SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE

                                    

SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAMS 

Aspiring
Rep program for older high school children and senior players

Designed to give older players a more affordable coaching opportunity to refine their skills to compete at a higher level.  Mostly for our older teenage players and seniors who want some coaching and importantly want the opportunity to play with friends.


Wisden

For our top senior representative players

The Wisden squad is for players who are amongst the best in NZ.  To be in the Wisden squad you must be at least 15 years old, available to play for ABA in the Wisden and Slazenger Cups and should be playing consistently in senior competitions throughout the year.  Younger players who make the Performance Squad still can test themselves against our best senior players with our new cross-over trainings.

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.

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.

Senior Divisions Three and Four

For the 2025 season, Adrian Zhang will manage the Auckland Badminton Association (ABA) Senior Division 3 team and possibly a Division 4 team. Adrian volunteering to organize the Senior Division Teams offers a flexible and low-cost option for players who wish to compete while having control over their own fees and commitments. Below are the details on how it works and what to expect.

Key Features:

  • Team Management: Adrian Zhang will take full responsibility for managing the Senior Division teams, similar to how ABA Masters teams are self-managed.
  • Flexible Training Options: Players can choose to train with the ABA Aspiring Squad or opt out of ABA training and only pay per match tie (this will be communicated once registration fees and other costs from BNZ are known).
  • Commitment: All players signing up through Adrian commit to playing all ties in 2025. If they default, the team will be responsible for any default fees incurred (this includes the fee from BNZ for defaulting, plus compensation for any other teams that travelled that did not get to play).
  • Representation: You will represent ABA in all ties and must wear the official ABA uniform (Navy 2024 shirts).

How it Works:

  • Team Management: Adrian will manage the team’s logistics, including coordinating match schedules, organising fees, and handling court bookings.
  • ABA Entry: Teams will be entered into the competition based on the number of players that commit. ABA requires a guarantee that the team will pay any fines associated with defaults.
  • Court and Fees: ABA will offer discounted booking rates, but each team must manage their shuttles and registration fees. Adrian will oversee these finances.
  • Training Options:
    • Aspiring Squad: Senior players can train with ABA by joining the Aspiring Squad. Training with ABA grants access to all the benefits of ABA rep players.  Aspiring Squad fees are separate from Division 3 team fees. https://www.aklbadminton.com/REPRESENTATIVE/seniors 
    • External Training: Adrian will organise additional training for players who do not have ABA training, and players will pay him directly for those sessions.

Why This Option?

This model offers a low-cost alternative. You can control your own fees, scheduling, and training preferences while still representing ABA at a competitive level.

If you're ready to commit to playing in the 2025 season, please complete this expression of interest form so Adrian can contact you. If you have any questions, please contact Adrian Zhang at adrianzhang123@live.com for more details.


https://forms.gle/6FBB6h1bSorNTWWe7