Teams

SCJB has under 11, 13, 15 an 17 teams.

For the U11 age group, friendly matches are arranged against other counties to compete with and assist with a player's development. The matches are often arranged along with a few other counties simultaneously and played in "quad" (four-ways competition) tournament format. They are competitive, fun and rewarding.

For the U13 to U17 age groups, SCJB has always entered our teams into the Shires League where a number of regional counties meet and compete against each other in order to qualify for the finals. There is a finals weekend where teams from all the regions compete to be the Shires League champions.

There may be changes to the Shires League setup for 2011/2012 season. It is important for us to familiarise ourselves with it. All information about the Shires League including match results and league tables can be found on the Shires League Website.

In addition, “B” matches take place on a limited basis, where it is possible to arrange fixtures. These are played on a friendly basis and are offered in order to try new pairings and provide some competitive play to those players just below “A” team standard.

Furthermore, there are also Team Challenge competitions for the U13 and U15 age groups. Here a number of county teams come together at a regional venue to compete against each other in order to qualify to the National Finals day to gain the prestige of being recognised as the best team in the country.

Shires Match Dates for 2011/2012 Season

A list of match dates for all age groups will be published as soon as it is finalised. Alternatively, visit the Shires badminton Website.

All the potential team players who are interested in representing Sussex in these team events should try to make themselves available for the matches by checking the match dates when entering tournaments, etc. In the event that you are not available, notify this to your age group coach and team manager as soon as possible.

Give your best and everything you have for yourself and your team mates. Represent your county with your head held high and with pride.

U17 Inter-County Tournament (known as the ICT)

The biggest highlight of a young player’s involvement in Junior County Badminton is attending the U17 Inter-Counties Tournament, held over four days every year at Nottingham University. 500 players from every county, including team’s from Ireland, Jersey and Isle of Man, send teams to Nottingham to establish their ranking.

Sussex has won this prestigious event in the past and we are working hard to develop a team that can win it again. The experience of the event alone is worth its weight in gold and selection for this event is what your child should be progressing towards. Many experienced parents, players and officials will tell you that this event is one of the greatest tournaments in Europe and is an experience that a player will never forget. All of England’s Olympic and world medallists took part in this competition when they were juniors, including Sussex’s own Jo Goode and Simon Archer (Olympic bronze) and we hope your son/daughter will be inspired by the competition and may even follow in their footsteps in the future.

SCJB tournaments

Within Sussex there are several one day tournaments organised by SCJB in which your child is expected to participate. Tournaments are run for all age groups:-U11/13/15/17- called “The Sussex Championships” and U10/12/14/16 called the “Sussex Rising Stars”. The entry forms must to be filled in and returned by the closing date stated on the forms. You can obtain entry forms from Squad Manager/Coach or from this Website. These events are not free and a nominal entry fee is payable with the entry. It should also be noted that the age group cut off date is stated on the forms or if required contact the event organisers.

SCJB also sanctions other tournaments in Sussex which take place throughout the playing season . For all competitions you must get your child to the venue at least half an hour before the start of play and supervise them throughout the day. It is possible you may be supervising and supporting your child at the venue almost all day if your child progresses to the latter stages.

National Tournaments

Nationally, there are tournaments held in most counties. Some are organised by BADMINTON England (the sports governing body) and some are delegated to counties to organise. An essential Website is the BADMINTON Englan Website. Here you will find all relevant information regarding national tournaments, entry forms and grading systems.

There is a national grading system (not for U11- it starts at U13), which is based on Open Tournament results. These are split in to Bronze, Silver and Gold categories and are played in groups rather than on a straight knock-out basis in the initial stages. You are encouraged to enter your child into out-of-county tournaments in order to qualify for the National Championships for your child’s age group.

Parents should note that this requires a commitment from you to give up some of your time and money. Some national out-of-county tournaments run semi-finals and finals on the Sunday, so it is possible you may have to stay overnight with relatives or in an hotel. Once you get to know other parents on the circuit, a good tip is to make new friends so that accommodation (if you have space) can be offered on a reciprocal basis. This is good for the personal and social development of your children and can save money. National age group tournaments cost approx £11 per discipline as an entry fee.

Playing open tournaments is considered essential experience for young players and provides learning experiences on many levels. Children will meet players from other counties and countries which will broaden social skills. They will learn how to play competitive matches in a healthy structured environment and will stay fit and healthy. The alternative to this might be staying at home on the playstation, or hanging around the High Street with nothing much to do. Players will make new friends and visit many towns and cities throughout Great Britain. England Team selectors talent spot at open tournaments and you may get invited to attend England training sessions should you be considered to have potential. You must enter out-of-county competitions to become recognized.