There’s nothing like having a couple of your clubmates competing at the world championships to make you proud about where you play badminton.
Members of the Bellevue Badminton Club, juniors and adults alike, relished those moments in recent weeks, as Jacob Zhang and William Hu won national titles and played for Team USA at the BWF World Junior Championship in Kazan, Russia.
“They definitely are role models for younger players at the club,” Bellevue head coach Derrick Ng said of the two young stars, who worked closely with coach Xuehua Tang. “In our junior program, we do a lot of goal planning and we talk about what it takes to reach that level. A lot of the younger ones say they want to be like William or Jacob.”
Competitive or recreational: grow quickly or at your own pace
The club is well known in the Pacific Northwest for producing national-caliber junior players, Ng says. While more one-on-one training and regular feedback from coaches can be expected for committed young players who choose the competitive route, players aged 4 to 18 can also be a part of less strenuous recreational-level classes.
You can pick which program suits you best: competition, with training and tournament commitments; or recreational, for fun, fitness and more relaxed skill-building. “While we’re seen as the club to be at for juniors who want to excel and play at a high level, it’s really up to the player as to how committed they want to be,” Ng says.
Junior registration on now at new Renton location
With the Bellevue location at or near capacity, the club opened a large, new facility in Renton late this summer. That makes three locations, including the Mukilteo courts at Harbour Pointe. If you’re looking for a recreational activity for your kids, space is still available in Renton in the Smash 1 (age 7-11) and Competitor 1 (age 12-18) categories. And special opening promotional prices are available there for all ages as well!
Badminton a social, family-oriented sport
Ng says the club is proud of its thriving junior program and very much appreciates the growing presence of adult players at all levels at the three sites. “It’s a very family-friendly and social sport that really is for all ages.”
You can check out the space availability for adult and junior lesson packages, as well as membership options, on the club’s sign-up page. You can also keep up with the latest news about the club on Facebook.
