Team Leicestershire
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NEWSLETTER/BULLETIN 2013/2014 Date: May 2014 TEAM LEICESTERSHIRE It’s been the first year of the newly formed “Team produced and rationalisation of the development Leicestershire“ which is a collaboration of The squads has taken place. There are nine Level 2 Schools Association, the Coaches association, the qualified coaches supporting a four-tier coaching LBA and the Performance Centre (PC). The LSBA programme – delivering 24 hours of high quality shares the responsibility for the delivery of the coaching per week, catering for over 100 players a Performance Centre programme and has been an week. It’s important that these talented players are integral part to the development of the Team members of senior clubs and go on to represent Leicestershire concept. Team Leicestershire has Leicestershire in their adult lives, Mark King, the essentially ensured greater cooperation between the county captain, is encouraging this to happen, different sections of Leicestershire Badminton to starting by integrating the young players into the improve the experience for players. An independent senior county training night. We are also really Chair has been recruited and a representative lucky to have Anthony Clark coaching the young committee formed. During the last few months a players, his experience as a player goes without constitution has been agreed, a draft development saying, and to have such a player working with our plan has been produced, stronger links between youngsters is brilliant. His coaching techniques are junior and senior county representative squads has well received and appreciated. The coaches are been achieved, a new head coach has been also benefiting from working with Anthony, by appointed and a new business plan has been attending annual workshops/seminars. Over 40s National County Challenge Champions Leicestershire Over 40s have had another hugely successful season. Unbeaten in the East Midlands league, a repeat of last season’s play off ensued against West Midlands’ winners Worcestershire. A pretty comfortable 8-4 win secured the team a place at the National Finals in Lilleshall on 26/27 April. Leicestershire were drawn against Cheshire in their semi-final on Day 1 of the finals weekend. The score was tied at 4-4 entering into the Mixed Doubles, which were then shared two matches all. The result would be decided on countback of games won and Leicestershire narrowly won by just 13 games to 12. Sunday’s final was going to be a tough one against a strong Essex side. Again, the match was tied 4-4 after the Mens and Ladies Doubles but unfortunately the Essex mixed pairs were too strong and Leicestershire picked up only one of the Mixed matches. Final result was 7-5 to Essex, meaning Leicestershire finished the season as runners-up. January saw the Masters County Challenge weekend in Worcester and, having been newly promoted to the Premier division last year, the team faced a potentially difficult weekend ahead. Day One started with a 3-1 victory over Essex, followed by a 2-2 draw with Surrey (one of the strongest teams in the competition) and ended with another 3-1 win against Gloucestershire. continued over ... Team Leicestershire New Head Coach - Tom Armstrong This year sees Team Leicestershire’s coaches under the supervision of a new head coach Tom Armstrong. Many of you will know Tom, not just as (Dave Armstrong’s son) but as a brilliant player who started training as a youngster with the LSBA representing Leicestershire up to the age of 17yrs. He then progressed into a very experienced adult player who has been a 1st team County player for many years. Tom has just returned from New Zealand where he has spent three years in full time positions. Coach Force Development Officer for Badminton in the Bay of Plenty Region followed by Coaching Manager for Auckland Badminton Association involved running and overseeing a team of coaches (10+) Head Coach for the New Zealand U19s National team including the Australian Youth Olympics in 2013 and the Oceania Championships, Tahiti National Coach in preparation for the Pacific Games Multi Sport Championships in 2011. A member of New Zealand Coaching Advisory Panel which involved being part of working groups to shape the future of badminton strategy in the country. While taking up full time roles he also combined various other roles including Badminton New Zealand High Performance Coach and being preparation training and planning, culminating in the team taking part in the Games. Welcome back to Leicestershire Tom! Over 40s National County Champions continued ... Day 2 began with a convincing 4-0 win over Bedfordshire. A subsequent 3-1 win over Kent put the team top of the table and just needing a final victory over favourites Cheshire to win the title. The team battled hard and it all came down the final Mixed game, a nail-biting three ender which ended victorious and making Leicestershire the Over 40s National Masters County Challenge Champions. A fantastic and proud achievement for all involved. Players: Carl Jennings, Mark King, Tom Kuhn, John Cooper, Phil Hector, Maurice Roberts, Steve Heath, Jane Cleaver (C), Jenny Gallacher, Heather Hadley, Alison Welch, Neera Bakrania, Sheryl Williams, Sarah Gamble, Lorraine Marlow, Jane Rayner, Katie Hayes, Cathy Buckler. Jane Cleaver “There is no “I” in Teamwork” What makes a truly great badminton club? Success in the leagues? Fun social events? A commitment to investing in its junior players? Financial security? I would say yes to all the above but more importantly I think a club’s greatest strengths is its members and we must never forget that. Some brainy chap called Aristotle once said that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and I think that applies to any club or team where the final product far exceeds the sum of individual contributions. Loughborough Leys Badminton club has 40 senior (some more senior than others!) members and a thriving junior club. We are Club Mark accredited and have teams in all the top divisions but these things don’t just happen by chance; we are very fortunate in that we have members who are passionate about our sport and who are willing to go that extra mile; I am grateful to all of them. Attracting new members is something that all clubs are committed to and Loughborough Leys is no exception. We probably however hold the world record this season for the shortest time a visitor has joined us before finishing up in Casualty: one game and three points of another before completely rupturing her Achilles tendon. Do you think we should have asked her for her visitors’ fee before she left? 2 Jane Rayner (Loughborough Leys) A YEAR IN LEICESTERSHIRE Head Coach Report This year has seen many big thank you to Mark King for most important, to enjoy what positive changes to the bringing me up to speed with you are doing. As a county and Leicestershire Performance the last three years and Noel as a collective I feel we are still Centre and along with this Haines and the rest of the working towards these goals many challenges. The committee for their hard work! and look forward to bringing formation of the Team As some of you know I have the whole Team Leicestershire Leicestershire collective has been away overseas plying my into shared vision of badminton given us all a great sense of trade as a badminton coach. I excellence. togetherness and shared was originally part of the PC Myself and the committee are vision of a successful county when it first started, working looking forward to reviewing badminton set up. Steve alongside Steve and can the year and making sure we Higgins leaving his role as honestly say I was impressed hit the ground running over the Head Coach and moving on to by how much the players I summer and for next season. It a new career has left a big worked with all those years ago has been a steep learning hole for me and the other had come on as players, and curve for us, with some coaches to fill. Steve has been how fast they had grown up successes and also some an ever positive presence in (also how much some of them areas of improvement but Leicestershire for many years can now talk when they used to seeing our players improving and has been the main driving be mutes!). This again is and playing with a smile on forces behind our Performance testament to the PC structure their face really reassures us Centre since its inception all and the commitment from the that we on the right path. those years ago, I for one wish players. Badminton England still see him all the best in his future the Performance Centre endeavours and hope to see Like I said at the beginning of structures as key to their him back in the county at some this report, this year has seen performance strategy, however point in the future. As many of many changes, moving all with a national review currently you know I am now juggling sessions to our fantastic facility underway, we need to make the Head Coach role with a full at Babington, session timings sure we are always striving to time Sports Development role changing and players moving improve. Finally, thank you to based in Lincoln, and while the on, but we mustn’t lose track of the coaches and all the hours A46 has become my 2nd home, the goals of our PC and what a they put in, special mention to I feel that the many miles of PC is there for - to ensure Sam Ward who has left the PC travel are worth it to continue everything is in place for this year to start a new career, the good work that has gone players to meet and exceed I know for a fact that all the before me in the last four their potential.