Yeovil Badminton Membership are making large strides to beat the gender disparity in age group badminton of their space with a brand new initiative.
The membership have arrange a brand new ‘Ladies Solely’ badminton session for ladies beneath 13 to offer a extra snug house to be taught the game.
Whereas there had beforehand been an absence of women taking over badminton in Yeovil, the membership’s part-funded periods have given them a contemporary impetus to take up the game in a protected house.
It has allowed younger ladies to seek out their very own enjoyment from the game away from the efficiency of gender roles that may usually be the case in combined periods.
“We get loads of ladies coming in however they don’t really feel snug taking part in with boys. They get overawed and you may see they wish to do it however they don’t really feel they will compete,” stated head coach Jane Lipton.
“I used to be studying about Sport England and the way ladies solely periods assist promote self-confidence, so I simply determined that I’ll give it a go.
“Final yr we put in for the funding and we’ve been working it for a yr. It’s been actually good. The ladies take pleasure in it, they’ve blossomed and you may see they’re extra assured in what they do.
“It’s now getting them to the purpose the place they exit and compete if that’s what they wish to do. They don’t all the time wish to however that’s what we’re making an attempt to get them to do, giving them expertise after which making an attempt to see if they will use them.”
Whereas the periods had been set-up to allow participation in a much less aggressive environment with a extra co-operative ethos, as the women’ confidence has grown their very own aggressive streaks have additionally been allowed to flourish.
The ladies, together with their new discovered confidence, had been taken to an exterior session in the summertime the place they had been taking part in with boys aged 10 to 16.
They quickly realised they had been capable of hit the shuttle higher than a few of the boys and took to the courts able to problem for a win.
It was right here their competitiveness shone by means of, as whereas either side had been vulnerable to errors in scoring, it was the women who proved the largest sticklers for correcting their opposition.
Lipton added: “The ladies periods began off as under-13s however there was a bunch of older youngsters who stated they wished to have an area as effectively.
“The occasions we’ve after we do the junior golf equipment is dominated by boys so the older ladies determined to return and take part and that’s made it a bit extra attention-grabbing for them and a bit extra aggressive for them as effectively as a result of the older ladies can hit it a bit extra.
“Ladies wish to be taught the talents. Boys will simply hit issues and run round. They simply wish to do it and hit it however the ladies really wish to know the right way to hit it and the right way to hit it higher so that they’re extra skill-oriented.
“The ladies simply want that little bit extra time they usually don’t wish to be rushed in the identical approach.
“When boys play video games, they like aggressive video games and the women love to do a little bit of studying after which attempt to get to make use of it in a match or a rally as a result of they’re extra fascinated about growing expertise than simply working round.”
The periods present that discovering the precise atmosphere is the important thing to permitting any participant to seek out their confidence on courtroom, and Yeovil’s dedication to making sure everybody can entry this has allowed ladies within the space to fall in love with sport.
Yeovil Badminton Membership at the moment are hoping to run a Ladies’ Badminton Competition to recruit extra youngsters to their periods and provide an opportunity for current members to point out off their new discovered expertise and confidence.
