Ever spent an entire weekend at your child’s badminton tournament, only to realize you never actually saw anything beyond the sports hall? Also looking for ways to help your child reduce anxiety and stay focused during tournaments? Check out this guide on how to handle the tournament weekends. When the travel time is more than an hour’s drive away, that journey (and the time around it) doesn’t have to revolve solely around the sport event.
Not because the sport or the event aren’t important, but because family time is precious. Every tournament can become more than a competition – it can be a small family adventure, or also the place for making the homework (children will love it…).
Make the Journey Part of the Fun
Short plan a bit of sightseeing around the event. If the tournament’s in Milton Keynes, try the nearby Willen Lake for a picnic or visit Bletchley Park which offers a lot of activities to do. Or if you are in Southport, you can visit the Promenade or take a walk down on the scenic Wesley Street and find a nice little café.
So here is a list of ideas:
- Plan one family meal outside the venue
- Bring a board game for downtime
- Explore one new place per trip
These small detours do more than fill time – they ease the pressure on the young player and remind them that life isn’t only defined by wins or losses. There’s always a reward waiting at the end no matter what: a shared moment, a new experience, a laughter.
Include Everyone
For siblings who aren’t competing (yet), these outings turn “waiting around” into something to look forward to. Instead of feeling left out, they’ll see these weekends as family celebrations of sport, travel, and discovery.
For Parents in the Middle of It All
Being a parent in the middle of everything (supporting, organizing, cheering) is the hardest role. But with a little collaboration on planning, these busy weekends can become something special. A way to stay connected as a family, celebrate effort over outcome, and make every tournament trip a memory worth keeping.
When the Car Becomes the Family Arena
Let’s be honest — no family road trip is all smiles and sing-alongs. Somewhere between the SatNav rerouting, the snack debates, and the “how much longer?” questions, tension finds its way into the car.
Sometimes siblings argue over seats, snacks who ate more, playlists, who offended first, and the list goes on. Parents snap a little when the directions get confusing. Feelings run high, especially after long matches and long drives.
But here’s the truth: that’s normal. Those moments of friction aren’t signs that the trip (or the family) is going wrong. They’re signs that everyone is safe enough to be real. The car becomes a kind of moving stage where emotions show up unfiltered: frustration, pride, disappointment, joy.
What matters isn’t avoiding those small storms but moving through them together. A bit of laughter afterward, a quiet apology, or simply sitting in comfortable silence as the miles roll by, these are the ways families reset.
Because in the end, family adventures aren’t just about where you go or what medals are won. They’re about learning to travel through all the feelings, together.