The Centre Hastings Badminton Club was founded on January 12, 2006 by Terry Mandzy who continues to play today and is the club’s president and contact person. The club belongs to the Central Ontario Badminton Association (COBA) and the Ontario Badminton Association (OBA) and has a friendly relationship with the Belleville Badminton Club. The club is non-profit with fees set to cover insurance, rental of gyms, birds, nets, and maintenance of club racquets.
We are primarily a recreational badminton club that promotes badminton and is open to the community at large, and players of every skill level are welcome. There is also opportunity on occasion for tournament play at other clubs. People come to the club for the laughs and exercise badminton gives them, as well as for the friendly competition and the sense of achievement that comes as they improve their skills.
In addition to those living in Madoc, many of our players come from the broader Central Hastings catchment area, e.g. from Belleville, Foxboro, Plainfield, Wakefield, Thomasburg, Thurlow, Tweed, Queensborough, Bannockburn, Springbrook, Stirling, Campbellford and Marmora. In the past, a few have even come from as far away as Hastings and Coe Hill. The players range in age from 10 to over 80.
There is a place for every level of player at our club, from beginners to intermediate to advanced. The club has racquets that novice players can borrow each night until they purchase their own. Training is available for interested juniors and novice adults.
Safety is stressed for all players, and all are encouraged to wear eye protection and proper running shoes. COBA and OBA insurance regulations require our juniors (players under 19 years of age) to wear proper eye protection. The club has a limited supply of safety glasses that juniors can borrow each night until they purchase their own.
Session 1 starts the day after Labour Day and runs through to the end of January. Turnouts range from 14 to 25 per night. Session 2 runs from February to the middle of June. Turnouts range from 19 to 33 per night. Adult participation over the two sessions tends to be 4 men for every lady whereas junior boys and girls participate in roughly equal numbers. On some nights there are 4 times more adults out than juniors; on other nights they were out in equal numbers.
