though, I think expensive private courts do not cater to the general public, but rather to those players who already have some proficiency with the game. They then become like the racquetball courts that were (are?) so popular years ago.

I think a big negative of badminton is that it takes a while to get the skills whereby more people will play with you. Public courts are usually inclusive, but I'm sure those who prefer to play with those around their own level (who wouldn't, if you are shelling out money to play) would opt for the private, badminton-nly courts. The exclusivity and expense of private courts don't do much to encourage new members who are not already familiar with the sport.

Sure, lessons are offered at the private clubs, but it would take real interest for a person to pay for lessons in a sport that is still viewed by the public as a backyard sport.

In short, I guess I did get off the point when I discussed private court fees. as private courts seem to be neutral on popularization of the sport.

...
As a means of popularizing the sport, though, I think expensive private courts do not cater to the general public, but rather to those players who already have some proficiency with the game. They then become like the racquetball courts that were (are?) so popular years ago.

I think a big negative of badminton is that it takes a while to get the skills whereby more people will play with you. Public courts are usually inclusive, but I'm sure those who prefer to play with those around their own level (who wouldn't, if you are shelling out money to play) would opt for the private, badminton-nly courts. The exclusivity and expense of private courts don't do much to encourage new members who are not already familiar with the sport.

Sure, lessons are offered at the private clubs, but it would take real interest for a person to pay for lessons in a sport that is still viewed by the public as a backyard sport.
...


You might assume something wrong here. Private court should not be exclusive, otherwise it's looking for failure. Why can't a private club cater to the general public (beginners)? Just assign the courts according to the proportions of player groups, maybe 2 courts for beginners, 3 for intermediate, and 2 for advanced levels (add a couple of courts for mixed leveled play as some may wish to play that way). Then ppl are playing with others at their own levels. If someone is playing above his/her assigned court level, they can always move up to next level. This would encourage those who want to take class, learn, and improve to become more proficient. Not everyone comes to play so seriously. I'd bet many just simply want to have fun and some exercise.

Ppl will pay for baddy lessons, just like they pay for tennis lessons, especially kids, as soon as parents realize baddy can offer better return for their investment.

When I said "exclusive", I meant only in the sense of cost. A lot of people can't afford, or are reluctant to pay the $40-60/mo it takes to play at private venues; hence the overcrowding at public multi-purpose courts. Personally I love courts built esp. for badminton, just because I cannot see well enough to play anywhere else. It just so happens that all such courts are "private" (It'll be a long time before our cities shell out money for single -sport courts.

Having courts alloted for different levels is a good idea when there are enough courts, but it might also be difficult to set courts aside when it is pay-by-the hour. I have no objection to playing people with less experience and do all the time. It's just that IF I had only one or two hours (which I am paying dearly for), I would have more fun and get more of a workout playing with others of a similar level. That's just natural and I don't think saying that makes me a snob or elitist.

Maybe it's reserving the courts and the pay-by-HOUR format that I am uncomfortable with because it would NOT encourage drop-ins and mingling of strangers. You'd better believe that those who reserve these courts already come with a partner or a group. The assignment of courts by level of play would be much more possible at the pay-by-the-DAY courts that you described. That is why I say that,in regards to the promoting of badminton to the public, private courts are mostly neutral, although they do help in reducing the strain on public facilities.

If the price tag is set at $40-60/mo, there is nothing anyone can do. Maybe some in the general public (beginners) can afford it, they have the right to play as much as the elite players. If I was the owner, I’d go out my way to promote the club/sports and cater to the general public just like any fitness, tennis, and golf clubs do.

The club will have to choose between pay-by-hour/reservation and pay-by-the day/no reservation. In the former, there should be no need to worry who plays with whom since the court is rented out as a whole (otherwise how it works is beyond me). In the latter case, it would be a good idea to separate players by levels on a first come first serve basis. Either way, I don’t see much difference between a private club and gym type courts in promoting baddy beyond the price differential (to different income customers).

So. Cal is lucky indeed and for many years. US Open, World Championship, world class coaches, etc. I am happy to say No. Cal is getting pretty lucky too nowadays.

With 8-9 dedicated facilities, availability is still "a bigger factor" Can you please explain this a little more. I'd think with the competition among all the facilities, the cost to play would be way down and anyone who wants to play can find an empty court anytime.

What I meant by lack of availability is for other areas, not any more for No. Cal. Until these gyms opened ~3 years ago, it was hard to find places to play. I used to go this place in Fremont that opened for 2 hours once a week. Some time the gym would be reserved for other event. It was frustrating and hard to get your buddies together.

Now, on a typical week night at Smash City, there are 6, 8, or even 10 people playing/waiting per court. I guess the players cycled probably twice per evening. I assume the crowd is about probably the same at other gyms. Where do all these players come from? Where did they play before? Are they new to the game? Or come out of the hiding now gyms are available?

You are right. Price might go down due to competition. I know my wallet would love that. But as a badminton fan, I don't mind the $7. That is still pretty affordable. I would much rather the gym owner make some money and I'll get to play. Now, badminton is very popular here and great for the sport.

...i think we might be referring to different point of views...:);)
Of course, the talk & discussions @ BadmintonCentral.com would be and should be mostly centered around badminton. And BC is promoting badminton. No doubt.:);)
...But would you, say, visit an NFL (American football) forum and stay there a while & be active if you don't have interest in the sport??..I certainly wouldn't want to visit, let alone stay a while, in a "How to Build a Space Station" forum if i didn't have any interest...:p ;)



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Hi ctjcad,

Yes, we might be referring to different viewpoints. :o:o:o

I was referring to "to be promoting Badminton" as "to be popularizing and/or to be contributing to the expansion and to the growth of Badminton, for both players and enthusiasts".

Many BCers are Badminton players. So if both of us are to round up a few playing BCers to have a few games, then I wouldn't consider us as promoting Badminton, since we haven't increased the population of Badminton players.

But if we could get someone new who has never played Badminton before to play with us, then I would say we have promoted Badminton.

And this is what/how I was referring to BC as a place for promoting Badminton.

(1) There are new members who have not played Badminton before. But if after reading our BC posts, go and try playing it, then BC has increased the population of Badminton players. :):):)

(2) Even if these new members do not go and try playing it, but go and try watching some tournaments, then BC has also increased the population of Badminton enthusiasts. :):):)

In both cases, BC has promoted Badminton.

