Bamito, because it works!

Just a year ago, OSM started Badminton in Bamito. A new way to get very young children who cannot turn a wheel to play badminton. It goes without saying that they need more coaching attention, but how do they do that when 20 other kids are also being coached?

Sites

The solution that OSM took from Bamito is working with stations: at the same time, three small groups of children (from 4 to 8) practice one badminton class. And this kind of exercise never involves the kids practicing back and forth strokes. This traditional method of training does not work, because children can not serve at the beginning, kicking back and definitely do not stop: with a different method.

Game

At Bamito, badminton technique is presented in an accessible way of playing. We work on all kinds of basic motor skills like throwing, catching, aiming, balancing, walking, turning, and turning. The selected exercises are always preparation for the activities necessary for badminton. We’re going to gradually expand this, because it’s ultimately the core of our sport. But in Bamito, so that children can quickly experience success, enjoy and be motivated to grow in the sport, it starts simple.

Structure and focus

The design with stations provides a clear structure for the entire training. Children find that structure interesting and familiar. They don’t know better after 1 training. Each site is specifically focused on an element of badminton, so the focus is on that. And because the game only takes 10 minutes per station, the kids stay focused even with difficult tasks.

own twist

We have added three components to Bamito based on our experience:

1. Animals to warm
   We imitate animals in the heater. Fun and contagious for kids. What they don’t know: We’ve hidden badminton running techniques in those moves. It’s hard for the kids sometimes, but we’re surprised how quickly they pick it up.
2. Meaningful rest
   Instead of a practical break, we give explanations while the children drink. Think about grip types, what the pitch looks like, what the lines are called, what the rules of the game are, stroke knowledge, offensive and defensive attitudes, etc., etc. Do this together! We have fun in a circle and we listen to each other and everyone dares to say something, they feel safe. And secretly parents always listen attentively, because they also learn something from him.
3. Finish with free badminton
   We noticed that when kids were just doing the stations, they felt like they weren’t playing badminton. A child will not see his connection to our sport lightly. But we want to tell them that they play badminton. That’s why we always end up with “free play”, where the kids play with their rackets and shuttle to their heart’s content without any rules. This is what you remember the most: I played Badman, but before that we had them practice our sport constantly, but they didn’t know it.

Successful entry

Thanks to the leadership of the board and coaches, OSM has succeeded in making Bamito a success: the teams are growing, membership numbers are growing and Bamito players are growing.

As well as other associations

We can keep our knowledge with us to make OSM a very strong association. But that is not our goal. We want children outside of Marseille to benefit from our experience. That is why we are the only association in the Netherlands with our training plans online. Ready to use by any association that wants the best for their students. Curious? Check out our Bamito Youth Program. A lot of work has been done and is still being done, because there is always room for improvement. But with the current and more to come this year, associations can start today!

Inspiration.

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