Children in Sport - Part 6
Author: Jake Downey
Date: 08 Feb 2007
Category: Jake Downey
Article 6 - Preparing to become a future champion
Introduction
In the previous articles I have focused on the development of the junior player and argued that winning is not the only important goal in these developing years. What is important is that we should try to get the balance right between personal development and the pursuit of success and to do that we should provide the right sort of environment for children to grow up in; an environment in which badminton is a part of Sport and Sport is a part of a much greater social environment in which other sports and activities, school and social life must contribute to children's development. It is in such an environment that the future champions will learn and develop the mastery of their craft - badminton.
Now let us consider what else is required to reach the top.
Planning
First, a plan is required - a long term plan. Young talented players need one if they are going to stay in the game long enough to reach the top. Most All England and World champions, with few exceptions, are at their peak and win these titles between the ages of 22 and 26. Now work backwards. Nowadays many players start playing as young as eight years of age. Many are already competing in tournaments at 10 and 11 years of age. Just think how many 16 year olds you know who have been on the junior tournament circuit for 5 to 6 years with another 6 to 10 years to go before they reach their full potential. Consider the amount of coaching, practice, squad sessions, tournaments and team events that take place. Consider all the pressure on them to maintain their standards, to live up to the expectations of others and to achieve success. A total period of 12-14 years of serious participation in the game providing that they aren't burnt out, injured, or drop out before then.
So players need a long term plan to prevent this happening. One of the main aims of such a plan will be how to maintain the young player's interest and enthusiasm in badminton until he is capable of challenging for major international titles in 12 -14 years time.
To achieve this the planner must consider all the stages in the young player's development up to that age, decide what goals to set within each stage and then calculate the minimum amount of work and competition required to attain those goals.
To some extent I have already suggested the basis of a long term plan. I have divided junior development into three main phases: 8-11, 11-16, 16-18 years. In each phase I have suggested some general goals, e.g. skill development, healthy exercise in a variety of sports for general fitness, interest and enjoyment, social development and keeping winning and losing in perspective.
A long term plan must also include more specific badminton related goals. There are two main types of goal here: performance goals and competition (outcome) goals. It is important to understand the connection between these two when aiming to become a future champion.
Goal Setting
Players need to set realistic performance and competition goals if they want to make positive progress to becoming better and, subsequently, more successful players.
Performance goals: are those set with regard to players' technical and tactical skill, fitness and attitude. Players may, for example, decide to improve their technical skill, e.g. backhand defence; their tactical skill, e.g. to create space or force a lift from the forecourt; or their attitude, e.g. determination and perseverance. They will work hard in practice to improve these parts of their game and then test them out in competition. If there is a 25% improvement, e.g. more consistency ( less errors), greater accuracy, more openings made or rallies won through good tactical play the players will have achieved something regardless of whether they have won or lost. They will have become better players.
Competition(outcome) goals: are rather more difficult to achieve as these are dependent on playing against others. Of course, if players work hard in training and practice to attain their performance goals, then they will be more likely to achieve their competition goals.
In competition the main goal is to beat other players although this does depend on who they are. Some players will be of a:
(a) lower standard, (b) similar standard, (c) higher standard.
Obviously the higher the standard of the opponents the less control players will have over the outcome - winning.
There are two types of competition goals:
1. Tournament goals: In a tournament players will meet other players of different standards. Consequently tournament goals will vary according to the operational standard of different opponents. If a player is playing in a tournament against players of a similar or lower standard a realistic goal might be to win the tournament. If the players are of a higher standard the goal might be to see how far one can go in the tournament, to score a certain number of points or to go to three games with a better opponent.
2. Team Goals: Success in tournaments will give others some idea of the operational standard of players in competition. This will undoubtedly increase the chances of being picked for a team, if playing for a team is the goal. Unfortunately players have little control over selection as being selected is not always dependent on the results but on the opinions, whims and the aims of the selectors.