We know there are many followers of Basketball, Football, Golf, Tennis, etc... but they are not players; they are just enthusiasts. Somehow, the Associations of those sports have managed to promote their sports as an entertainment.

Hope that I have made my viewpoint clearer now. :D

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
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We know there are many followers of Basketball, Football, Golf, Tennis, etc... but they are not players; they are just enthusiasts. Somehow, the Associations of those sports have managed to promote their sports as an entertainment.
You know what though? Team sports seems to be much more popular/entertaining than "individual" sports like tennis, squash, cycling, running and BADMINTON. It just means that when a team plays together the excitement is where the results will vary. For example, in soccer... theres always a possibility that a top rank team will be beaten by an underdog team. Whereas in badminton, the focus is on an individual. That's why another way to make badminton more entertaining is to have badminton leagues and make badminton as a team sport. I know in Europe they have leagues where clubs will play against each other and it's exciting to see those kinds of tournaments because the results will vary. I remember in the 2006 thomas cup, Denmark was playing against Indonesia. And even though two of Denmark's singles players lost their matches, it was the two doubles pair and singles who brought them to the finals with China. Stuff like that makes it entertaining.

Other than that, I think we needs badminton to be televised and promoted through the concepts of badminton being a physically demanding sport and fast reaction.:D

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...
And this is what/how I was referring to BC as a place for promoting Badminton.

(1) There are new members who have not played Badminton before. But if after reading our BC posts, go and try playing it, then BC has increased the population of Badminton players. :):):)

(2) Even if these new members do not go and try playing it, but go and try watching some tournaments, then BC has also increased the population of Badminton enthusiasts. :):):)

In both cases, BC has promoted Badminton.

We know there are many followers of Basketball, Football, Golf, Tennis, etc... but they are not players; they are just enthusiasts. Somehow, the Associations of those sports have managed to promote their sports as an entertainment.

Hope that I have made my viewpoint clearer now. :D

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
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..it's quite clear to me already and yes we've agreed that BC is a place for promoting badminton...I would also say the followers of badminton could be called "enthusiasts" as well, wouldn't you agree??..:);)

I was thinking:
Whether one has already played or followed baddy or not prior to visiting/becoming a BC member, the general consensus or the majority of BCers has 1 interest in mind. And that is badminton.:cool:
I mean why else would all of us be here?? For a "social" gathering??...:confused: :p

As for the role of BC itself, it's one of many avenues (a great one i may add) for people who love badminton to come, share, learn & enjoy the game, as well as meet many other BCers worldwide.:cool:

Thus, I would say the interest in badminton, in whatever motive(s) or purpose to find/be active in BC, is what drives all of us to BC. :cool:

*sorry, folks, if the replies have somewhat strayed a bit from the main subject..:p

Thus, I would say the interest in badminton, in whatever motive(s) or purpose to find/be active in BC, is what drives all of us to BC. :cool:



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Just checking the poll conducted by kwun, we find that around 1.25% of BCers don't play Badminton.

I keep telling many people to join BC in the hope that "The more they know about Badminton, the more chances they could be persuaded to try playing and/or watching it". :D:D:D

Also, check this thread What drives us to play Badminton ? (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36848)

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Warning: Long Post

Hello, I haven't read everyone's post carefully just mainly skimmed so please don't flame me if this has already been addressed.

I am 17 and I have already given up on this god forsaken sport.

I live 7 miles from Manhattan Beach Badminton club and I have unsuccessfully tried 3 times to join their club, but I was rejected through email, phone, and email again (in that order). Although they gave me some reasons such as "we're full" or "adults only" I know the real answer is if your not good you can't join or you have to have connections

The closest place available is a local YMCA 3 miles away that only has 3 gyms and 1 court available for my level of play. It opens on every Friday for 4 hours, which I play for only 3. And since it is crowded, singles is a dream and I am afraid to play a game without fear of losing (if I lose people don't want to play with me).

I've also tried going to SGVBC, but it was a horrendous experience. I didn't know anybody there, nobody seemed nice, court arrangements were confusing, etc. It seemed like everybody there just wanted to get as much court time as possible. I felt very lonely and I decided never go back to that horrible place ever again.

I went to Orange County badminton Club once and received a similar experience. I had entered a tournament because I had never (literally) played anybody near my own age and I thought it would be a nice experience. Being inexperienced I quickly lost the first game, which was disappointing not because I lost, but because these people were so lucky to have a gym nearby with coaches, people their own age, and many courts. I didn't see one friendly face there and I was also embarrased because so many people were good and I think I got a lot of stares expressing "why is this kid even playing in this tournament? hes a joke!". And that was that. Good riddance.

Now to answer the Thread Question how to promote badminton. Badminton doesn't need any promotion. It just needs to be free and more readily available. Interest attracts more players and friendly people/court spaces will keep them interested. Then there will be a greater demand for more courts, which will allow more players to play. Then television networks will broadcast matches since there are already many players, they can expect lots of viewers. Afterall why would you display badminton games when nobody wants to watch it?

Additionally, Badminton has a negative side because it is played primarily by Asians. It isn't a bad thing, but imagine if a white kid wanted to play badminton where 99% of the people are asian? At my Gym i cannot even count the number of kids who enter the Gym all alone and not have anybody to play with them. They could ask others, but like all children they are shy. I have seen so many talented kids who quit because they can't find anywhere good to play that is actually open or nearby. Also parents and adults do very little. They are always busy helping their own kids to become better (which I can understand), but what athlete would want to play against similar kids who are gegraphically lucky to have a GOOD Gym nearby or financially to hire a coach?

Well thats my 2 cents. I got tired of seeing too many people wondering why, well the answer is YOU. You are the problem.

A shame, really.

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Just checking the poll conducted by kwun, we find that around 1.25% of BCers don't play Badminton.

I keep telling many people to join BC in the hope that "The more they know about Badminton, the more chances they could be persuaded to try playing and/or watching it". :D:D:D

Also, check this thread What drives us to play Badminton ? (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36848)

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- That's an interesting percentage number. Hmm, btw, can you lead me to which poll you're referring to?? :confused:
- I think we all can tell/refer people who haven't played baddy or even visited BC to come and visit this place. But until they are somewhat interested enough, themselves, to visit or be active in here, it's going to be a challenge to instill an interest in baddy.
And i think, even if they're not playing baddy but would prefer watching or following the sport (in BC), it should be fine. Afterall, all of us are baddy enthusiasts.:) ;)
- The thread you've pointed out is very good. However, i feel that the inputs, in there, are a bit too broad-based (too many varieties/factors).

