You are all juniors, so I understand that you want to play with players on your level to make it challenging and exciting. To feel the development at every shot, to feel successful, and to beat someone. When the bar is not that high with some of the players, you choose to stay with your friends, even if you see someone who doesn’t have anyone to play with.
People Who Lifted Me Up
As a child, I had many disadvantages, a poor background financially and also academically, I felt not enough and I also wasn’t particularly popular in my junior years. Most people chose not to play with me in singles or doubles. I was left behind a lot until I got better. I chose not to leave because I loved it so much. All the moves, the sound, the rhythm, and the whole surreal experience of hitting a good shot. It was something so cool to do.
Anyway, I want to give a lot of credit to the ones, the good or sometimes exceptional players, even if they were younger or older, who chose to play with me because they saw that I wanted to play and learn. So they decided to play with me or even teach me some things.
Not officially, not as a one-to-one training, but just showing me things I have not forgotten ever since. Those were the people who, out of kindness, gave back to the children around them. Voluntarily. It was awesome, and I will never forget it.
They were not coaches, teachers or any kind of educators. They had no paper about it or anything like that. They only gave, what they had, and that was the thing I needed the most. Knowledge share through kindness.
As I became a better player, in my early twenties, locally I was considered a good player, and I met a very weird thing. Children started to look at me as someone really good, and they wanted to play with me to try themselves out. Like I am being the rare shiny toy to play with. I was so powerful compared to them, and I didn’t have that much control I have now, so it was a bit rough at the beginning.
But that was one of the reasons why I developed these little nuances in my net game, because I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but I wanted to provide a good experience for some children. It mattered to them. It didn’t really matter to me, it didn’t add a lot to my development in the short term. But it did in the long run.
The Power of Small Moments of Kindness
It made me realise that this is not only the right thing to do, but also something I enjoy. It is a generous thing to share your time with someone who admires you. Even if it is 10 minutes or 5. It does matter to someone.
So in this post, I am asking all of my good players and coaches to please give back sometimes. Stop and look around if you are not on the court, and if you see someone who looks lost, doesn’t have a partner, or feels alone, go and tell them to play a bit.
Keeping the Circle of Care Alive
We are a big Network of many clubs. There are hundreds of teammates you have in Warrington, you just haven’t met all of them. But I do meet them weekly. And there are other children who are good in the schools, or other clubs I coach. They are not part of our Network, but they are part of our local badminton community. Fellow players.
I want you to see yourself in this whole ecosystem of the local sport and start acting towards. Please, if you feel yourself a good player and you feel that someone might value your time, do it. Play with them. With no hesitation. That is the kindest thing you can do for anyone. There will be a couple who don’t get it, but most people will be forever grateful for it. And you are doing it for them. For the people who care. Because they will remember what you have done for them.
And that is how the circle of care will always stay within badminton communities, through giving back.