UEA Badminton
Welcome! We are one of UEA's largest and most inclusive clubs, catering to players of all abilities, with all equipment provided. Join us to enjoy the sport you love, make lasting friendships, and grow both on and off the court.
Weekly Sessions
Watch this space...
Session Guide
Social Session - These sessions are open to all members. Rackets are available to borrow so please do come along even if you don't have your own. Nylon shuttles are provided, but feel free to bring any of your own shuttles along if you prefer to use those for your games - so long as the other players agree. We usually use a sytem called eBadders to allocate matches. More info about eBadders can be found below.
Training - These sessions are for players in the BUCS squad only. Trials for the squad are held at the start of Semester 1. For late entry to the squad, speak to committee for more information. Feather shuttles are provided. These sessions are coached by James Salter - https://www.badmintonevolution.com/about-1
Tuesday Nights - We frequently run development (Dev) sessions which provide coaching for members - from beginners to those who want to push for team places. Other than Dev, Tuesdays may vary from club tournaments, to Local League matches, to Ladies' nights. Follow our Instagram and join our WhatsApp community to keep up to date!
Tasters and Trials
Tasters will run during welcome week. Follow our Instagram to find out all times and dates. To attend a taster, you will need a free ticket - this can be found on this site, under the Whats On? tab, then under events. Tasters are intended to be for new students or those new to the badminton club to get an idea of what we are all about.
Trials will run during he first couple of weeks of Semester 1. Follow our Instagram for all the details. There will be 2 open trials, followed by a call back. We are looking for players prepared to commit to our competitive slate which includes a Men's and Women's teams for BUCS, as well as a Mixed, 3 Men's, and 2 Women's Local League teams. BUCS fixtures are on Wednesdays both home and away throughout the Midlands. Local League home fixtures are Thursday nights and away fixtures are on varying nights. Trials will serve as initial selection for both the BUCS Squad and the Local League teams.
Any questions about tasters and trials, please come and see us at Sports Fair on 17th September, message our Instagram account, or feel free to email us at uea.badminton@uea.ac.uk
Socials
We offer plenty of opportunities off the court as well! The club regularly attends Sports Night on Wednesdays, often with fun themes. Its a great chance to get to know your fellow members and enjoy a discounted night out. We also host various other sober and non-sober events troughout the whole year including Pub Crawls, Christmas and End of Year Meals and Movie Nights. There's a lot to look forward to this year, so definately keep an eye on our Instagram and join our WhatsApp community for all the details.
There is never any obligation to drink at any Badminton events
Anyting else to know?
Shuttle Orders - The club places large orders of Yehlex Championship Grade feather shuttles. Please message us on Instagram or email the club if you would like to add any tubes to our next order to make use of the discounted price. This must be discussed with committee. Our next Shuttle order will be placed in August 2025.
Racket Subsidy - For regular and committed players at the club who do not own their own racket, we are hoping to offer to cover a portion of any racket they wish to purchase. Speak to committee for more information about this. This is still in the works for the time being but we hope to be ready to offer this to members by the end of 2025.
Charity - In September, the club will announce our chosen charity for the year. Some of our events will be dedicated to raising money for this charity throughout the year.
Kit - UEA 'Stash' can be purchased from new supplier 99Kits - https://uea.99kits.com/ Our Badminton specific kit can also be found here. The site should be all up and running by September 2025
Stringing
eBadders
We use eBadders at social sessions to allocate matches. Its a virtual 'pegboard'. The system provides fair games by matching you against players of a similar ability. The system allows us to have players of all abilities at one session, whilst ensuring the beginners don't come up aginst our top team players on court. Returning players will keep their rank from last year, whilst new players will start fresh. It usually takes the system a couple of weeks to get your rank right so please trust the process.
You can view your match history, rank in the club and similar level players once you link to your account. If you wish to do this, please message the Instagram, email the club or send a message directly to Alex Gibbs with your name and the email address you wish to use to login to eBadders.