To slimejocke: sorry to hear about your unpleasant experiences. Yes, i know & can feel your sense of disappointment and frustration. Hmm, as far as other places to play near your area, if you're interested, there's a place @ SMC where one can play in. Not sure if you've tried that place or not. They're usually open on Sunday from noon til 8 pm. It has plenty of courts and there are people you can ask to play with. Anyway, hope you won't give up baddy and hope you'll find a good group to play with.:cool:

Please don't flame me if this has already been addressed.

I know the real answer is if your not good you can't join or you have to have connections.

"Why is this kid even playing in this tournament? he's a joke!".

I have seen so many talented kids who quit...



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slimejocke... Yes, I understand just how you feel. :o:o:o

Actually, it is because I see so many clubs are doing it that I have decided to start one different myself.

You can follow some of our discussions... Post #12 of this thread here (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40653) .



That's an interesting percentage number. Hmm, btw, can you lead me to which poll you're referring to?? :confused:




ctjcad... That kwun 's poll is located here (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7368) .

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
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.. thanks for confirming the link:)~had a feeling, but wasn't sure. Yeah, hope those (in the poll) who haven't played, yet, can maintain their interest in baddy/BC.:cool:

.. thanks for confirming the link:)~had a feeling, but wasn't sure. Yeah, hope those (in the poll) who haven't played, yet, can maintain their interest in baddy/BC.:cool:



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Hi ctjcad,

Yes... About 1.25% of BCers do not play Badminton. Perhaps they have retired from the sport, and not that they have never played Badminton before. :):):)

But it was thoughtful of kwun to have included in his poll the category: "I don't play badminton".

Even though the sample size is small, with only 1 out of 30 BCers voting, it still shows that not all BCers are playing Badminton.

Another interesting thing is that for every BCer active in our forum, there are usually about 3 nonmembers active most of the time. I wonder if the same result holds for them as well ??? :confused:

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
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Thanks, Slimejock, for the your informative, if lengthy post. Starting out in the sport can be rough and most people must know exactly how you feel. I even had a serious, advanced player say to me that he was not for promoting the sport because even worse congestion would result. When I first started playing a few years ago, public courts were all that were available. That situation is starting to change. Since then, one badminton-only facility opened up near me and I took a chance at joining, even though friends warned that it would be expensive, cliquish and that no one would play with me. But because of it's proximity and great playing conditions, I stuck with it and in time have found lots people to play with.

As for your view that badminton is viewed as a foreign, mainly Asian sport, you're probably right. I don't know your ethnicity, but I (Asian), too, have wondered about the comfort level of non-Asians coming to a facility that was near-100% Asian. It's my view once play begins, everything else is forgotten.

I think it is true that most Asians tend to be less outgoing than people from other groups, whether for cultural reasons, shyness or language difficulties. Most, unless they grew up in the West, are reluctant to approach strangers because that might be considered presumptive or agressive of them and they would prefer to mind their own business, anyway. So, when stepping into a new facility filled with Asians, if no one comes forward to invite or greet you, don't take it personally. Exclusivity in Badminton is much more a matter of skill level - whether you can play a good game or not.

You are right in implying that most clubs exist for their clientele and not to promote the sport. If the clientele is abundant, they have even less motivation to promote, although popularization would be in their best interest in the long run.

Judging from your interest in the subject, though, you will not and should not give up on this great sport that you can play for the rest of your life, barring disability (there were even wheelchair badminton teams in the recent Paralympics in Bangkok last year). To my great regret, I gave up the sport in college after hitting myself (in a particularly sensitive place) and lost 35 years of skills development. It's a lot harder to take up a sport at age 55 than at 21. So, don't give up. Play at school, college, or public courts if you must.

PS, If you see so many kids standing on the sidelines, why don't you invite them to join you? :D

...
Another interesting thing is that for every BCer active in our forum, there are usually about 3 nonmembers active most of the time. I wonder if the same result holds for them as well ??? :confused:
...
..that's an interesting stat; mind sharing w/us how that stat came up?. Anyway, whether they haven't played or they have stopped playing/retired, they're here (in BC) for a reason & of 1 interest...Well, i hope so...:cool:

Okay, now back to discussing the original thread subject..:cool:

slimejocke, I would believe many of us here know how you feel. It is not easy to find a group of friends with similar skills and share the interests and reasonably like each other :). I had a tough time finding a group that fits me also. That is why you'll find online groups and query on BC looking for partners.

One suggestion for you. Since you are 17, the best place to hookup with players would be in your high school or friends from high school. Beyond that, colleges and universities would be the next best choice when you go there.

I can't comment on the clubs that you mentioned since I don't play there.

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Yes... About 1.25% of BCers do not play Badminton. Perhaps they have retired from the sport, and not that they have never played Badminton before. :):):)

It is indeed interesting that 1.25% BCers do not play badminton. On one hand, I thought "Wow! That is surprisingly high", but then how many of us are Rugby and American Football fans but don't play the sport :) Naturally, there are many fans don't or have stopped playing during injury or what have you.

On the other hand, 1.25% is amazingly low %, maybe unique to Badminton. One can play leisurely as a backyard sport or competitively, both can be a lot of fun for the young and old. It is not quite the same for other sports like golf or even tennis.

..that's an interesting stat; mind sharing w/us how that stat came up?.

Okay, now back to discussing the original thread subject..:cool:



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Hi ctjcad,

The stat can be found at "What's Going On?" which is at the bottom of this page here (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php) , titled "Badminton Central Discussion Forum".

As I am checking it now, there are 320 Currently Active Users, consisting of 80 members and 240 nonmembers/guests. It is still 3 nonmembers/guests online for each member online.

We hope that those nonmembers/guests will become members soon. :D:D:D

To go back to the original thread subject: "How should we promote Badminton?", I am still suggesting that we need to introduce more people to our beloved sport.

Let us not be too ambitious...
If everyone of us can bring in a new person to Badminton each week, the population growth of Badminton players/enthusiasts will be doubled every week. :cool::cool::cool:

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
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Judging from your interest in the subject, though, you will not and should not give up on this great sport that you can play for the rest of your life, barring disability (there were even wheelchair badminton teams in the recent Paralympics in Bangkok last year). To my great regret, I gave up the sport in college after hitting myself (in a particularly sensitive place) and lost 35 years of skills development. It's a lot harder to take up a sport at age 55 than at 21. So, don't give up. Play at school, college, or public courts if you must.

