Announcements

Thank you all for a fantastic season! I’m so proud of you all for the work you put in these past couple of months. It’s been an honor being your coach and I hope you’ll continue to play badminton even if I don’t return next year! I know our photo album is still missing some photos from State Tournament and what not, but I’ll try to add those ASAP. You can view all the photos from this season on our photo album here in case you missed our last announcement:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/X3RQFA2XdBp3Gp7J8

Summer Training Opportunities
Private Coaching Sessions
I am excited to announce that I will be offering private/small group coaching this summer. This coaching is not affiliated with Tartan or the school district in any way, shape, or form. This group will aim to be smaller so that I can focus on giving you more attention and guidance. I will also aim to make it as affordable as possible. Previously these sessions took place once a week at the Phalen Recreation center in St Paul.

I’m still finalizing details on location and schedule, but if there is interest please fill out the following form.
https://forms.gle/bocvPq8pohQ55z6KA

We can connect and discuss from there. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you know who might be interested in these sessions, even if they are not on the team or the school.

Burnsville Summer Training Camp
Many of the girls at the top-ranked schools in Minnesota train at a camp that takes place during the summer in Burnsville high school. The coach there, Summer Mao, was a professional player in China in the 1980s and 1990s. I also know many of the coaches there personally, and they are all very solid players/coaches. The beginner sessions will be from 6:30-8:00 PM and the intermediate sessions will be from 7:30-9:30 PM. I understand it is expensive and Burnsville is kind of far. However, I think it may be worth it.

The June session has already started and registration is closed, but you can still register for the July and August sessions.

For more details and to sign up, please follow this link:
https://www.minnesotabadminton.com/post/2024-summer-camp

For questions, contact Summer at maosummer@hotmail.com or (651)246-6074.

Locations to Play Badminton
In case you wanted to play badminton this summer but didn’t know where to go, I wanted to include some locations! Here are some of the places closest to Tartan High School. I would recommend confirming the schedule with the facility ahead of time as this is subject to change.

Monday
Arlington Hills Community Center
1200 Payne Ave, St Paul, MN 55130
5:30pm – 8:30pm
-$3 fee
-3 courts

Tuesday
West Minnehaha Recreation Center
685 W Minnehaha Ave, St Paul, MN 55104
5:00pm – 7:30pm
-$3 fee
-2 courts

Thursday
Frogtown Community Center
230 Como Ave, St Paul, MN 55103
6:00pm – 9:00pm
-$3 fee
-3 courts

Friday
El Rio Vista Recreation Center
179 Robie St E, St Paul, MN 55107
5:15pm – 8:15pm
-$3 fee
-6 courts

You can refer to the St Paul Recreation Activies search to find other facilities and times to play. Make sure you clear all filters and use keyword search for “Badminton”
https://web2.myvscloud.com/wbwsc/mnsaintpaulwt.wsc/splash.html

You can find more locations using this website as well:
https://www.minnesotabadminton.com/places-to-play

If possible, I would always confirm the times and any cost/fees involved with the facility before going.

Equipment
Some of you have asked for equipment recommendations. One of my favorite websites to buy gear is Badminton Warehouse.
https://www.badmintonwarehouse…

They have a wide selection of rackets, shoes, and apparel for reasonable prices. They also offer free shipping on some of their items. For specific recommendations, refer to the below information!

Badminton Rackets
There are tons of racket options out there, and it can be imtimidating trying to find the right one for you. My general recommendation is to find a light and even balanced racket between 75-85 grams(5U-4U). Some of you have asked for specific recommendations, and I’d personally recommend something from the Yonex Nanoflare, Astrox, or Arsacber series. Between the models, they also usually have different versions of the racket (Play/Game/Tour/Pro), which have slight differences in price and performance. Choose the one that works best for your budget and preference!

When buying your own badminton racket you’ll also have to start paying attention to string tension. String tension will make a huge impact on your playing ability and how the racket feels. It can be kind of complicated, but here’s the TLDR version:

Lower tension = More Power + Larger Sweet Spot + More Durability + Less Control
Higher tension = Less Power + Smaller Sweet Spot + Less Durability + More control

Beginners will typically play with a lower string tension, since the softer string bed will create more bounce/repulsion and thus more power. This makes it easier to get power and clear to the back court. The sweet spot refers to the area on the string bed which will give you the most power and control. Lower tension strings will also create a larger sweet spot, which is more forgiving and requires less accurate strokes. As you get more experienced, you can gradually increase your string tension to get better control.

I recommend beginners to play with a tension of 22-24 pounds. For reference, I play with around 26 pounds of tension, and professional/Olympic players will play with 28+ pounds of tension. Beginner rackets will typically come prestrung with a lower tension, but if your strings ever break this will be important information to know and request when restringing your racket.

You can refer to the following guide for more useful information about badminton rackets.
https://badmintonprofessor.com…

Badminton Shoes
The type of shoes you get can be a bit more flexible. Any indoor court shoe or volleyball shoe will work. The most important thing is that you don’t slide around while playing. My favorite brand of badminton shoes includes Yonex and Li-Ning. You can see a wide selection of shoes on Badminton Warehouse. Otherwise, for a good budget option, check out the ASICS Gel-Rocket Court Shoes on Amazon.


Badminton Apparel
This is not nearly as important, but if you want to look and feel legit while playing or training you can check out some of the shirts/apparel from Badminton Warehouse as well :)

Helpful Resources
Finally, I wanted to include some helpful online resources!
https://www.minnesotabadminton.com
– Great website with training and venues information, resources and more!
https://www.badmintonwarehouse.com
– Online store with wide selection of Badminton apparel, shoes, equipment, and more
https://www.youtube.com/c/BadmintonInsight
– Great channel run by professional badminton players with videos on techniques, tactics and practices
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRMnJ4f02bKXts3OE8eOEw/about
– Another great channel run by Tobias Wadenka, a former pro player and current professional coach.

I hope that announcement wasn’t too long and you found some of the above information useful. Feel free to reach out to me with any further questions about any of the above, and I hope to see you all again real soon!