National Schools champions of 2010/11 crowned at Center Parcs
The 2nd and 3rd April 2011 saw the finals of the 2010/11 Center Parcs National Schools Badminton Championships, hosted at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest, culminate in the crowning of the new 2010/11 national school champions.
The ‘Finals Weekend’ was split into two days of healthy on court competition, with the boys and girls year 7, 8 and 9 (aged 11-13) category fighting for the national title on the Saturday and year 10 and 11 (aged 14-16) battling for bragging rights on the Sunday. The competitive format saw each school play six rounds of matches and, with only being allowed a squad of five players, it ensured a full day’s play for all involved.
The first day of the Championships showcased the outstanding skills of the younger players. Their enthusiasm and support for their team-mates throughout the day’s play was relentless, and spectators were rewarded with watching some of the potential badminton stars of the future. The Girls Year 7, 8 and 9 competition was convincingly won by the impressive team from the Bournemouth School for Girls whilst the boys title was claimed by the team from Stantonbury Campus. The boys from Milton Keynes maintained Buckinghamshire’s recent impressive record in the age category - the county has now produced victorious boys team in the last 3 years of competition.
Sunday’s competition saw players in the Year 10 and 11 category teams from around the country representing the best in school badminton. Again, the standard of the players was incredibly impressive. With their pace, skill and movement around the court, spectators were hard-pressed to remember that these players were aged under 16.
After coming runners up in the younger age group in last year’s competition, it was sweet victory this time around for the girls from King Edward VI Handsworth School as they took the Girls Year 10 and 11 trophy back to Birmingham. In the Boys Year 10 and 11 event, practise made perfect for William Farr School as the Lincolnshire based boys team took the title after a tense final round.
Jubilant William Farr team member, Jacob Perez said “We've been practising really hard with our coaches over the last few months and we were determined to do well [today], so we're absolutely delighted to have won. We have had a brilliant day and to come away as national champions tops it all off. I'm sure everyone back at William Farr will be dead proud of us."
However, the weekend was not all about the results.
The teams also had the opportunity to meet Team England badminton players Liz Cann, Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork whilst Gail Emms MBE was also on hand in her role as Ambassador for Youth Sport to run an eye over the obvious badminton talent being produced within the school structure right across England.