Thanks. Your right I should play at Public courts its much better than the alternative of having no courts at all.

PS, If you see so many kids standing on the sidelines, why don't you invite them to join you? :D

I never mentioned it because I thought it would be trivial, but I do. I know how these kids feel and offer to play with them whenever I can (even if they don't ask me).

slimejocke, I would believe many of us here know how you feel. It is not easy to find a group of friends with similar skills and share the interests and reasonably like each other :). I had a tough time finding a group that fits me also. That is why you'll find online groups and query on BC looking for partners.

One suggestion for you. Since you are 17, the best place to hookup with players would be in your high school or friends from high school. Beyond that, colleges and universities would be the next best choice when you go there.

I can't comment on the clubs that you mentioned since I don't play there.

Your right it isn't easy to find a group of friends. I have tried looking online. I googled and found websites that have a long list of places to play. I also make sure to ask every person I meet at a gym to see if they play any other places that I don't know about. Unfortunately these places (I didn't mention in my first post) are around 25-35 miles away from my home. And it takes over an hour to get to these places. Also since I can't drive, my parents are unwilling to drive me to these gyms, which makes it even harder.

I started a club at my school, but noone plays very seriously and since this is America, people don't even know what Badminton is.

Thanks. Your right I should play at Public courts its much better than the alternative of having no courts at all.

It's possible that you'll meet more experienced players there who would be willing to give you pointers, esp. on the basics.

I never mentioned it because I thought it would be trivial, but I do. I know how these kids feel and offer to play with them whenever I can (even if they don't ask me).

Maybe in a few years you'll meet these same guys again on a court somewhere else.

Your right it isn't easy to find a group of friends. I have tried looking online. I googled and found websites that have a long list of places to play. I also make sure to ask every person I meet at a gym to see if they play any other places that I don't know about. Unfortunately these places (I didn't mention in my first post) are around 25-35 miles away from my home. And it takes over an hour to get to these places. Also since I can't drive, my parents are unwilling to drive me to these gyms, which makes it even harder.

Some kids are lucky enough to have parents that play or appreciate the sport who are willing to training. The rest of us have to find it on our own. :o

I started a club at my school, but noone plays very seriously and since this is America, people don't even know what Badminton is.

That shows that you are really into the sport. I think that once you get into college, you'll find more serious players there. Also, one day when you have wheels, your choice of playing venues will greatly increase. :)

I started a club at my school, but noone plays very seriously and since this is America, people don't even know what Badminton is.



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Well slimejocke... If you could introduce new players to Badminton, then you have promoted Badminton in America. :):):)

For beginners, the skill is not as important. Many of them still get the enjoyment out of it, even if they are doing the wrong thing. :D:D:D
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Warning: Long Post

Hello, I haven't read everyone's post carefully just mainly skimmed so please don't flame me if this has already been addressed.

I am 17 and I have already given up on this god forsaken sport.

I live 7 miles from Manhattan Beach Badminton club and I have unsuccessfully tried 3 times to join their club, but I was rejected through email, phone, and email again (in that order). Although they gave me some reasons such as "we're full" or "adults only" I know the real answer is if your not good you can't join or you have to have connections

The closest place available is a local YMCA 3 miles away that only has 3 gyms and 1 court available for my level of play. It opens on every Friday for 4 hours, which I play for only 3. And since it is crowded, singles is a dream and I am afraid to play a game without fear of losing (if I lose people don't want to play with me).

I've also tried going to SGVBC, but it was a horrendous experience. I didn't know anybody there, nobody seemed nice, court arrangements were confusing, etc. It seemed like everybody there just wanted to get as much court time as possible. I felt very lonely and I decided never go back to that horrible place ever again.

I went to Orange County badminton Club once and received a similar experience. I had entered a tournament because I had never (literally) played anybody near my own age and I thought it would be a nice experience. Being inexperienced I quickly lost the first game, which was disappointing not because I lost, but because these people were so lucky to have a gym nearby with coaches, people their own age, and many courts. I didn't see one friendly face there and I was also embarrased because so many people were good and I think I got a lot of stares expressing "why is this kid even playing in this tournament? hes a joke!". And that was that. Good riddance.

Now to answer the Thread Question how to promote badminton. Badminton doesn't need any promotion. It just needs to be free and more readily available. Interest attracts more players and friendly people/court spaces will keep them interested. Then there will be a greater demand for more courts, which will allow more players to play. Then television networks will broadcast matches since there are already many players, they can expect lots of viewers. Afterall why would you display badminton games when nobody wants to watch it?

Additionally, Badminton has a negative side because it is played primarily by Asians. It isn't a bad thing, but imagine if a white kid wanted to play badminton where 99% of the people are asian? At my Gym i cannot even count the number of kids who enter the Gym all alone and not have anybody to play with them. They could ask others, but like all children they are shy. I have seen so many talented kids who quit because they can't find anywhere good to play that is actually open or nearby. Also parents and adults do very little. They are always busy helping their own kids to become better (which I can understand), but what athlete would want to play against similar kids who are gegraphically lucky to have a GOOD Gym nearby or financially to hire a coach?

Well thats my 2 cents. I got tired of seeing too many people wondering why, well the answer is YOU. You are the problem.

A shame, really.


Alright, maybe I just ate gun powder as my snack, or I am the @$$hole in the forum, but seriously, I really want to issue some different point of view, asides from other nice ppl. :o

1. Why a lot of clubs are set to be adults only. Because the lawyers are too good, and the kids are too wild to control themsevles. A lot of us want to enjoy the game, not to worry about some juniors using this gym as a picnic place or party ball room. Many times, we have to dodge for the kids, and hold all the way back, not to hit them, when they walking like 5 feet inside the court. For the safty of everyone, banned the kids might be the simpliest solution, if the management having a hard time to control the situation.

2. I don't see why you listed all the local gyms as like it's worse than hell. True, there are mean ppl all over the place, just like everywhere else. Do you see all the basketball, baseball or football players using public parks all like gentlemen? Do they all let you take the court whenever you want, if you are clearly below their level of competition? It's down to yourself to pick the right group, and you are the determine factor. It will be great if some ppl are nice, and welcome you to the group. However, if that does not happen, you need to start the talk. Overall, it's you try to join a new place, but not them.

