POLICY & CONTACTS

ACE

The fundamental core values of ACE are Attitude, Commitment and Effort. These three things lie within the scope of an individual's control and if applied fully can help a player realize and maximise their full potential.

The ACE Method has been developed and tested over the last 20 years in the USA. This ideal-ology links the body and mind by acknowledging strengths and weaknesses, and then taking personal responsibility for both.

Top level badminton is physical to be sure but a solid mental foundation is absolutely essential in order to be the best we can.

ATTITUDE - This is and always will be the foundation of any experience. A positive attitude generates excitement, a willingness to learn and more often than not success.

Everything in life is coloured through ones outlook and therefore is dependant on the initial attitude taken towards confronting a task or achieving a goal.

COMMITMENT - Success is determined by long-term commitment to improvement. Life is not easy or fair. Those few that are willing to stay the course, give themselves the opportunity to see their full potential.

Commitment is a decision that must occur daily at times . It requires mental fortitude and patience.

The process of learning or improving a skill set is exactly that - a process. A true commitment allows the journey to become a reward.

EFFORT - This is the physical outpouring of attitude and commitment. Effort can be focussed or wasted, and its entirely dependant upon the first two values for its worth.

With Positive, concentrated and commited effort, success can not only be achieved, it can be maintained. ACE = Results

DEVELOPMENT GROUPS

Development Sessions are a starting point for any badminton player that walks through The Academies doors, giving coaching staff the opportunity to access players fully.

Development is an all-inclusive environment taking players of all abilities. As a Head Coach and from personal experience over 25 years ago I do not believe in excluding players if they want to get better which is why we have in excess of 100 players thriving in our environments.

Each Development session is 2 or 4 hours in length with each of the badminton courts being graded according to the players ability this enables the session to run smoothly so that every player that comes into The Academy gets a good experience.

Everybody follows the same theme and the building blocks and platforms are put in place so that everybody works in an environment that enables them to get the best out of their badminton.

At this level there is no expectation of commitment from the players concerned. As an Academy we simply encourage the players to come back to our sessions and those that do embrace the opportunity are getting better every year.

The Academy is starting to see an improvement in all our players across the grades from social right way through to advanced level, so I am confident that the player platform is working.

DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE GROUP

As players start to show a little more commitment to their training and develop the right attitude, The Academy will invite them to join the Developing Performance Group.

In Developing Performance players will receive extra training and support from the coaching and support staff as we look to get the best out of their badminton mentally and physically.

The most important words in Developing Performance is ATTITUDE. COMMITMENT. EFFORT Players need to demonstrate these traits to move up.

Players that just want to play and train as and when they feel like it then regretfully the Performance Pathway is not for you and we can best support you in the Development Group.

Just like any other sport if a player wants to make the transition from player to athlete they have to be prepared to commit, motivate and be willing to go just a little bit further in order to develop as a badminton player.

Commitment is a player’s biggest worry and in The Academy we know that as an adult environment we all have work & careers which come first in life but for some we are asking you to commit to 1 session a week.

If a player is unable to do that then they have to be honest with themselves and Development Groups are where they sit best.

For those that can and routinely do apply the commitment then Developing Performance is for you and we hope that you thrive in this environment.

PERFORMANCE GROUPS

Players showing the right level of discipline, motivation and who demonstrate an enhanced positive A.C.E both on court and off court will be invited to join The Academies Performance Groups

Performance Group Players are subjected to a much more intensive program which requires commitment and the want to play badminton at a higher level, therefore the expectation on the player is high both physically and mentally and they are started to be treated like athletes.

Players are not only subjected to on court and off court fitness testing, but they are expected to lead by example and inspire players below them to want to do better.

Performance Groups are not for the faint hearted the focus in all areas is in the title itself and those invited are expected to perform to the best of their ability.

Players are expected to record information and results to help coaching and support staff to get the best out of them.

If the players invited are disciplined and motivated enough to do all the above, then they have all of the building blocks needed to succeed in the performance environment.

HIGH PERFORMANCE MICRO GROUPS

Players continuing to show the right level of discipline, motivation and who demonstrate an enhanced positive A.C.E both on court and off court excelling in the Performance Group Environment will have the opportunity to move to High Performance Groups.

High Performance Group Players are athletes performing at their best in the Performance environment and subjected to our most intensive program in a 5 to a court environment. The expectation on the player is at its highest being pushed both physically and mentally to be the best athlete they can be.

Players are not only subjected to on court and off court fitness testing, but they are expected to lead by example and inspire players below them to want to do better.

High Performance Groups are very much an elite environment and The Academy will only put forward the best of its players if they meet the requirements on and off the court.

PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT

As a Player I will respect:

The rules, regulations and requirements of the sport including but not limited to any competitions both internal and external which I participate either directly or indirectly.

The rights, dignity and worth of all people involved in The Academy both above and below me regardless of gender, marital status, race, colour, disability, sexuality, age, occupation, religion and political opinion.

