2. Robust Badminton Ecosystem
When I see a player stands out more from the rest, he or she will in all likelihood has the benefit of a robust support from the badminton ecosystem surrounding the player.
High up on the list will be Kiera’s immediate family’s involvement and support in her badminton journey. Kiera’s mom is the pillar in her pursuit of badminton. Being a NS state player in her junior days, she is passionate about the game and will have lots of say in Kiera’s matches, training arrangements, preparations etc. Both her older brothers Ryan and Aaron were former state players, make good sparring partners for Kiera. Therefore, in our family, badminton is a subject we talk-about daily. I can say that it has been more of a journey of discovery, through her ups and downs, learning new things together, sharing insights and observations of all things badminton.
Second on the list will be non other than her club and state coaches. They play a pivotal role in shaping Kiera’s badminton game, mind and attitude – more so now as she matures into a teenager with a mind of her own. The player-coaches chemistry and regular parent-coaches interaction is the key to her badminton progress. The challenge for coaches and parents is working together motivating her to get to the next level. I think lots of mind work to be done here.
Next on the list are teachers, friends, parents, enthusiasts, kakis etc. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Through close interaction with this group of community, we get support, information and updates about what is happening in the badminton fraternity. We get sharings about MSSD/S/M, local and international tournaments availabilities, trending news about ABM, BAM and at international scene etc. Some discerning parents like KJ Lim (through his Youtube channel), uncle Wilson (armchair critique), cikgu Zaidi (father/coach/enthusiast) and parents whose children are in ABM, do have many valuable insights about their badminton experiences through their own journey with their own children pursuing competitive badminton.
Not forgetting Kiera's doubles partners (not limited to her regular doubles or mixed-doubles partner), the comadarie arising from joint training endeavours has also enriched Kiera's ecosystem. We get to leverage her partner's training clubs, coaches and other badminton contacts - and vice versa which are often overlooked.
Last but not least in the list are what I call beneficiaries. These include sponsors, well being supporters and followers whom play a motivating role to encourage Kiera to pursue her badminton endeavours through thick and thin… she knows she is not alone in this journey. Thank you all coaches, parents and friends. You know who you are. Your kind generosity will not be forgotten.
Coming up : 3) Performance Knowledge
Sunday, 8 September 2024
9 Musings about Stringing Racquets
1) It is equally time consuming to turn grommets to the uncut side or replace with new grommets before stringing. This is important to ensure longevity of the strings by ensuring the new string sits cushioned on uncut side of the grommets.
2) I find that Yonex brand has better quality grommets generally. Whenever I find unwanted broken racquets, I normally will reuse the grommets or keep them as spares.
3) The waxing on your string bed will also give longevity to your strings.
4) Contrary to some people say Tai Tsu Ying skipped string in her racquet is not just for aesthetics. There is a reason why her racquet has skipped string on the 10th hole. It is to balance both ends of the racquet with equal tension by pulling two more horizontal weave at the bottom of the racquet and finish with a knot away from the left end. This way, her racquet stays in shape. I have adopted TTY stringing pattern for Kiera’s racquets because I prefer to do 2 knots instead of 4 knots. The lesser the knots, the lesser the slacks.
5) For Kiera’s racquets 25 Lbs, I normally start vertical from the middle 3 or 4 weaves to the left and to the right +1 Lbs. When it comes to horizontal weave, after the shared grommets from the bottom, I will add +1 Lbs all the way to the top. I find this is her preferred tension combo.
6) From my experience, the best way to choose a racquet is not by studying and matching the specifications for a player. Let the player try playing with various racquets models. Unfortunately, it is not always practical to find racquets this way.
7) For me the most expensive element in badminton game is not shuttle cost. If shuttle can be shared then its not so bad. Replacing strings is the costliest in badminton game.
8) Interestingly, Victor’s new racquet range which comes with PP handle actually makes the racquet more flexible (despite with stiffer shaft) compared to wooded handle.
9) I repair shuttles by replacing broken feathers. Just need a blade, sharp nose plier and rubber glue will get it done. I believe quality shuttles = quality trainings.
2) I find that Yonex brand has better quality grommets generally. Whenever I find unwanted broken racquets, I normally will reuse the grommets or keep them as spares.
3) The waxing on your string bed will also give longevity to your strings.
4) Contrary to some people say Tai Tsu Ying skipped string in her racquet is not just for aesthetics. There is a reason why her racquet has skipped string on the 10th hole. It is to balance both ends of the racquet with equal tension by pulling two more horizontal weave at the bottom of the racquet and finish with a knot away from the left end. This way, her racquet stays in shape. I have adopted TTY stringing pattern for Kiera’s racquets because I prefer to do 2 knots instead of 4 knots. The lesser the knots, the lesser the slacks.
5) For Kiera’s racquets 25 Lbs, I normally start vertical from the middle 3 or 4 weaves to the left and to the right +1 Lbs. When it comes to horizontal weave, after the shared grommets from the bottom, I will add +1 Lbs all the way to the top. I find this is her preferred tension combo.
6) From my experience, the best way to choose a racquet is not by studying and matching the specifications for a player. Let the player try playing with various racquets models. Unfortunately, it is not always practical to find racquets this way.
7) For me the most expensive element in badminton game is not shuttle cost. If shuttle can be shared then its not so bad. Replacing strings is the costliest in badminton game.
8) Interestingly, Victor’s new racquet range which comes with PP handle actually makes the racquet more flexible (despite with stiffer shaft) compared to wooded handle.
