Tribute to Nelson Mandela . As I type, news arrived that huge crowds are forming outside Nelson Mandela's house (to pay tribute to him). .
Monash University Sports Association . To be a member of the Monash University Badminton Club, one has to be a member of the Monash University Sports Association. When I told them that I am a life member of Macquarie University Sports Association, they checked, and I was accepted with no problems. As a member of the Monash University Sports Association, I was able to participate in any of their sports clubs. After winning their University Badminton Closed tournament, I thought I should hang up my Badminton rackets (getting old ), and get involved in another sport. I chose Table Tennis because it was quite a good club with friendly players. Besides that, Tong Ling, the ex-World Champion from China, was coaching there. I played in Table Tennis tournaments starting from C-Grade and finishing at A-Grade (getting promoted a grade each year). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tong_Ling_(table_tennis) .
Central Queensland University (Melbourne branch) . Playing Table Tennis was not as physically demanding as Badminton. And because for better active/health reasons, I decided to return to play Badminton. I became organiser at the MSAC Social Badminton sessions for awhile. Central Queensland University (Melbourne branch) approached me to coach their Badminton team to play at the 2002 AUG (Australian University Games) to be held at Adelaide. I accepted it and enjoyed being involved in it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_University_Games .
CCC Badminton Club . After returning from coaching the Central Queensland University (Melbourne branch) team, I decided to become a full-time professional Badminton coach. I decided to form a coaching club. Trainees started to call it the Chris' Coaching Club. Hence, CCC Badminton Club was formed. .
CCC Badminton Club was formed as a coaching club . CCC Badminton Club was formed as a coaching club. It is still operating today. Our session is held at MSAC, Albert Park, every Sunday, 10:00am-12:00noon. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...-CCC-Badminton-CCC-MSAC-Sun-10-00am-12-00noon http://www.msac.com.au/about-msac/location-parking Then, trainees requested me to organise social games sessions for them. I said 'no' at first, because there are so many Social Badminton Clubs in Melbourne (that they could attend). They told me that they were too shy to play against their better players, and they persuaded me to hold some social games sessions for them. The late Des-W told me that I could hold my social games sessions at Hay Street, Box Hill. We started our CCC Social Games sessions there, and we invited visitors/outsiders to play with our trainees. However, our CCC Coaching Club still remains at MSAC. .
2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games . In 2006, the Commonwealth Games was held in Melbourne. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Commonwealth_Games 71 countries participated in that Games. The Northern Ireland Badminton Team contacted me, asking me to be their coach during the Games. I accepted and there I met up with many top Badminton players and coaches. .
2 top players that really shone . At the Games, there were 2 top players that really shone, namely; * Lee Chong Wei (from Malaysia), and * Saina Nehwal (from India). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Chong_Wei http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saina_Nehwal They reminded me that all trainees can be like them when they are fully committed to play Badminton well. .
conflict of interest . While I was the coach for the Northern Ireland Badminton Team, some CCCers said that I had 'conflict of interest' to abandon them for 6 weeks, while I was away coaching at the Commonwealth Games. It was then I realised that communication is so important for all our trainees and social players to know. It was then I decided to post all our CCC Badminton Club's communication at BadmintonCentral. It was great that kwun understood me, and allowed CCC Badminton Club to have a sub-forum site of our own. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/192-CCC-Badminton-Club .
Cheung liked some of the posts . Found that BadmintonCentral moderator, Cheung, liked some of the posts in this thread. It was great that Cheung played with us when he visited Melbourne. Because Cheung is in the medical field, I told him why I took up Badminton in the first place. Why not other sports? This is the story: At the beginning of studying at university, I stopped playing all sports and I was smoking heavily. Then one day, before my exams began, I found myself quite stressful. To release the stress, I went for a run around the streets where I lived. What happened was one of my lung lobes collapsed. It was spontaneous pneumothorax. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumothorax I landed in the hospital emergency unit for surgery. I was confined in the hospital for a few days. The surgical operation was simple, but very painful. One year later, the pneumothorax happened again. This time it was because I ran just 10 metres to my parked car. I ran because it was raining, and I was in a hurry. Again, I underwent the same surgical operation at the hospital. Staying at the hospital for a few days wasn't fun. The surgeon told me to take up sports again to strengthen my lungs, or else, I will keep getting the pneumothorax again. There were so many sports available for me to play, but I decided to play Badminton because there is a lot of running involved (to strengthen my lungs). Since then, no more pneumothorax for me. .
Reads like a autobiography . Hehehe...... As mentioned in the opening post: I have much to say: Therefore, I shall make several posts to introduce myself. I am still waiting to catch up with some long lost friends (whom could be reading here at BadmintonCentral). .
How/why chris-ccc started coaching Badminton . Another story I told Cheung about how I started to be involved in Badminton coaching. This is the story: When playing for University of New South Wales Badminton Club team, I asked for me to receive some coaching (to improve my skill level). The then club president, John-W, told me there wasn't any coach for the club. Later, when he told me that Badminton Australia will be conducting a course for people wishing to become Badminton coaches, I took it up. I took the course not because I wanted to be a Badminton coach. I thought if I knew how coaches teach (the principles of playing better Badminton), I can teach myself (to improve my own skill level). Anyway, as a qualified coach, when different clubs and associations requested for me to teach their players, I found myself enjoying coaching. This is the reason how/why I started coaching. I found that I really enjoy coaching Badminton. .
Meeting other top coaches when they visited Australia . Anyway, as a qualified coach, I was invited meet other top coaches when they visited Australia. Some of the top coaches that I have met when they visited Australia are: * The great Tang Xianhu - The Thing. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...-He-The-Greatest-Ever-)?p=1827286#post1827286 * The great Rexy Mainaky - The Doubles coach http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...-Rexy-Mainaky-as-Coach?highlight=Rexy+Mainaky .