3. I really don't like ppl (espcially young ones) keep whinning about how much other kids can get a ride, can get $$ for the training, get a good coach, therefore, they are good, etc. If you trying to find excuses to defend why yourself is not as good as others, that will only prevent yourself to improve. Yes, they paid $$$, and they might live closer. However, not everyone around the corner is a decent player, right? Not any single one of them born to be Lin Dan, right? They were young before, and they were a total beginner somedays. Why they can fight their way out, but you can't? Yes, a good coach helps. A good racket helps. A close enough gym helps. However, all of such count maybe 1%. 99% is yourself, whether yourself want to be better or not. Simply throw the white towel, and trying to say they are better simply because they "live closer", well, I dont' feel too sorry for you.

4. I would like to ask you what's your goal to pick up the sports back then? Is that I need to win win and win? Or, is that you really like the sports, try to have fun, try to improve, and try to make some friends? If winning is the only concern, then I think you let it get into your mind a bit too much. If you joined the wrong level of tournament, why it's other players's fault to have the puzzled look on their face? Yes, it sound cruel, but if you are the one went into the wrong bar, why you blame others? Seriously, does it make you feel better, if they don't laugh, don't look at you, simply politely say, "sir, please go to other tourny" makes you feel better?

Just let you know, in NY metro area, we need to pay as much as $25 per session, in a mult. purpose HS gym w/o lines. I've known some juniors, who work hard for part time, and gathering enough to pay for equipment and sessions. Some of them even have to take subway/bus for 2 hrs single trip to make it to the gym. Some of them are very decent players, and some of them are improving. Why they can do that? Because they believe in themselves and they really love the sport. More importnat, 99% of them are really nice ppl, and getting along with us old folks. Even if some of them are still below average competitive level, but none of us feel like they don't belong here.

Ok, I think I am pouring oil over fire already. You can say I am an @$$, and say I am not as nice as others. However, I am simply trying to point that in the "real world", you should not blame others for your own failure. Yes, in the ideal world, everyone should be nice, friendly, polite, etc. Too bad, we are in the real world, which is far away from being perfect. :o

Remember, your are not the center of the universe. Everyone and everything don't need to all going your way. You need to fit in the universe yourself. Road is tough, but you should try your best. Simply lying on the ground, crying and cursing everything around you, will not make your a better player. It will only make ppl stay even further away from you, because they think you are "me vs. the world".

In the east coast of the US, badminton is nonexistent. The only court near my house is at a local YMCA, with a low ceiling, incorrect lines, and a bunch of FOBs and overzealous, poor-technique Indians trying to have a jolly time smashing it their hardest.

I can't imagine anybody wanting to pick up the sport around here - no available, indoor regulation courts, and a terrible demographic to deal with. I'm sure the situation is better on the West Coast, but the sport is still primarily played only by the Asian community, and probably will continue to do so with poor marketing and insufficient facilities.

In the east coast of the US, badminton is nonexistent. The only court near my house is at a local YMCA, with a low ceiling, incorrect lines, and a bunch of FOBs and overzealous, poor-technique Indians trying to have a jolly time smashing it their hardest.

I can't imagine anybody wanting to pick up the sport around here - no available, indoor regulation courts, and a terrible demographic to deal with. I'm sure the situation is better on the West Coast, but the sport is still primarily played only by the Asian community, and probably will continue to do so with poor marketing and insufficient facilities.

East coast communities with a large Asian population certainly sound ripe for entrepreneurs, esp. those who love badminton, to step in and build courts. This could be a serious $$$$-making opportunity for those who recognize the recent demographic shifts and the markets it presents. While I am not sure how building new badminton courts directly promotes the sport, building them would certainly address a crying need that schools and neighborhood gyms just cannot sufficiently provide for.

In the chicken and egg question of whether the market or marketing comes first, clearly in this case, the market is already here.

East coast communities with a large Asian population certainly sound ripe for entrepreneurs, esp. those who love badminton, to step in and build courts. This could be a serious $$$$-making opportunity for those who recognize the recent demographic shifts and the markets it presents. While I am not sure how building new badminton courts directly promotes the sport, building them would certainly address a crying need that schools and neighborhood gyms just cannot sufficiently provide for.

In the chicken and egg question of whether the market or marketing comes first, clearly in this case, the market is already here.

enthusiast is right. This is a great opportunity for East Coast entrepreneurs. The fact that Bay Area has grown from 0 to 9 badminton-only gyms in 3 years. That only mean that they are making money.

Obviously, I don't own or part of any of the gyms. It appears to me that some gym owners here converted older warehouses (with high ceiling and no partition) into badminton gym. There is no reason it can't be replicated in the East Coast.

So last night, I was watchng sportscenter on espn and they decide to do an inside look into....ROLLER DERBY! I couldn't keep it inside so I said out loud with anger "how can roller derby be on sportscenter and not badminton. This is ridiculous!!!!!!" I watched the segment and they had a player who worked for a newpaper. She has been writing about roller derby for awhile. My guess is that her influence help bring the sport up from underground. I'm so fustrated at the useless American sport channel. I even wrote an email to espn( that didn't work) telling them to live up to their name if they are the "worldwide leader in sports"..bs

Ok so do we have anyone here that works for a newpaper that can help us put article/coverage out? Perhaps it is the best way to start making our sport "mainstream"!

Badminton is losing popularity is the fact that we have to face...even in Indonesia ppl see going to school as a way forward as to playing baddies

I'm trying to focus on how to make this sport popular in the US because somehow ROLLER DERBY did it....we can do it

Maybe if more of us wrote to ESPN stating that they would be more likely to subscribe to the premium station if they had more coverage of the lesser known, but emerging sports in this country, like football (soccer) and badminton. Sports stations are really missing out on a gold mine and they don't know it yet.

I dun think Baddy would be popular anywhere outside INA, CHN, MAS, KOR and DEN...well maybe England but u know in CHN Badminton is regarded as being a girl's sport while in INA ppl chose to study...like my cousin...very talented guy...PBSI ask him to join Pelatnas but parents not allowed n ask him to go school

East coast communities with a large Asian population certainly sound ripe for entrepreneurs, esp. those who love badminton, to step in and build courts. This could be a serious $$$$-making opportunity for those who recognize the recent demographic shifts and the markets it presents. While I am not sure how building new badminton courts directly promotes the sport, building them would certainly address a crying need that schools and neighborhood gyms just cannot sufficiently provide for.

