Improvers' club night

Our weekly improvers’ sessions are for players looking to build their experience and confidence on court.

Who are the Improvers' sessions aimed at?

Our Improvers’ club nights are perfect for you if you’re over the age of 16 and:

Have played badminton socially and want to get into playing more regularly
Want to work on your technique, shots, positioning, movement and stamina, or
Want to improve your game before joining a competitive club.

Our club nights are usually busy, and are focused on back-to-back competitive play. They are not for providing coaching, or teaching how to play badminton.

We expect all players to abide by the Badminton England player Code of Conduct, and our safety rules.

How are improvers' club nights organised?

Generally we run weekly club nights for improvers, on Fridays, 7-9pm, at Ravelin Sports Centre. However, some sessions may also be delivered at Portsmouth High School (please check the venue location before attending).

Our club nights are designed to give a flavour of how our main club nights work, at a more accessible level for newer or less experienced club players.

They consist of back-to-back doubles games overseen by a trained Southsea Badminton Club volunteer.

Alternatives for beginners

You should instead:

Attend a Badminton England No Strings session or Essentials course to learn basic techniques, rules, and improve your gameplay
Research other beginner-level sessions run near you by sports centres or private coaches
Seek some one-to-one coaching, which can quickly improve your skills. You can find and contact a local coach via the Badminton England website.

Our improvers' club nights involve a mix of men’s, ladies’ and mixed doubles badminton games, organised by trained SBC committee volunteers.

Our expectations of you

Our players are fantastic community members, who happily mix and socialise with others, and make SBC a welcoming place to play for all to develop their game.

If you attend our club night, you are expected to mix as instructed, and to treat others with respect in accordance with the Badminton England player Code of Conduct that you signed up to upon registering at SBC.

Feedback and requests

As organisers we welcome feedback and requests for particular types of game. We’ll try to accommodate requests within reason. For example, you might request more mixed doubles games if you have a match coming up and would like some practice.

However a mixed social club night is not the environment to provide games customised to an individual – we would advise you organise your own private session if you only wish to play with specific players.

Zero tolerance approach to inappropriate behaviour

We have a zero tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at club nights. Examples of this include:

Not engaging with games you don’t like – club organisers and coaches are more objectively able to judge your ability than you are, so please respect them and other players
Pressuring organisers on club nights – we try to ensure all our players at the session have the best experience possible, so are balancing the needs and wishes of everyone in attendance
Not following instructions – club nights are organised by our committee volunteers – do not invite yourself or others on court or rearrange games, equipment, lighting etc unless you’re asked to do
Only wanting to play with certain players or friends – if you wish to only play with specific players please instead organise your own private session, rather than attending a social club night
Aggressive or intimidating play – while we welcome competitiveness, SBC aspires to a safe and friendly club atmosphere

We are volunteers giving up our time for free to put on sociable, competitive, and low cost badminton for others. We may ask you to leave if you do not co-operate with instructions or display anti-social behaviour towards organisers or other players at the club.

Safety at club sessions

We ask players to observe some simple safety measures for the enjoyment of all players at our sessions.

Before playing

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for badminton, i.e. indoor court shoes and sports clothes.
Bring your own bottle of water.
Do not attend if you’re feeling unwell.

While playing

Be aware of where your partner is and call shots that go between you to avoid collisions.
Refrain from smashing directly at opponents who are at the net.
Don’t look behind you if a shuttle has passed you to avoid being hit in the face, and be aware of your partner when passing the shuttle to the server.

Off court

Don’t step onto or near another court while a point is in play – if you need to retrieve a shuttle wait until the point is over.
Don’t cross courts while moving about the hall.
Keep bags and other belongings out of the way, i.e. not blocking walkways or near courts.
Inform the organiser of any health and safety issues like drinks spillages, issues with equipment, or if you feel unwell.

What do I need to bring?

Bring yourself, a racket, sports clothes and a bottle of water. We do not rent or lend rackets to players.

Only non-marking shoes are permitted inside our sports hall – such as indoor badminton or court shoes. If your footwear is not appropriate, you will be asked to change it.

We use feather shuttles at our club nights, and they’re provided within the cost of the club night.

I am or my child is under 18, can we attend your club night?

We generally welcome young people aged 16+ with decent badminton experience (as above) to our club nights.

You must be fairly confident playing on your own with others, mainly adults. Please bring a parent or guardian along to your first session so they can meet a committee member and see how the session is run.

We are an adult-focussed club, so aren’t suitable for younger or inexperienced juniors, or for teaching or coaching the sport. Instead you should research junior-focussed clubs or training that will better suit your needs.

How do I join a club night?

Following our move to Wix, our club nights are now booked and managed directly through our website.

Before you are able to book any of our sessions, you will first need to register with us by creating an account on our website. You'll be presented with an online registration form with some key details. We’ll keep your information safe in accordance with our privacy policy.

Our club nights cost £7 a session, payable in advance. No joining fee for the year. Turn up, bring your own racket, play.