Badminton is a popular racket sport that is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, badminton is a great way to improve your physical and mental well-being while having fun. It is also an excellent way to get moving and improve your physical health. Badminton is a fast-paced sport that requires a lot of movement. Playing badminton regularly can help you improve your cardiovascular health. Also, badminton being a sport that I have always loved and admired, CAS was an opportunity for me to work on my badminton skills.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

Badminton is a highly skilled sport that requires precision and technique. To play badminton well, you need to develop a range of athletic skills, including, high levels of speed, agility, strength, flexibility and muscular endurance. :

• Footwork: Good footwork is essential in badminton. You need to be able to move quickly and efficiently around the court to get into position to hit the shuttlecock.
• Agility: Being agile helps you react better and reach under the shuttle faster. This gives you more time to hit the shuttle with precision and power.
• Flexibility: Badminton gets easier once you develop and showcase your flexibility. Being flexible would help you cover the maximum area of the court and help you respond and hit the shuttles better.
• Strategy and tactics: Badminton is a game of strategy and tactics. You need to be able to read your opponent’s movements and anticipate their shots in order to make effective returns.
• Hand eye coordination: To hit the shuttlecock effectively, you need to develop good hand eye coordination skills. This includes being able to control the direction, speed, and trajectory of your shots.
• Build strength and endurance: Playing badminton requires strength and endurance in your arms, legs, and core. By playing regularly, you can build strength and endurance in these areas, which can improve your overall physical fitness.
• Improve your coordination and balance: Badminton requires a lot of quick movements, which can help to improve your coordination and balance over time.

LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

Practice is very important for improvement and the biggest challenge that I faced was time management skills. Also, I had played badminton after a long time due to the load of studies, it was very difficult for me to balance my studies and take out time to practice badminton as well. However, I set a timetable which I had to follow, developing time management skills in the process and showcasing the learner profile attribute of being balanced.

LO 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

Any sport that is played requires grit, the passion and perseverance towards something. Anything to be done successfully requires time and efforts. Badminton required the same. Consistent practice is a need which requires commitment and focus and it was clearly showcased throughout. Moreover during matches, mental toughness is a necessity. It is having the psychological strength to push yourself through any situation. It’s the ability to break past your mistakes, overcome your doubts, and persevere until the very end.

All in all, Badminton as a CAS experience has helped me better not as a player but as a person as well. It has not only taught me the skills, but it has also taught me to keep my cool under pressure, focus and always give my best no matter how strong the opponent is.