Smash Hits - Cup Fever

Dear Members,

It was a brilliant experience attending the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 on the Gold Coast from 21-28 May. Great to see a wide representation of board members, technical officials and volunteers from all over the country who took the time to assist and participate at the event.

There's no better time to capitalise on the sport's momentum in the country as the Sudirman Cup continues to be a talking point amongst players, organisers and commercial stakeholders alike. With the Sudirman Cup broadcasted to around 500 million homes, countless media articles and social media interactions about the event, be alert and welcoming to more participation enquiries!

Not only were the world's best players showcased, but a group of Shuttle Time Trainers, Tutors and Teachers from across Oceania combined forces to deliver a mass Shuttle Time activity at the venue during the Sudirman Cup for over 250 students, 7 of whom were from Nepal. If you missed it, check out the story and photos on Facebook. We even promoted para-badminton at the event with the help of 2 Australian and 1 Tongan para-badminton champions!

Whilst we were busy in event mode, over 40 people across Darwin, Sydney, Melbourne received Shuttle Time Teacher qualification during the month of May thanks to new and experienced Tutors delivering courses across the country.

The official Sporting Schools results from Term 1 are in! According to the Australian Sports Commission's schools survey, 115 programs were requested, and 64 were delivered to 1917 unique participants. This represents a good conversion rate and noting that over 70% of programs are delivered by coaches (Members and Commercial Providers), and 30% of programs are internally delivered by school/HPE teachers. The details behind this report has been forwarded to State Members and Sporting Schools Coordinators.

Meanwhile, new research in Australia has shown that children are more likely to participate in sport if their parents are engaged in sport and even more likely if their parents are already part of a club. So whilst we are increasing participation at a school level, let's also inform and invite their parents to become active together, in order to drive a more permanent involvement. Learn more about the market segmentation of parents, and identify where the 'low-hanging fruit' is between the 'Sport Focused', 'Sporty Actives', 'Self Sport Focused', 'Child Focused', 'Family Focused'.

Before we blink, remember that the Crown Group Australian Badminton Open (20-25 June) is coming up - tickets can be purchased via Ticketbooth. It's an event not to be missed - the final Superseries in Australia, which is anticipated to be the best ever as all the World's Top 10 players, reigning World and Olympic Champions are entered - see you again soon!

In other news: Why do people donate to sport? Sport v Leisure Time Great coaches More female coaches needed

Regards, Marianne Loh Participation Manager Badminton Australia