England star inspires next generation with Babolat visit
As we look ahead to the 2024-25 season of our National Schools Championships, we reflect on how important the legacy is that we are creating through this coveted event.
As the Championships finals made their return in April 2024, not only did we want to ensure the pupils were at the heart of the action on court but we were also using innovative ways to use their skills outside of the badminton hall too.
Young people are an integral part of our new 10-year strategy for badminton in England and therefore, in collaboration with Babolat – Official Supplier to the National School Championships, all schools who participated in the regional rounds of the competition were invited to design a flag to represent their region.
The flags were designed to celebrate the values of badminton – do what matters, include intentionally, play for each other and do today brilliantly. These values are the heartbeat of what we at Badminton England aim to do every day in enabling badminton to be a sport for everyone.
The flag design competition was also a wonderful opportunity for pupils from schools competing in the Championships to create a real identity for their region – with a design that speaks for their part of the country and a colour for them to compete under.
Our National Youth Voice Forum members were given the prestigious task of deciding the winning design – we were looking for creativity and inspiration whilst incorporating our values in their final artwork.
In support of the new initiative, our partners Babolat vowed to reward the winning school with a visit from a Babolat badminton ambassador!
England star Annie Lado was given an opportunity to inspire the pupils from Webber Independent School in Milton Keynes, as 14-year-old pupil Ruth Biju Matthews was selected as the winning flag designer on behalf of the South Central region.
Annie joined the school for an exclusive badminton coaching session where pupils could test their racket skills on court with an England professional as well as asking her a wide array of questions.
Samantha Anacootee, from The Webber Independent School, said: “The ‘design a flag’ competition was a fantastic chance for Webber students to see their artwork go from the classroom to the real world.
“They had a fun session having rallies with the Babolat ambassador and the whole experience gave them a great opportunity to take part in a sport and art cross-curricular project.”
Pete Mills, UK Category Manager at Babolat, added: “Babolat were thrilled to attend the Webber School to present the National Schools Flag competition winner with their prize – a brand new limited edition Babolat badminton racket.
“It was great to engage with so many students and offer an opportunity for them to play against Annie Lado – one of our Professional Badminton Ambassadors.
“We look forward to supporting the National Schools competition again in 2024-25.”
Badminton England is committed to working with the badminton community to enable more young people than ever to get involved in our sport, not just on court but off it too.
If you would like to know more about how to get involved in either playing or volunteering, find out how!
Junior – Get on the court | Badminton England
National Youth Voice Forum & Young Leader Academy | Badminton England
