I too have a strong ambition of wanting to be a international player, but i can't because my parents (im 14 this year) want me to study instead of badminton, they don't believe i can do well in badminton. I have never had intensive training which i yearn for, but i think im already above average because i win most of my matches during the interschool competitions which is not bad for a person who does not have a good coach. Well, looks like i will never have a chance to be a international player. Some of you have the chance, the chance to do well, i hope you guys take that chance and do well and not give up. Do it for singapore and singaporeans -sad and frustrated boy :crying: Hey add me on msn if you are a badminton player around my age aspha_miner@hotmail.com thanks alot
Well unless "you" are pretty sure you can make it , <this applies to any1> I'd say school comes before badminton as well . But just because study comes before badminton , doesn't neccessary mean you can't train hardcore < all it takes is some good time management skills > ... o_0
Hi there Asphaminer, Being a Singaporean I understand your situation. Paper qualifications are so important in Singapore that a minimum of "O" level is needed to secure a job. Given that there are cases where low educated became high flyers, but such cases are few to come. Personally, the badminton scene in Singapore suffers from lack of support. What are the players going to be next time after they retired? Our "national" sport is soccer. Just look at the amount of money and coverage given, it is not going anywhere further other than being the SEA champions (Tiger Cup). The coach was lamenting about lack of support from the FA etc. If the national sport suffers such a fate, how about our beloved badminton. I think we substained becos of passion for the sport but that is not enough in this world. Dun be frustrated. Your parents wanted the best for you. You can still join badminton training groups/ECA in your school. If you want to take a step further, join training classes outside e.g. Flymax Academy or Keats Training School. Maybe when you are so good, you are selected to represent Singapore, you parents will change their mind. (Dun you hear so much such stories )
Yea i've done some thinking...i applied for nus high sch, so if i get in, i do not have to focus more on my studies for the next half year. so i have asked my dad to let me have some hard training. if i do not do well in the training then i shall concentrate less on badminton when i get in their school next year. the nus results are out tomorrow, im pretty anxious, my dreams will fall in place if i get in. and even if i do not fare well in the training for the next half year, at least i have tried and will not regret it.
I think your parents are right when they say you have to study. Putting everything on badminton is taking big risks, because the changes you'll make a living from badminton are almost non existant.
Actually, in my opinion, badminton and studies go very well together. In my recent mid-term exam, I studied, but didn't stop training. I got straight A's and I managed to clinch 3rd place(lost by 1 mark to the 2nd placed! ) in class. How? Well.. I don't know about everyone else, but I studied before each training session, went all out during training, reached home, ate dinner, and slept. You wake up fresh the next morning, ready to sit for the exam. In fact, you can wake up earlier the next morning to study before the exam. Well, it worked for me. My parents didn't want me to attend training those 2 weeks.. but I convinced them. And my grades proved that badminton didn't affect my studies at all. So to all the aspiring players out there, I'm sure you can be an international player and a degree holder(fine, phD, Hons. etc) at the same time. Of course, movies and other 'fun' stuff might have to go.. but hey, what else can be more fun other than badminton?
I can agree to that idea as well. For me, it was because when I was training, I focused and it was easier for me to stay focused when I studied. Also, it is a fact that a person who is active studies better than a person who does nothing except study.
Hmm I have some opinions on some posts above... 1st... Reading this thread, I found out that there are a FEW (Yes, FEW) pro players that started out at the age of 16-17. Mind you, that's a few. They might have very good luck or they are talented in badminton. But WE as normal people with no extraodinary talents might NOT achieve this goal the way they did it. I started badminton sometime last year, I'm 15 right now. I really want to become a pro baddy player as well. But I have to think... Can I even make it even with hardcore extreme training and what not. Right now I only know one pro who started at 16 and another started at 17. But that's 2 out of the whole population who tries to become a pro. Chances are slim . Not like I'm ever gonna give up, but I'm thinking if I would become one ever 2nd... My parents also won't let me have any hardcore commitment to badminton because of my studies. Well unlike the guy above, my parents have a reason. My studies aren't that great to spend lots of time training for something they don't care about. It's true that you can still train while remaining in the 80s in school. But when it comes to going on a court and play to practice your skills.... I know people who plays badminton 3 times a week, I think if I were to do that too... I might actually become at state player and maybe later I'll become an international pro baddy player! But to convince my parents, that's another story.
First off ~ It's Canada we are talking about . It's not that hard to be the Canadian Champion ( compared to some other countries ) . Second off ~ If you use the same determination you use in badminton , in school , you might get over 90's . So study hard and get excellent marks next time and let your parents not have a reason to stop you from playing badminton .
True badminton makes me concentrate better, but usually i feel exhausted after training and it affects my studies a little
kind'a offtopic, but... what is the absolute maximum of age to start at to become at least a national-level player? Because there are heroic stories about guys starting at over 25.
that did not exactly answer my question anyway, if i recall correctly, there was a russian guy who started 28 or something and was several times champion of russia (happened years back, though). Note that I was writing about NATIONAL level not international, so we might be talking different levels here - i know nothing about the russian badminton, say, 20 years ago.
Being the Canadian Champion might be easier than other countries, but that doesn't make it easy still. Even though I try hard in school, I can't score above 70. But then again, my determination in badminton is much greater than school.
Sorry to sound pedantic, but if you strive to maintain and achieve higher scores in school, you'll find that in later years, you can pursue your badminton "career" at your leisure without worrying about costs. -dave
Well, since you are young and please focus on your studies... play too much and wont help you much in your rest of life... Do you ever think how to compete your studies with others? Or just playing the badminton for your life?
If you wanna reach to being a professional, starting early is a good idea. Most professional started playing badminton in their young ages
