How does one become a professional player?

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Cicero, Aug 9, 2006.

  1. Cicero

    Cicero New Member

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    I'm curious as to how people actually become professional badminton players. I know that for other, more popular sports like basketball or football, at least for the USA it follows something like:

    - Try out for High School team
    - If you make it, try to be as good as possible
    - If you're really good in High School, a college scout will recruit you
    - If you're really good in College ball, then a pro team/organization will offer you a job

    Or at least I think it follows something like that. So basically you have playing in HS ---> College ----> Pro, with each 'level' weeding out the vast majority of people (the vast majority of High School players are never good enough for college, the vast majority of college players are never good enough for Pro).

    But how does it work in Badminton? I mean obviously, to start off with you'd try to be a good player, train on your own, etc. But how do you make the jump from being a top recreational player (like an A-Flight level player in local tournaments) to professional/sponsored? I mean, I'm pretty sure not just anyone can sign up for those big money international tournaments. Someone has to invite the top players, or there has to be some way they verify that you're good enough to enter. I'm very curious as to how that process works and would appreciate any insight on the matter.
     
  2. wing-omega5-0

    wing-omega5-0 Regular Member

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    actually, i've thought about this b4 and it bothered me for about a week before i just gave up on it. i honestly dont see someone in college badminton being seen by top sponsors and pros because there isnt that popularity in our sport ><"
     
  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Now in Singapore we have the Sports School which started 3 years ago. Professional training is given to those 12-15 year-old talents who are selected for badminton. Over the 4 years they attend the school, the trainees will be exposed to local and regional competitions and for those who excelled, when they graduate after 4 years, they may be invited by our SBA (Singapore Badminton Association) to train full time as a professional.

    Early in the year, a number of badminton-talented secondary school graduates (from the other normal schools, not the SS), about 16-18 years of age, have been invited to turn professional with the view of representing the country one day if they are good enough. They are given a monthly allowance, trained by foreign coaches and exposed to local and foreign competitions along the way. As Singapore also imports talents from China and Indonesia, such local trainees will have a chance to spar with them. But Singapore hopes to be able to produce more of its own local-born talents as years go by, when the Sports School has come of age and is able to attract more local talents.

    Singapore's current pool of badminton professionals is too small and as such the SBA does not have much options. However, financially, the SBA is in good hands as there are willing and able sponsors to support the SBA's plans and programmes. The Government is also supportive.

    So, to become a pro, you need to display your talent and get the attention of the selectors or you need to win at competitions to prove you are good enough. The earlier (or younger) you do it the better. But your country's system may be different from Singapore's and badminton may not be as popular. ;)
     
    #3 Loh, Aug 9, 2006
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2006
  4. klaphat

    klaphat Regular Member

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    Denmark

    I can only comment on the situation in Denmark.

    Here, we have a large number of clubs where young people start playing.

    The best ones play team matches against eachother and they also participate in a large number of individual tournaments in Denmark.

    Already from a very young age, the best young players will have "sponsors" meaning that for instance Yonex will provide racquets, clothes etc.

    They will also start training everyonce in a while under the supervision of the national badminton federation.

    As they grow older, the best ones are selected by the national badminton association and start training on a daily basis either at the national center in Brøndby or at one of several regional centers.

    Then they sign a contract with one of the clubs and are paid to play in the team matches. Quite a few of them also start coaching in some of the clubs to get by. And they still receive equipment from sponsors. And that's how they get by.

    Gade and the like probably also receive substantial sums from their sponsort, but there are a lot of people in Denmark who play badminton for a living.. and coach a bit.. and usually studies (because then you get some student grants from the government). without actually being very well paid.
     
  5. stumblingfeet

    stumblingfeet Regular Member

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    http://elitefts.com/documents/TomMyslinski.pdf

    Check it out. There's a model for the development of elite athletes that is taught in coaching theory. There's no reason that badminton should be any different. The above article outlines how in a sports system kids are taught the general athletic abilities that will allow them to train at a high level when they get older.
     
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    The selection system in Singapore has improved for the young talents.

