Juniors

Juniors & Safeguarding

Weekly Junior badminton sessions on Sundays at Haslingden Sports Centre

(Primary school years 1 - 6 from 9:00 - 10.00am)

(High school years 7 - 13 from 10:00 - 11:30am)

CANCELLED 20.04.2025

All welcome (aged 5 - 17)

Contact Coach Nigel Holt for further details on 07511 811969

First session is Free then £3 per child thereafter (£2 for Primary). Racquets provided, if required

We are also participating in M65 Junior League & GM Junior League

The Junior Leagues are split into 2 age categories (School years up to Year 9 and a Year 10 & 11 group)

Tournament dates for 2024/25 season:-

Greater Manchester at Hopwood Hall, Middleton M24 6XH:- 29.09.24, 08.12.24, 09.02.25 & 16.03.25

M65 League at Pendle Leisure Centre, Crown Way, Colne. BB8 9NP:- 13.10.24, 24.11.24, 19.01.25 & 02.03.25.

Trio of Teams Proudly Represent Rossendale

Rossendale Junior Badminton took three teams to Hopwood Hall College, Middleton last Sunday, making their first venture into the Greater Manchester Junior tournament organised by Tony Kelly and Ray Schofield.

Nigel Holt, who runs Rossendale Juniors at The Adrenaline on a Sunday morning, entered three teams in the tournament, one in Year 11 and under and two in the Year 9 and under age group. With plenty of parental support and player involvement, the managers – Claire Banfield, Year 11; Nigel Holt, Year 9 A; Yong Chen, Year 9 B – sorted the teams out and began to officiate the day’s matches.

In the Year 11 age group, eight teams had entered from all over the region: Fords, who had travelled from Liverpool; Oldham; Heywood; Colne; Sale Juniors; Stretford Shuttlers; Forrest, from Bolton; and our own Rossendale Juniors.

With two Haslingden High Year 10 students, Chloe and Lucie, two BRGS Year 10 and 11 students, Eric and Rumaisa, and Kyle, a Year 11 student from BGSB, the team grew into the tournament, gaining confidence with every game. They had a draw, three games each, against Stretford Shuttlers, and, on 263 points, they finished the day within touching distance of both Colne on 293, Heywood on 304 and the Shuttlers on 284.Already looking forward to the second round in December, the Year 11 team are determined to work on both their smashes, clears and net play.

In the Year 9 age group there were nine teams competing: Fords, Oldham A and B, Set Sale A and B, Colne, Forrest and two teams from Rossendale Juniors.

Under the watchful management of Nigel Holt, the A team welcomed Poppy Whittle, a Year 8 student from Haslingden High, into last year’s M65 winning team of the Bradshaw boys, now both at BRGS, and Preston Willis, who travels from St Bedes, Blackburn to play. After the first round, the Rossendale Junior A team finished third in their group of 5, with Fords and Set Sale A above them. They all enjoyed the challenge of playing against different people and knew they had done their very best.

The all-girl Rossendale Junior B team, managed by Yong Chen, were made up of three Year 7 players: Katherine from BRGS, Lilly from Haslingden High and Solamia from Alder Grange, along with Meena, also a BRGS student. Most of the team will be eligible to play in this tournament for the next two years and none of them had ever played in a badminton tournament before, apart from our in-house competition at the end of the season. One of the loudest cheers on the day, and certainly producing the biggest grins, came when Solamiiah and Lilly won the B team’s only game.

All three teams played to the best of their ability and their behaviour both on and off the court was impeccable, a credit to their parents, coaches and the club they represent. For over half of the young Rossendale players, this was their first tournament. They undoubtedly learnt a lot about competitive badminton and are all clamouring to get back on court for the next round of the tournament.

Rossendale Juniors would like to thank the tournament organisers for such an excellent day of badminton played in good spirit and sportsmanship. Chief organiser, Tony Kelly, who runs the Heywood and Oldham teams, said: “It’s all about the kids enjoying themselves. I’d like to give my thanks to all the team managers for helping to keep the matches running smoothly and to Tina Yeung for assisting with the administration of the Year 9 groups.” Rossendale Juniors would also like to thank the Ladies’ Only Badminton group who very kindly donated drinks, pain chocolate and popcorn to the three Rossendale teams from the proceeds of their weekly social group at St Peter’s, Haslingden. The second round of the Greater Manchester tournament is on 8^th December, although the juniors will be playing in the M65 Colne tournament before that, on 13^th October. Due to problems with the roof and car park at Colne leisure centre, the first round of this tournament has been moved to West Craven Sports Centre in Barnoldswick.

The Rossendale Juniors Are In The Waterfoot Wakes' Parade!

The Rossendale Junior Badminton players took part in the Waterfoot Wakes’ parade on Saturday 13th July, walking from Edgeside Park in to the centre of Waterfoot, behind the colourful Cacophany Arkestra, at the start of a 10 day festival of fun and creativity.

After their Sunday morning badminton, the youngsters attended the Workshop Parade sessions, run by Alastair Price and Sue Auty from the Horse & Bamboo theatre, making gigantic badminton racquets out of old shuttlecock tubes, bamboo and ribbons, before catching shuttlecock fish in dangling seaweed to fit in with the Parade’s theme this year: River.

