JUNI​​​​​​​OR REPRESENTATIVE

             

Auckland Badminton Association (ABA) has a strong and consistent Junior Representative program across all age groups.

We provide weekly high-performance coaching and development programs to our squads as well as training camps throughout the year. ​​​​​​​

Any players who missed out on early registration, can register directly for Te Kaha if they are a junior and Aspiring if they are a senior as both of these squads are open entry all year.  Coaches will assess players in these squads and will move them up if they are already at a higher level.

JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAMS

ABA is committed to achieving sustained success through representative programs being the top performing Association across competitions/Tournaments including Wisden, Slazenger and the NZJTC.  Our representative program aims to provide the optimal environment for players to achieve their potential, whether that is international success, national representation, or their personal best achievements

We provide weekly coaching and development programs to our squads as well as training camps throughout the year.  Regular squad coaching runs alongside school terms, with breaks for public holidays.  During school holidays, ABA offers representative holiday camps.

The Wisden and Aspiring Groups, as senior programs, continue through school holidays, except for the December and January school holidays, where all ABA regular squad programs take a break.

The New Zealand Junior Team Championships is the team priority for the ABA junior program each year.  To be eligible to play for ABA at the NZJTC you must be between the ages of 10 and 18.  By playing in this tournament players get to experience travelling and competing as a team. Children thoroughly enjoy these tournaments, and they provide opportunities for personal growth both on and off the court.

The Wisden and Slazenger Cups are the highest senior priority for us. 


Te Kaha Junior

Entry-level rep program for young children

Begin your journey in competitive badminton with Te Kaha Junior!  This allows entry all year into our Rep Programs.

Te Kaha Youth

Rep program for older high school children

Advance your skills and compete at a higher level with Te Kaha Youth, mostly for our older teenage players who want some coaching and importantly, want the opportunity to play with friends.

Development 

Tailored for young talented players looking for skill improvement

Develop your potential in a supportive and encouraging environment.  Young players identified with talent move quickly into this program.  This program focuses on building the foundation skills of badminton.

Futures Academy

An accelerated program that pushes players who want to move up from Development to Emerging and realise their badminton potential faster

If selected for this extra squad, this small group setting allows selected players to fast-track their skill development under the supervision of head coaches Li Feng and Rhona Bramwell.  There is a high level of commitment required by players who get selected, and this level of commitment must be maintained to stay in the program.

Emerging

For up-and-coming representative players

Build on your technical foundation, fine-tuning your skills to compete at a higher level with the Emerging squad.  With cross-over training with higher squads, players get the comfort of training with players of similar abilities, and to be stretched against players in the higher-performance squad.

Performance

For our top junior representative players

With this squad you are expected to be competing regularly in competitions and really pushing yourself towards national honours.  With cross over trainings, players get the comfort of training with players of similar abilities, and to be stretched against players in the higher Wisden squad.

Footwork and Fitness
For all our players

To be a great badminton player you need to have a strong fitness base.  ABA offers four footwork sessions during the week, and one fitness/running session.  Players are welcome to attend all sessions.  We recommend attending at least one footwork and one fitness session per week if you want to perform to your potential.

YONEX YOUTH SUPER LEAGUE

For all junior representative players that qualify for NZJTC 2025 (Under 19)

Every Saturday morning across Pakuranga College, Macleans College and Epsom Girls Grammar the Yonex Youth Super League is held.  This is a variety of training and box competitions to give players a competitive experience with active coaching and to help rank players.  Over the year the focus changes:

Term 3 – Training and Grading (focus is on building fitness, core skills, and grading players)

  • Alternating weeks between half training and half singles box match play and 1-hour fitness/footwork, 2 hours training

Term 4 – Fitness and Training (focus is on fitness and core skills)

  • Every week a combination of fitness/footwork and training.

Term 1 – NZJTC Selection (focus is on selecting our best squads for NZJTC)

  • Alternating weeks between singles and doubles box match play

Term 2 – NZJTC Training (focus is on refining our teams and preparing for NZJTC)

  • We will have announced squads for each age group and then will be training in these squads.

SELECTION POLICY

ABA maintains a consistent selection philosophy across all our squads and teams.  Ultimately selection has some subjective elements and selectors will choose based on their opinions teams that they believe will perform at the highest level.  Parents, players, and others may not agree with the selections, and if they feel a mistake has been made, they can follow the complaints process to make their case.  Please note that any issues raised should be made respectfully as the selectors are not making personal decisions without thorough consideration to begin with.

  • Committees make selection decisions, not individual coaches.  By having a committee approach, it ensures that all players are evaluated fairly and that it is more than one coaches opinion.
  • Attendance, commitment, discipline and attitude in squad training and at competitions is important.  As a rule, attendance at over 80% of training is expected and if a player is not going to attend, it is expected that they communicate well in advance with their coach.
  • Performance in competitions, including YYSL for juniors.  Ultimately performance in a competitive environment matters and seeing players deliver in competitions helps coaches believe that a player will perform when under pressure playing for ABA.
  • Player’s potential to improve with our training.  This is the most subjective part of selection and while it requires faith in identifying talent, it is important to factor in as some players excel in a training environment and given time perform better than others who might have looked better a few months earlier.

We are confident that we have a transparent process that players can understand and work towards achieving higher selections, that doesn’t depend on any individual coach, and has checks and balances to ensure that we do not let players slip through selection cracks.

In addition to the standard selection philosophy, ABA look at grouping players together who can train well together.  ABA does also listen to parents who have logistical issues with multiple children, however, there is no guarantee that younger players who are not up to the skills required for a higher program will be allowed to train in them.

ABA TOURNAMENT COACHING POLICY


In a strategic shift to enhance the development of badminton players, Auckland Badminton (ABA) has decided to increase its support for athletes by providing coaches at all Badminton New Zealand (BNZ) Age Group Nationals and all BNZ-sanctioned Under 15, Under 17, and 19 tournaments hosted at Waikato, Counties, North Harbour, and Auckland Badminton. This decision reflects ABA's commitment to ensuring players have access to high-quality coaching during key competitions while maintaining a strong focus on squad training to prepare them for these events.

By allocating coaching resources to these important tournaments, ABA aims to give players the tactical and emotional support they need during high-level competitions. Coaches will be on-site to offer guidance, help players refine strategies, and provide encouragement to enhance performance on the court. This hands-on approach will allow players to compete with greater confidence, knowing they have the support of ABA’s coaching staff.

In addition to tournament support, players will continue to benefit from top-tier coaching as part of their squad training. These sessions will not only focus on technical skills but also emphasise mental toughness, strategic thinking, and preparation for the challenges of tournament play. By combining robust squad training with dedicated tournament coaching at critical events, ABA ensures its athletes have the best possible foundation for success in both national and international competitions.

This strategic adjustment highlights ABA’s commitment to fostering excellence in badminton, providing its players with comprehensive support to maximize their potential and compete at the highest levels.