In the chicken and egg question of whether the market or marketing comes first, clearly in this case, the market is already here.

enthusiast is right. This is a great opportunity for East Coast entrepreneurs. The fact that Bay Area has grown from 0 to 9 badminton-only gyms in 3 years. That only mean that they are making money.

Obviously, I don't own or part of any of the gyms. It appears to me that some gym owners here converted older warehouses (with high ceiling and no partition) into badminton gym. There is no reason it can't be replicated in the East Coast.


On offense for other city / region, in order to promote badminton in US East, NY is the 1st one coming into mind. However, with the crazy real estate cost, it makes it almost a mission impossible for anyone to even try to build a badminton designated facility. It's simply too much risk.

The bright side is there are many clubs (mostly renting school gyms) are opened now days, and players do have a few more choices here and there. However, the high memberhip / walk in cost, with high training and equipement cost, still make it relatively expensive for most new immigrants. How many ppl who are still struggling trying to feed the family, will spend as much as US$25 for a 3-4 hr badminton session? :rolleyes:

Badminton is losing popularity is the fact that we have to face...even in Indonesia ppl see going to school as a way forward as to playing baddies

Are you saying that in Indonesia badminton was EVER a career option for more than a few young people? I should hope today that most young people see preparation for another type of career is the way forward. That does not mean that they would necessarily give up playing badminton, one of the national pastimes, for recreation. These days, however, probably love of the cellphone precedes both studies and sports.

It's been my observation here in the US that badminton and the demand for badminton facilities (at least here on the West Coast) is growing rapidly. especially in the past several years, mostly due to increasing numbers of relatively affluent badminton-playing immigants and businesspeople coming to this country. It is just that they have yet to be recognized as consumer force Maybe the 2008 Olympics will help change that.

On offense for other city / region, in order to promote badminton in US East, NY is the 1st one coming into mind. However, with the crazy real estate cost, it makes it almost a mission impossible for anyone to even try to build a badminton designated facility. It's simply too much risk.

The bright side is there are many clubs (mostly renting school gyms) are opened now days, and players do have a few more choices here and there. However, the high memberhip / walk in cost, with high training and equipement cost, still make it relatively expensive for most new immigrants. How many ppl who are still struggling trying to feed the family, will spend as much as US$25 for a 3-4 hr badminton session? :rolleyes:


You are right necessities come first and it is sad that even school facilities are out of reach for a lot of people.

On the other hand, there are many badminton players who can and will pay to play at dedicated facilities. It may be non-egalitarian, but the demand is there. Surely there must be some warehouse space in Queens, Brooklyn or the Bronx that is comparable in cost to here on the West Coast. It doesn't take a lot to convert one to playing courts. At the private club here, it was $16K/court for five courts. Already, after only 2 years, its near-400 membership is at capacity and it is seeking to expand.

Starting a facility is risky, but it has been proven successful when badminton-lovers and entrepreneurs get together..

Are you saying that in Indonesia badminton was EVER a career option for more than a few young people? I should hope today that most young people see preparation for another type of career is the way forward. That does not mean that they would necessarily give up playing badminton, one of the national pastimes, for recreation. These days, however, probably love of the cellphone precedes both studies and sports.

It's been my observation here in the US that badminton and the demand for badminton facilities (at least here on the West Coast) is growing rapidly. especially in the past several years, mostly due to increasing numbers of relatively affluent badminton-playing immigants and businesspeople coming to this country. It is just that they have yet to be recognized as consumer force Maybe the 2008 Olympics will help change that.

Let me rephrase then...badminton of course will still be popular cos is fun to play but for carreer option??? Hmm never...apart from China because in China even a gay sport like shooting the atheletes would strive to win cos gov gives handsome reward

I'm trying to focus on how to make this sport popular in the US because somehow ROLLER DERBY did it....we can do it

Roller Derby was quite popular in the US in the 70's and early 80's. It is NOT a sport. It is a theatric drama with violent like WWF.

Back to the topic at hand, it is unlikely baddies will be popular in the US anytime soon. Reminding ESPN is a good idea. Another way is to visit, http://www.nbcolympics.com/badminton/index.html, often. Let's show some traffic so NBC would at least would put a few games on their schedule.

Thanks for the NBC link, Fan888. I just added my vote.

I dun think Baddy would be popular anywhere outside INA, CHN, MAS, KOR and DEN...well maybe England but u know in CHN Badminton is regarded as being a girl's sport while in INA ppl chose to study...like my cousin...very talented guy...PBSI ask him to join Pelatnas but parents not allowed n ask him to go school

In china,not many ppl would think badminton is a girl sport.It even regarded as one sport that would guarantee a win in the international tournaments.I gotta say,badminton in china grows so fast,n even faster than before.More n more new local brands r coming out,n support this sport.Mention AA,chaopai,kason,north pole,qiangli,dhs,eagle,hangyu,and alot more..were pushing more money into this sport.More n more tournaments in clubs,schools were held because of them.

While in indonesia or in some asian countries,richer ppl tends to let their children focus on their study,rather than to sports.Their intention is to make sure their children's future.Since we all know,athletes life in indonesia or in asia,is not as good as in the western countries.Not enough money pumped into the sport.No bright future as they say.

Unlike in US or in europe,when their children got picked in a draft,their parents would cry since they're happy for it,since they know,their children will be paid well.:cool:

While in indo,parents will first come to the manager n ask for how much money would they pay for their children.:p

In general, badminton is pretty much an unknown sport in the Caribbean. While at university, we had inter-campus games (sort of like a mini olymics). Badminton was not part of the list of sports because even though it is sort of known here in Jamaica, most of the other island territories have quite small groups, not enough to compete at such a level.

However, many of us have been pushing for greater promotion of the sport and it is finally beginning to pay off... it is part of the competitions between halls of residence and even between various blocks on the halls.

Unfortunately it falls again when it comes to competitions between tertiary institutions, only a few games for the year.

As many of us recognise, sponsorship is the key; simply put, MONEY TALKS.

I must say we in Jamaica, have been blessed with a consistent sponsor in the form of a major telcoms company. They launched programmes in high schools and in the inner cities, where there tends to be a lot of idle youths. It has been very successful far as a lot of talent has been unearthed and badminton has been transformed into a largely elitist sport to become a little more known. There are even TV clips of tournament finals on our major TV channels during the sports section.