Wearing their striking club t shirts, courtesy of JSA Print in Rawtenstall, the Rossendale Juniors strutted their stuff along the streets of Waterfoot, promoting their badminton club but mainly having fun in this fantastic community event.

From the smallest Primary school members – Marco, Alisha, Daisy, Harley, Jess, Pippa, James, Amelia and Isobel – to the Secondary school members – Poppy, Alice, Preston, Solomiia and Will – not to mention their assistant coaches, Nigel and Claire – everyone had fun, fun, fun.

The Rossendale Juniors will be taking a well-earned break over the summer, resuming the popular Sunday morning sessions at The Adrenaline in Haslingden on 8^th September.

The Future is Bright

Wearing their new team t-shirts, Rossendale Juniors were ready to make their mark in the third round of the M65 Tournament organised at the Colne Leisure Centre on Sunday 22nd January 2023. The sports hall was already buzzing with 5 teams of Year 11 and under (Oldham A and B, Forrest A and B, and Colne) and 6 teams in their Year 9 and under group of Craven, Colne A and B, Forrest and Oldham. As approximately 50 youngsters grabbed valuable knocking up time before the start of matches, and parents set themselves up on the off court seating, I knew we were in for a treat.

In only their second tournament, Nigel Holt's team of Preston Willis, the Bradshaw boys - Ollie and Sam - and Tom Phythian grew in confidence as their group matches progressed, drawing one match on aces, winning two and losing two, which meant they finished third in the group of 6.

Year 9 Tom, more used to the pommel horse and bars, showed some excellent defensive skills and thoughtful use of the court as he pushed the shuttle in to any spaces he could find. His partner, the fist pumping Year 8 Blackburn boy, Preston, just couldn't keep his enthusiasm (or his feet!) still on court as he threw himself in to every smash, every return, every point. And then the Bradshaw boys: Ollie, Year 7, and Sam, Year 5, (remember this is a Year 9 and under tournament) got better and better as their confidence grew and they realised they could beat the opposition. Ollie's steady long serves, coupled with the feisty Sam's delicate drop shots, made for an excellent partnership.

The M65 Tournament mixes boys and girls in a team, and its format makes the team captains play their players with different partners throughout the matches. The camaraderie of the Rossendale Juniors was a delight to see, both on and off the court, and often drew the attention of the other players and their team captains from the adjacent courts. Resplendent in their new green shirts, they most definitely did themselves, and Rossendale, proud.

Well done to all.

Rossendale Badminton League Safeguarding Policy

Our statement:

As a league, we acknowledge the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (any person under the age of 18) and adults. We are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice which reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Badminton England’s requirements.

Safeguarding young people and adults is the responsibility of everyone involved in badminton. It is not the league’s role to make judgements regarding safeguarding. It is our responsibility, however, to pass on any concerns we have to the relevant and appropriate authorities.

As part of our safeguarding policy, we will:

Promote and prioritise the safety and well- being of children and young people
We will value, listen to and respect children following a child-centred approach
Establish robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation and are kept up-to-date
Ensure our Safeguarding Lead and Welfare Officers understand their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and are provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people
Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of all incidents or concerns, with the appropriate authorities contacted
Ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained using the TED approach of Tell me…Explain…Describe…as recommended on the Time to Listen course
Ensure our Level 1 and above coaches have a current D.B.S. check and that this is kept up-to-date
With regards to any visiting coaches to our league, we will check their qualifications including D.B.S. and photo id prior to attending a session
Appoint a nominated Safeguarding Lead for children and young people to our league and have a minimum of two Welfare Officers
Share information about safeguarding and good practice with the league via our league website and club email system. All Clubs will be reminded of this at the annual AGM and have an email for contact details if they have a concern.
Make sure that children, young people and their parents know where to go for help if they have a concern
Our Safeguarding Lead and Welfare Officers will all be invited on to the RBL’s committee
Safeguarding and welfare will be an item on the annual RBL AGM
The Safeguarding Lead and Welfare Officers contact information will be displayed on the RBL’s website, along with all other relevant and appropriate organisations to contact, such as Badminton England, Active Lancashire, Shout, NSPCC, Helpline and so on
At junior coaching, junior and adult tournaments, we will provide junior and adult Welfare bags as recommended on the Time to Listen course.
We will ensure there is sufficient provision or access to water during our junior coaching sessions and junior and adult tournaments.

We will implement the above policy of best practice and adhere to Badminton England’s:

https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/PDFs/safeguarding/Safeguarding%20&%20Protecting%20Young%20People%20Policy.pdf

https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Code-of-Conduct-Tech-Official-and-Volunteer.pdf

This policy and links will be displayed on our league website and emailed annually to all Club Captains.

We will review this policy every year, updating it as appropriate, following:

Any changes in legislation and/or government guidance
As required or advised to do by Badminton England, UK Sport and/or Active Lancashire
As a result of any other significant change or event

This policy was last reviewed on 01.09.2024

Contact details

RBL Safeguarding Officer :

Name: Melanie Rushton

Telephone: 07950289228

Email: melrushton9@aol.com