seventeenth April, 2025
George Wooden is combining a private ardour together with his occupation as he ensures as many individuals as potential can share his love of badminton.
The Badminton England Sport Director first joined the organisation in 1999 as a Programme Coordinator and is now in his third stint in Milton Keynes after time working with Swim England and in consultancy.
It’s expertise that Wooden is making use of in any respect ranges of the sport from grassroots by way of to main occasions as his function encompasses areas as numerous as improvement, teaching, home competitions, and the participant pathway.
As a eager badminton participant on the Masters circuit himself, it’s inclusivity that underpins Wooden’s strategy.
“Inclusion is actually essential. One of many issues I’m actually excited and keen about is that badminton does interact individuals from the campsite, not scoring and simply hitting a shuttle over a automotive, proper by way of to the Paralympic and Olympic stage,” he defined.
“It might probably cater for all of that which is sensible, and all ages, gender and ethnicity, it goes throughout the board.
“Ensuring as many individuals as potential really feel included inside our sport and that there’s a place for them is tremendous essential to me.
“That’s one factor that’s actually important, and that’s the golden thread that runs by way of every little thing we’re making an attempt to do inside that.”
In that vein, Wooden is presently engaged on quite a few thrilling tasks that intention to supply a spot for all present and potential badminton gamers.
One initiative focused particularly at guaranteeing badminton is as inclusive and welcoming as potential is the ‘Sport that Cares’ marketing campaign.
“It’s about ensuring that we’ve obtained a extremely inclusive and protected setting in all of our golf equipment and badminton environments throughout the nation,” stated Wooden.
“It applies to anybody who’s affiliated with us so we will guarantee and guarantee that folks will obtain a welcome, it will likely be protected, and it will likely be a fantastic place to play their badminton.
“The primary factor inside ‘Sport that Cares’ is guaranteeing that each one golf equipment have a welfare officer who’s skilled and DBS checked.
“We offer free coaching and we’re offering a free welfare officer membership. It’s about discovering individuals who can present that welcoming setting and simply test in on individuals to see that they’re okay, guaranteeing that nobody’s being unnoticed throughout the membership.”
No Strings Badminton
One other initiative significantly near Wooden’s coronary heart is No Strings Badminton, which he developed throughout his earlier stint with Badminton England.
Now one of many most lasting sports activities improvement programmers at 15 years outdated, it retains the core focus of enjoyable, health and pals however will evolve beneath Wooden’s newest relaunch.
The supply will now embody 4 sides: ‘No Strings: Play’, ‘No Strings Badminton: Youth’, ‘No Strings: Develop’, and ‘No Strings: Compete’.
Every seeks to satisfy a requirement recognized by Wooden and the staff at Badminton England, whether or not a need for younger individuals to entry informal badminton, a willingness from gamers to have enjoyable competing or for gamers to study extra abilities earlier than they rock as much as periods.
“It’s about having informal environments the place individuals can come together with another person or by themselves they usually’ll be welcomed. It’s so simple as that,” stated Wooden.
“It’s pay and play. So for those who come one week and don’t come the subsequent week, that’s completely tremendous. There are not any commitments, it’s nearly getting concerned.”
Each tasks sit amid a plethora of different initiatives that Wooden is overseeing.
They vary from Shuttle Stars, a brand new programme aiming to supply a superb begin within the sport to younger individuals from seven to 11 years outdated, to increasing the Nationwide Badminton League (NBL) to type the top of membership badminton throughout the nation.
Wooden can be engaged on a plan to stimulate the event of extra full-time coaches, whereas he may even work with county badminton associations to make sure governance methods are as efficient as potential.
On high of all that, Wooden is trying to develop Badminton England’s showpiece YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships to create much more of a spectacle within the coming years.
His ambition is derived from a pure enjoyment of a sport that has lengthy been a supply of pleasure.
“I’ve labored with about 15 to twenty completely different sports activities, so I’ve been tremendous fortunate,” he stated.
“Nevertheless, I do completely love the game of badminton.
“There’s something actually particular about it for me, most likely offering my private curiosity within the sport with my skilled profession.
“Which means I genuinely really feel fortunate and privileged to be working in badminton, and it’s so simple as that. It’s only a pleasure daily to be a part of this sport.
“I really like that it combines my private ardour with my skilled profession, and I simply really feel tremendous fortunate to be a part of it.”