    As badminton is very popular in Singapore, almost every primary and secondary school has a school hall good enough for badminton. Some halls can accommodate more courts than others. So students learn to play the game from young and their coaches could be Singaporean or mainly China-born coaches if they are foreigners. They normally take badminton as a co-curriculum activity, ie, as an activity done outside of school hours to complement the school's objective.

    There will be regional and national school competitions and the Sports School will also send their representatives for the secondary school section. In order to give the SS good rivalry, the top academic schools here 'import' foreign talented students mainly from Indonesia and Thailand.

    Apart from these school competitions, the SBA also organizes national age-group competitions during the school holidays. The Cheers Age-Group Singles Championships was conducted last March and the Doubles will be held later in the year. There were record entries for all the events this year.

    It is from such school and national age-group competitions that the SBA will talent scout for trainees to its various training programs and hopefully when these talents become of age they will form the base for the National Teams.

    Unfortunately we still do not have a professional league for badminton yet (unlike in Denmark) and therefore, much of the training is done at the school level, even up to University, with the SBA providing most of the support and technical expertise. But funding comes from these educational institutions themselves with grants from the government. Only the best students will be selected and trained by the SBA at the various training centres spread over the island and at the National level.

    The established social clubs and badminton parties (informal clubs) do provide minimal training facilities but these cannot be compared to the formal training at the schools and at the SBA. Most of these clubs do not engage a professional coach to train their players. Such clubs also arrange among themselves for friendly games.

    Currently, the Singapore Swimming Club is the organiser for an Inter-Club League (second year running) involving 7 clubs and badminton parties for mainly vateran players in a few age-group categories.. Players are not paid to play for the club, unlike in Denmark and participation is mainly to cement friendly ties among the badminton fraternity. National players are not allowed to participate but ex-National players are.
     
    #6 Loh, Aug 10, 2006
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2006
  7. hara^kazuko

    hara^kazuko Regular Member

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    I guess the same thing happened in Malaysia... Talents picked up from Bukit Jalil Sports School and there goes our Lee Chong Wei
     
  8. gero_taufik

    gero_taufik Regular Member

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    In Bulgaria the young people like me play in theyr clubs and go a lots of tournaments .I am 14 years old and I am the best in my country in this age and I go to play in other countris.Like Germany,Turkey,China and Indonesia.
    My couch is from China and he must to practice with me hard,about 6 years to go the olimpic games-2012.
     
  9. emms626

    emms626 Regular Member

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    try your best????word hard.........
     
  10. Qazx1

    Qazx1 Regular Member

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    It's been my understanding here in the USA that regardless how well you play in high school or college, if you do well enough at junior nationals you'll be eligible to join the junior national team and if you keep at it from there you'll be on the national team.
     
  11. taufik_lin16

    taufik_lin16 Regular Member

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    i hate it....

    i think Filipino shuttlers chooses the one with face value... , i hate it... even the Asuncion Badminton Center (ABC) team, chocks full of pretty girls but somewhat not too good in playing... i hate it!!! ABC should get ones with good playing skills, not with face value!! (face value may be second...) huh, ABC is the strongest team in Philippines, ... duh... i hate it...


    i hate it!! please look!!!

    :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
     
  12. taufik_lin16

    taufik_lin16 Regular Member

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    dasdas

    here....

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  13. taufik_lin16

    taufik_lin16 Regular Member

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    dsasa

    again...
    the Asuncion Badminton Team girls...


    [​IMG]
    top: Carla and Janina



    [​IMG]
     
  14. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    I don't get it. If they don't select the players based on the skills, how they become the strongest team??? :eek: :rolleyes:

    I mean, social is part of the sport, maybe consider it as a bonus, in a positive way. :p
     
  15. taufik_lin16

    taufik_lin16 Regular Member

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    ..


    i mean they're the strongest team in men's part... but not in the women's ... men players mostly got medals than those of womens.... women are not as good as you know...



    if i would tell you ... they are popular and familiar... becauese the coach is Sir Nelson Asuncion , Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion (some times) and other former national players///
     
  16. taufik_lin16

    taufik_lin16 Regular Member

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    urgh...

    junior RP team.. i guess they are..

    [​IMG]
     
  17. asuncion_03

    asuncion_03 Regular Member

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    wow!!!! haha!! good pics huh!
     

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