The safeguarding policies set out by both Sport England and Badminton England

As a Player I will:

I will ensure my training fees are paid in advance of the session at least 10 days before a session or the timescale set by the treasurer for training, competitions and International Competitions

Be on time (notifying coaches if I will be late) dressed appropriately and ready to give my full attention to the session I have been invited into.

Conduct myself with dignity and display courtesy and good manners whilst participating in any Academy or external event.

Respect my coaching and support staff by cooperating with them and being engaged when in a session and not being argumentative or disruptive in the best interests of myself and my fellow teammates.

I will endeavour to abide to this code of conduct/player in the best interests of the sport so that everybody in The Academy can compete in a fair and enjoyable environment.

PERFORMANCE PLAYER ENHANCED CHARTER

As a Performance Player I will respect:

That at performance level our codes of conduct require the highest of standards when I participate in any session or event both internal or external.

The Head Coaches Ethos A.C.E and the support staff around me who are there with mine and my fellow team mates best interests at heart.

That at performance level I am seen as a role model by those below me and must conduct myself with dignity and maintain myself in such a way that my reputation as a performance player does not fall short of the values and standards expected of me by the Head Coach and Support Staff.

My fellow team mates regardless of their ability. If I am attending a multiple grade session sometimes the level of coaching may not always be pitched at Performance Level as the Head Coach goes through the building blocks in Everyone's best interest.

As a Performance Player I will:

Ensure that my behaviour and actions always meet the values and standards expected of me

Adhere to the following Key Performance Indicators in the best interest of my development.

Subject myself to interval fitness testing looking for continuous professional development in my results

Regularly update my Head Coach on my results at all competitions and discuss performance needs and personal objectives in the best interests of my development.

HIGH PERFORMANCE PLAYER MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Players within The Academy aspiring to be High Performance Players will need to fully understand and be actively demonstrating all of the content within this webpage including the code of conduct, performance player enhanced charter and The Head Coaches Ethos A.C.E

As well as the Performance Player KPI's which must be adhered to here are the additional mandatory requirements for High Performance Players.

1. Communication

To be considered for High Performance players must be fully engaged with The Head Coach when required to do so in line with the Performance Charter above. Players are expected to respond to messages/emails when sent out by The Head Coach.

2. Competition

All High Performance Players must be actively competing in external competitions including the Badminton England/Wales Circuit, The UK Bangladeshi Circuit or other external UK or International events.

These are the two prerequisites that demonstrates a players seriousness to UKBA and The Head Coach whilst showcasing themselves and representing The Academy at the highest level.

THE ACADEMY SET UP EXPLAINED

All the players in the Academy regardless of their age are graded using a system that is used in France for their competitions. By doing so it helps the support staff and the players work in development groups of the same ability.

Players in each session know their grading and are grouped together to help their development. The grades are categorised below. Players progress through 4 stages moving up and down the grading’s.

Not Classified (NC, P10)

NC is the entry grade and is largely entry level club, competitive social badminton players and beginners. The focus of these sessions is primarily the technical side of the game looking at grips, how to hit and very basic tactical aspects of the game.

D Grade (D9, D8, D7)

D Grade is probably the largest of all the groups and is aimed at Club Level. Players in this group should be able to maintain a simple rally on a half court at a steady pace.

C Grade (D7, R6, R5)

C Grade starts to take the player into the start of the competitive side of the sport, league players feature highly in these sessions and are expected to rally in a competitive environment with good movement and reasonable accuracy.

B Grade (R4, N3)

B Grade is where players start to commit more to the sport and have the drive and determination to become athletes in the sport. Players are expected to commit to training and need to be able to rally on half court with accuracy and speed.

A Grade & Elite (N2, N1)

A Grade and Elite are categorised together, the player has fully committed and developed and is a regular tournament player. At this level players are expected to turn up to train as well as training in their own time to maintain their level. These groups are smaller and more intense to maximise the player’s court time.

Players in the Academy can move up and down the gradings according to their ability, attitude and commitment. Those wanting the top end 1-4 ratio of coaching in high intensity need to work hard and prove that they have the commitment and desire to do so.

Likewise, as players get older they are still retained in the Academy and move into a group where they can continue their development making their badminton life sustainable and taking away the “You are not good enough” attitude something Ian has been very keen to remove from the sport.

This philosophy works well, and it is clearly visible with some of our older players in their late 50s who still enjoy the Academy opportunities.

GDPR Statement

Academy Badminton Clubs takes the new GDPR Regulations very seriously and we treat all of our members personal information as confidential, we will never pass on any personal data without your permission first.

When emailing out The Academy will always Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) to protect individuals emails.

Your personal details are entered onto the Badminton England system known as GoMembership Database for affliliation purposes. This falls under the Badminton England GDPR Legislation and is a manadatory requirement for The Academy to be affliliated and insured with Badminton England.

69273243_10156540707272361_8241785058382