Please Note / FAQ
eBadders only counts wins and losses. We will always do our best to enter your scores correctly, but please only let us know after a session if we have recorded a false win or loss.
We can enter pairs into the system each session. If you want to play with a friend for the day, let us know when you arrive at the session.
Please let us know if you leave a sesson early, or need to take a break. We can pause your profile so you don't get allocated any matches.
Please do check that we have you on the system, sometimes we miss someone or confuse a name.
More info can be found on the website - https://ebadders.com/help/
More Badminton?
UEA Sport Drop-Ins - https://ueasport.co.uk/drop-in-sport/ UEA Sport run Drop In sessions for various sports - see the link. Badminton is 17:00-18:00 on Monday and Thursday (Awaiting confirmation for 25/26). Tickets cost £1, and can be bought from Sportpark reception. These sessions are not associated with the UEA Badminton, though you will often see some familiar faces.
Sportspark Drop-Ins - https://www.sportspark.co.uk/sports/badminton/ Sportspark run these sessions, and they are attended by members of the public. Sessions cost £4.25. See the Sportspark website for more details. Please speak to committee for more information about the level at these sessions. They are a good option to keep up your skills if you are in Norwich over the holidays.
Wensum - https://wensumsports.com/home There are a number of sessions available to book at Wensum Sports Centre in town. Many of these sessions are delivered by James Salter. See the website for more details.
Hire Courts - If you have all the gear, you can book courts for private use. Book at Sportspark online, on the app, at reception or call 01603 592398. To book courts at Wensum, call 01603 568823 for availability.
Committee 2025/26
President - Alex Gibbs (Alex.Gibbs@uea.ac.uk)
Vice president - Lucas Bowen (Lucas.Bowen@uea.ac.uk)
Treasurer - Sam Goddard (Sam.Goddard@uea.ac.uk)
Health and Safety Officer - Hannah Williams (H.Williams5@uea.ac.uk)
Publicity Secretaries - Esther Speller (Esther.Speller@uea.ac.uk) + Sophie Ward (S.Ward6@uea.ac.uk)
Social Secretaries - Thomas Knapp (T.Knapp@uea.ac.uk) + Ryan Coley (R.Coley@uea.ac.uk)
BUCS Coordinators - Alex Edwards (Alex.L.Edwards@uea.ac.uk) + Tom Larchet (T.Larchet@uea.ac.uk)
Local League Coordinators - Tharushi Piyasinghe (T.Piyasinghe@uea.ac.uk) + Ahana Mitra (A.Mitra@uea.ac.uk)
Communities Officers - Tj Jayaweera (T.Jayaweera1@uea.ac.uk) + Thomas Reidy (T.Reidy@uea.ac.uk)
Sustainability Officer - Ruby Houston (Ruby.Houston@uea.ac.uk)
Secretary - Joshua Sun (Joshua.Sun@uea.ac.uk)
First Year Representative - To be elected
The Real Cost of Sport - 24/25
The 'Real Cost of Sport' initiative, a project reviewed and rebranded by the Students' Union in partnership with uea+sport, aims to provide prospective members with a comprehensive overview of the potential costs of joining their chosen sports club. This year, I have worked closely with the clubs to ensure these tables are as accurate and up-to-date as possible.
This guide is intended to serve as a general reference. The compulsory cost includes the uea+sport membership fee of £55, which is a one-time payment that covers membership across all clubs.
When considering additional expenses, it is important to note that some clubs may not have any extra costs, while others might incur additional fees. These costs often depend on the level of competitiveness within the sport; recreational or social participation is generally less expensive. Additionally, some equipment, such as shoes or gum shields, may be used across multiple sports, potentially reducing overall expenses.
For any specific questions or further information about a particular club, please contact the club directly or contact us at union.opportunities@uea.ac.uk for more details about the project.
All the best,
Olivia Hunt
Your Activities & Opportunities Officer 24/25