Though it's not anywhere as popular track and field (we grow major stars here :D) or football, at least people are not lost when you tell them you play badminton and quite a few people are desiring to learn the sport.

The next step is to continue the sponsorship and also expand the location of playing facilities so that people like me don't have to travel over 100km just to play and come back home!

As many of us recognise, sponsorship is the key; simply put, MONEY TALKS.

I must say we in Jamaica, have been blessed with a consistent sponsor in the form of a major telcoms company. They launched programmes in high schools and in the inner cities, where there tends to be a lot of idle youths. It has been very successful far as a lot of talent has been unearthed and badminton has been transformed into a largely elitist sport to become a little more known. There are even TV clips of tournament finals on our major TV channels during the sports section.

Though it's not anywhere as popular track and field (we grow major stars here :D) or football, at least people are not lost when you tell them you play badminton and quite a few people are desiring to learn the sport.

The next step is to continue the sponsorship and also expand the location of playing facilities so that people like me don't have to travel over 100km just to play and come back home!


Thanks for the inspiring view of the sport from Jamaica. Your mention of an informal badminton league there suggests an avenue for more organized development of the sport in the US. Now that clubs are springing up in many of the major cities, maybe more inter-club competition might be a logical next step. These contests could lead to a club championship for a state or region. This would put more emphasis on badminton as a team sport and might attract sponsorship for the various teams. Any activity of this kind would help raise the profile of badminton in the public eye.

Thanks for the inspiring view of the sport from Jamaica. Your mention of an informal badminton league there suggests an avenue for more organized development of the sport in the US.
:)
Just want to clarify that where i'm talking about is Jamaica, West Indies (the Caribbean) not Jamaica in Queens, New York :cool:

:)
Just want to clarify that where i'm talking about is Jamaica, West Indies (the Caribbean) not Jamaica in Queens, New York :cool:

kingmarioxv, glad that you can join us from Jamaica :)

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I still don't understand what money has to do with promoting Badminton ??? :confused::confused::confused:

I thought we could double the population of Badminton players in our regions, if each of us is to introduce a new player to our beloved sport.

Let us help new comers to Badminton to enjoy playing/watching it.

:):):)
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I still don't understand what money has to do with promoting Badminton ??? :confused::confused::confused:

I thought we could double the population of Badminton players in our regions, if each of us is to introduce a new player to our beloved sport.

Let us help new comers to Badminton to enjoy playing/watching it.

:):):)
.

Well, again. It depends on what one means by "promoting badminton".

I guess your definition is to get more people playing the sport. Well, there are already a lot of people playing badminton, but yet the world's best professional players can barely make a living with it.

I see "promoting badminton" is to make the sport more popular that are shown on TV with lots of money for the players and a dream for young players. Take American Football, as an example, few people outside N.A. watch football, let alone play. NFL has done a great job promoting the sport that there are tons of money in that sport.

Well, again. It depends on what one means by "promoting badminton".

I guess your definition is to get more people playing the sport. Well, there are already a lot of people playing badminton, but yet the world's best professional players can barely make a living with it.

I see "promoting badminton" is to make the sport more popular that are shown on TV with lots of money for the players and a dream for young players. Take American Football, as an example, few people outside N.A. watch football, let alone play. NFL has done a great job promoting the sport that there are tons of money in that sport.

Without money behind the sport, you won't likely see much of it on tv to enjoy. Again the best analogy is tennis: the big money tournaments are sponsored by big corporations. So far, we have big tournaments with small prizes because big business outside of Asia doesn't even know the sport exists.

kingmarioxv, glad that you can join us from Jamaica :)

Thanks much

Without money behind the sport, you won't likely see much of it on tv to enjoy. Again the best analogy is tennis: the big money tournaments are sponsored by big corporations. So far, we have big tournaments with small prizes because big business outside of Asia doesn't even know the sport exists.

That's quite true. We have one of our larger tourney's for the year coming up and I think the top prize is under US$1000 and much less as you move down from the A division to the beginners' ranks.

Even though only a handful of people choose to pursue the sport as a profession, the promotion in schools by sponsors have really been noticeable. With more businesses being involved it could definitely explode in scope.

Thanks much



That's quite true. We have one of our larger tourney's for the year coming up and I think the top prize is under US$1000 and much less as you move down from the A division to the beginners' ranks.

Even though only a handful of people choose to pursue the sport as a profession, the promotion in schools by sponsors have really been noticeable. With more businesses being involved it could definitely explode in scope.
I may be mistaken, but the prizes seem to be larger than anything in the States.

Promotion of badminton in the schools must definitely be one of the best ways to advance the sport. That private business would sponsor badminton in schools is incredible. This is certainly a clear connection between money and promotion of the sport. I think we can realistically expect to see some future stars coming from Jamaica!

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Greetings,

Of course, money is a great resource to promote Badminton and/or any other sports.

But, let's not just blame it on money alone. :):):)

Just look at here@Badminton Central... I wonder if kwun did ask... "If only some big companies could sponsor my forum, then I could really make it a BIG FORUM". :D:D:D

Or, if Sir George Alan Thomas did ask... "If only I were rich, then I could start a 'Thomas Cup' competition event".

Or, if Bill Gates did ask... "If only IBM supported me, then I could produce some innovative software".

No... if we are really passionate about promoting Badminton, we can do it.

Lack of money is not a deterrent.

Cheers... chris@ccc
:):):)
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I agree that it's not all about the money. The perception of badminton in N. America is often associated with being a low intensity and frankly speaking, a "wimpy" sport. Not sure how this attitude was formed but maybe it has to do with some ignorance and NA's egocentric view of things in general be it sports, business, or what have you...(?)

I grew up in NA and the social stigma associated to playing the sport is definitely a good deterrent to stop but like most sports I play, I liked it and was lucky not to succumb to popularism.

However, I am a sucker to basic market theories and I do believe money can make a difference (be it small or significant) in promoting the sport. More money means more facilities; more exposure to "real" badminton (vs "backyard badminton"). Higher prize money in tourney definitely cultivates superstar players. Prestige that comes with being part of a "rich" sport can also draw new participants (think "golf"). The list goes on....

