Emily Knaves describes her experience playing as part of the DU Badminton Team, representing the university against other teams. The experience was made possible by the St John’s College Student Opportunities Fund.
Having enjoyed playing social badminton and joining the DU Development Squad last year, I was encouraged to try-out for the DU team this year with hopes to improve my skills and challenge myself to become a better player. I made it onto the team and had the opportunity to train for the first time with a coach and experienced players who I learnt so much from. Although challenging, the training sessions have allowed me to learn proper badminton technique, movement and tactics which have massively improved my game. As well as this, watching and playing with experienced players was a privilege, and I was fortunate to be in a very supportive, encouraging team where I met like-minded people and was able to be more involved in the badminton community. A particular highlight of playing with the team was travelling to other universities as part of the Northern Conference cup, representing Durham and experiencing playing in competitive badminton matches against strong opposition.
This opportunity has not only allowed me to train, but also given me more confidence to pursue my sporting interests. I have become more engaged and involved with John’s badminton – playing lots of matches and taking an active part in training sessions where I could share the tips I received in training, and I also decided to join Development Squad squash, where I could use some of my badminton skills to learn a new sport. Having more confidence to try new sports has allowed me to represent John’s in multiple sports throughout the year and gain new friendships and skills along the way.
I am very grateful for the Opportunities Fund covering the cost of my membership this year as I have met so many inspiring people and learnt lots of new skills which I look forward to continue using in the future.
John's Chronicle 