The Badminton World Federation is answering global demand for greater access to its grassroots programme with the launch of a Shuttle Time website and Shuttle Time app.
Both resources will further boost the development initiative’s availability to teachers, tutors and children across the world, offering lesson plans in 17 languages as well as novel features to attract more persons to learning about badminton. Shuttle Time helps teachers and tutors develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver safe, fun and inclusive badminton lessons to children.
While the website (www.bwfshuttletime.com) and app have been quietly live for a few weeks, they were unveiled last weekend while the world-governing body’s membership attended the Member’s Forum and Annual General Meeting in Kunshan, China, and are already receiving the thumbs-up from the badminton community.
“We are getting great comments and the app has been downloaded more than 300 times – and we haven’t really advertised it yet,” noted BWF Development Chair, David Cabello.
“We have been eagerly awaiting the launch of these tools as they will jointly help us reach more people and bring more countries into the badminton and Shuttle Time family.
Among its interesting highlights, the website shows a map which allows users to explore the more than 100 Shuttle Time implementations worldwide, accessing details and contact information on each one. Other features are the Project of the Month (showcasing one of the Shuttle Time projects globally) and Activity of the Month (showcasing one of the 92 lesson plans available).
The Shuttle Time app facilitates the easy download of all lesson plans and videos which teachers and tutors can store on their phones. This way they have access to the resources anywhere and anytime, even without wifi, and can conduct Shuttle Time training.
The app also has a notepad, a drawing board, a badminton scoreboard and a competition table (to store multiple scores). Developed in collaboration with Australian company (jtribe), it is available through the App Store or Google Play.
“Shuttle Time has been our gateway to the world and these additions will truly make it a global programme which anyone with internet or wifi connectivity can utilise. Their potential impact to the growth of badminton is huge and, as we are seeing, the public’s response so far is justifying this step we have taken,” said Cabello, reminding that Shuttle Time’s Facebook page – another promotional and support mechanism – was launched just last December.