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That's quite true. We have one of our larger tourney's for the year coming up and I think the top prize is under US$1000 and much less as you move down from the A division to the beginners' ranks.
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I may be mistaken, but the prizes seem to be larger than anything in the States.
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..i assume kingmarioxv was referring to the 1st place prize, not the overall prize money? If so, yes, considering that it's a local tourney, i'd say that's considered a pretty good 1st place prize money and possibly more than what's been offered here in the U.S.
From what i've noticed, usually in local tourneys (here in SoCal or even in NorCal, maybe kwun, or LazyBuddy in N.Y. or silentheart in Chicago, can shed a bit more on this), the total prize money usually runs no more than $4000-$5000, with a min. of $3000.
Some examples:
http://tournamentsoftware.com/sport/regulations.aspx?id=15508
http://tournamentsoftware.com/sport/regulations.aspx?id=18960 (both are local tourneys in the L.A. area).
If one were to divvy up the total prize money with the no. of events, the highest prize money would be around $400-$500.
However, in an Open type tourneys (e.g. Boston Open, upcoming BAO ($20,000) and U.S. Open), yes, the total prize money can go much higher, into the tens of thousands.:cool:

..i assume kingmarioxv was referring to the 1st place prize, not the overall prize money? If so, yes, considering that it's a local tourney, i'd say that's considered a pretty good 1st place prize money and possibly more than what's been offered here in the U.S.
From what i've noticed, usually in local tourneys (here in SoCal or even in NorCal, maybe kwun, or LazyBuddy in N.Y. or silentheart in Chicago, can shed a bit more on this), the total prize money usually runs no more than $4000-$5000, with a min. of $3000.
Some examples:
http://tournamentsoftware.com/sport/regulations.aspx?id=15508
http://tournamentsoftware.com/sport/regulations.aspx?id=18960 (both are local tourneys in the L.A. area).
If one were to divvy up the total prize money with the no. of events, the highest prize money would be around $400-$500.
However, in an Open type tourneys (e.g. Boston Open, upcoming BAO ($20,000) and U.S. Open), yes, the total prize money can go much higher, into the tens of thousands.:cool:

That the US Open prizes could go into six figures is encouraging. Still, the prize levels are way insufficient to support a professional player, unlike in tennis. A sport that reaches that level has truly "arrived" as part of the national scene. Otherwise it remains a fringe sport.

I'm an avid chess player and the state of badminton here today reminds me a lot of chess in the US before Bobby Fischer won the crown. Afterwards, the sport gained a lot of notice and eventually there were tournaments with prize funds in the high 6 figures, thereby allowing a number of professional players (usually Russian emigres) to make a precarious living. Sadly, chess has never really caught on in the US and the center of chess activity is now in Europe and, increasingly, in Asia. There, top chess grandmasters are celebrities and treated with great respect. While I hope that badminton will get more recognition as a sport, I don't have high hopes that it will be more than a fringe sport in this country - at least not anytime soon.

Why this parochial American attitude towards sports other than baseball, basketball, and football? I think the answer lies mainly in a preference for team vs individual sports - the belief that the individual is part of something greater than himself. The American attitude is populist and sports that require a lot of training or study to master or appreciate, are seen as "elitist" and unsexy because the general public understands little about the sport and won't put any effort into doing so. The media is equally ignorant or oblivious.

Much of badminton's lack of exposure is the fault of badminton players themselves. Recently, the state open championships were conducted and zero mention was made of it in the local newspapers or television media. I would have enjoyed knowing more about the players, especially the men's singles champ, who played at an international level, and easily crushed his opposition. Maybe we just have "toot our own horn" more and cue the media as to the stories we really care about. An earlier observation that Roller Derby got exposure because the reporter was familiar with the sport is relevant. I think the sports media needs to be more "educated" on sports the rest of the world plays, because these same sports are increasingly being played here

enthusiast, you play chess and badminton! Me too! Those are two that I played while in high school :)

U.S. is a very American-centric. They watch only because American players are winning. Take tennis, for example, its TV popularity is no where near its heyday, because none the top players are American. Women soccer, as another example, when the national team won the world cup, it was on TV a lot and had a woman league. Now, all gone.

Now, your point of getting exposure from reporters familiar with the sport was very interesting. That got me thinking if there are any bay area reporters who might be familiar with badminton. Unfortunately, the only Asian sport reporter, Rick Quan, was let go. Anyway, I am going email the major bay area TV stations, hopefully, they will send a reporter to cover the Bay Badminton Champion this weekend. Maybe the BBC organizer already has this line up. Doesn't hurt to reinforce. I suggest all those in the Bay Area to do the same.

enthusiast, you play chess and badminton! Me too! Those are two that I played while in high school :)

U.S. is a very American-centric. They watch only because American players are winning. Take tennis, for example, its TV popularity is no where near its heyday, because none the top players are American. Women soccer, as another example, when the national team won the world cup, it was on TV a lot and had a woman league. Now, all gone.

Now, your point of getting exposure from reporters familiar with the sport was very interesting. That got me thinking if there are any bay area reporters who might be familiar with badminton. Unfortunately, the only Asian sport reporter, Rick Quan, was let go. Anyway, I am going email the major bay area TV stations, hopefully, they will send a reporter to cover the Bay Badminton Champion this weekend. Maybe the BBC organizer already has this line up. Doesn't hurt to reinforce. I suggest all those in the Bay Area to do the same.

Great! Go for it! Hope you are successful. Next year I am certainly going to do the same up here.
:)
I totally agree with you about the media being American-centric. Most of the Olympic coverage in the past has just been about sports in which Americans do well. While I strongly support our Olympic team (with donations, too!), I sure hope it's different this year. Maybe we should begin writing now to CBS and ESPN. :)

..i assume kingmarioxv was referring to the 1st place prize, not the overall prize money? If so, yes, considering that it's a local tourney, i'd say that's considered a pretty good 1st place prize money and possibly more than what's been offered here in the U.S. :cool:

Today is day 2 of that tournatment I mentioned (the Chinese Benevolent Assocation Tournament). Speaking with some of the organisers and coaches and I found that most of the prizes are in kind, not cash. For example, at the last tournament, the winner of the 'D' division got a MP99 and a racquet bag. For this tournament, seeing that it has larger sponsors, there is a cash prize to go along with gifts, though I haven't been able to find out how much yet...


In terms of the media... one of our stations sometimes comes on the final day to report on who won each of the divisions. It's usually just a 30 second clip, showing about 10 seconds of action, reporting scores and a sound byte of the winner(s) saying what it was like to win. At least it puts it on the map!