Setting realistic goals:
To become a better player it is important to set realistic performance and competition goals. Both types of goal must be set.
A player can only make progress into higher levels of play by continually working to achieve performance goals. Players who try to win in competition against players of a higher operational standard without doing the work necessary to improve their performance standards will be doomed to failure and frustration. They would be setting unrealistic and unattainable goals. They could also find, if they don't do the work, that they get left behind by players of a similar standard.
My advice to players and their coaches, is to think carefully and make a realistic evaluation of the player's performance standards and the operational level of play. This can be done as follows.
1. Evaluate performance:
What the player can and cannot do: technical and tactical skill, fitness and attitude - and the standard at which these are done, e.g. fluency of stroke production, accuracy, consistency; the right shot at the right time; speed of movement and so on.
2. Practise and train to raise the standards of performance:
As well as practising by repeating practice routines designed to improve skill and fitness, it is also good to practise new skills and ideas while playing ‘friendly' competitive games in which the result does not (or should not) matter. In such games the emphasis must be on using the new skills and ideas even at the expense of losing.
Note: This is why formal squad sessions can be so pointless. Players practise their skills together and then end up playing games and completely ignore what they have been practising as they try to win. They do so because they believe, often rightly so, that the team will be picked from the winners in the squad ‘practice' games.
Consequently too many players fail to make the progress they are capable of.
3. Enter competitions to test out progress
(a) Enter competitions with players of a similar and lower standard so that new ideas can be tried out against the lower standard opponents under less pressure and in more controllable situations. Enter such competitions, also, with the positive intention to beat each opponent and win the tournament.
Note: If the player is one who worries about what others will think about a loss to a weaker player then new skills etc could be purposefully tried out for the first game only. If that is won continue with the new skill for subsequent games. If lost, revert to a normal play and win.
(b) Enter competitions with players of a similar and higher standard and set goals against particular ‘better' opponents, e.g. to win at least one game, to score ten points in each game.
4. Evaluate performance in competition
This should be done regardless of winning or losing. What was learned about the progress from this competition? Was anything lacking? What needs to be worked on in practice and training?
5. Evaluate the opponent's performance
What did the opponent do to you? What were the strengths and weaknesses? How should the opponent be played next time?
6. Return to the practice court
Work on the different aspects of performance that were found to be lacking in some ways in the competition. I remember reading a quote some years ago by the most successful female tennis player, Martina Navratilova. "My matches are won on the practice court and in the gymnasium."
7. Return to competition
Test out progress again and repeat items 4,5, and 6.
Performance and Competition
As the game is a contest its sole logical point is that a player should try to win. In order to win a player must play better than the opponent. Competition against others is essential in the progress towards being a better player. But that progress only occurs if, in competition, players give 100% effort to try to win. If not it will not be possible to make an accurate assessment of their progress and whether they are doing the right sort of work in preparation, i.e. whether or not they are achieving their performance goals
Conclusion
This procedure should take place for anyone who wants to become a better player regardless of the level at which one plays. It may not be followed as formally as I have explained here but nevertheless it must occur. Even when playing in a club, young players should evaluate their performance after each game at the club. In fact games at the club are an ideal setting to try out various ideas and skills. For example a player may be trying to develop a sliced smash and so hits only sliced smashes in each game. If players work conscienciously at one thing they should improve and become better players.
For the keen tournament players, determined to reach as high a level as possible, such a procedure is essential. Young players will only make their dreams through the work they do in practice and training in their progress towards become better players
Another quote, by another tennis player, Pat Cash.
"I'm a realist. I don't dream dreams. My approach has never been to let my dreams intrude. Sure as a kid, one day I suppose that I thought I might play at Wimbledon that it might be good to be there one day, I guess. But now, here, the only approach can be to play better, and that way you improve so much you just might happen to reach the last stages." He went on to win Wimbledon
This is an approach all young players should develop. It is the only approach which will enable them to become better players and good enough to become future champions.