9) I repair shuttles by replacing broken feathers. Just need a blade, sharp nose plier and rubber glue will get it done. I believe quality shuttles = quality trainings.
Victor by Rexcool
July 2024 Kiera was sponsored by Victor Rexcool. A new milestone for her achievements. Many thanks to coach Junior and all Artsport coaches for putting this together. Special thanks to Mr Lim of Riff Raff Pain Cast Sdn Bhd, uncle Gavin and uncle Chew for their support and encouragement as well. We will be forever be grateful to your kind generosity.
Saturday, 7 September 2024
The First Time
On August 2024, Kiera participated in a local tournament called Four Season International Badminton Championship 2024 organised by Philip Teh. Historically, his tournaments were notoriously known for delays. It was for this reason we did not pay any heed to it initially.
However just after the closing date, during her routine training in LJYBA, she was asked to partner Wong Wen Khang in the mix doubles open category. This was her maiden pairing for mix doubles in a competition. They were very much a scratch pair with no training time as they submitted their names at the eleventh hour. Simultaneously, her doubles partner, Eva Tham also asked her to join the U18 doubles category. To top it off, she also signed up for the U16 singles category for a good measure. Just like that she participated in three categories for the first time!
We were also worried about the gruelling schedules of her draws, whether she could last all three different categories despite playing the 30 points system. Indeed this tournament recorded many first time for her. The competition carried on for two days consecutively. In the end, very much to our surprise, not only did she survive the tournament without cramps nor injuries, she also came out Champion beating all her opponents in all three categories.
The one that we never thought they could go all the way to win was her mix doubles open category. Despite never played with Wen Khang before, they combined very naturally and her defensive play was like never before. The highlight was the semi-finals match vs the favorite pair. Kiera and Wen Khang came back from behind 12 – 24 and ended up winning 30 - 27. What a match this was. (Video highlights below).
The take away from here was, this tournament has given me a new perspective about mix doubles pairing (which was overlooked before). It became a revelation that could possibly elevate her doubles training hereon. Reasons as follows :
1. The strength and speed of a boy partner pushes the girl to match the tempo of the game;
2. The opponent especially the boy targets the opposing girl mostly. Therefore, the girl partner has to be solid defensively and will bring out the best in her game.
Summary of First Time
1. Mix Doubles in a competition;
2. Three categories in a competition;
3. Champions in all three categories : Mix Doubles Open, Girls Doubles U18, Girls Singles U16
However just after the closing date, during her routine training in LJYBA, she was asked to partner Wong Wen Khang in the mix doubles open category. This was her maiden pairing for mix doubles in a competition. They were very much a scratch pair with no training time as they submitted their names at the eleventh hour. Simultaneously, her doubles partner, Eva Tham also asked her to join the U18 doubles category. To top it off, she also signed up for the U16 singles category for a good measure. Just like that she participated in three categories for the first time!
We were also worried about the gruelling schedules of her draws, whether she could last all three different categories despite playing the 30 points system. Indeed this tournament recorded many first time for her. The competition carried on for two days consecutively. In the end, very much to our surprise, not only did she survive the tournament without cramps nor injuries, she also came out Champion beating all her opponents in all three categories.
The one that we never thought they could go all the way to win was her mix doubles open category. Despite never played with Wen Khang before, they combined very naturally and her defensive play was like never before. The highlight was the semi-finals match vs the favorite pair. Kiera and Wen Khang came back from behind 12 – 24 and ended up winning 30 - 27. What a match this was. (Video highlights below).
The take away from here was, this tournament has given me a new perspective about mix doubles pairing (which was overlooked before). It became a revelation that could possibly elevate her doubles training hereon. Reasons as follows :
1. The strength and speed of a boy partner pushes the girl to match the tempo of the game;
2. The opponent especially the boy targets the opposing girl mostly. Therefore, the girl partner has to be solid defensively and will bring out the best in her game.
Summary of First Time
1. Mix Doubles in a competition;
2. Three categories in a competition;
3. Champions in all three categories : Mix Doubles Open, Girls Doubles U18, Girls Singles U16
Sunday, 5 May 2024
TRANSFORMATION Part 2
1. Diversity in Training Programs
The best way to illustrate diversity is from this analogy. Most players want to be comfortable naturally. Take driving a car for example. Initially it is challenging. After 50 hours or so, it becomes automatic. After that, more time spent driving doesn’t improve performance. If you want to keep improving, you have to keep driving in challenging situations like new terrain, higher speeds or in difficult weather. Therefore, in order to improve, a player has to be pushed beyond their comfort zone. Explore a number of badminton academies. Different academies and coaches provide different ideas, approaches and training programs. Also watch the chemistry between the coaches and the players. If the child is unhappy or bored, it is probably time to find another club.
Ever since Kiera started swinging her racquet, she has had base training with me and my wife and assisted occasionally by her two older brothers whom were former Pjba state players. Whenever we had time or during holidays when clubs and academies were closed, we would take her to court to train and spent game time with her.
When Kiera was 10yo, she started training with an external coach arranged by her primary school. Gradually through recommendations, she switched school and joined Artsport. Later, we managed to get her in the Selangor Badminton Association to train with the state team. As she was progressing, we decided to supplement her with another academy ie. Sports Arena in Cheras Mahkota where they had a group of KLba and SBA players training there. Artsport later decided to form a separate group for the Elite players which later attracted some Pjba, KLba and SBA players. The group grew steadily and Kiera was one of the remaining pioneers there until today.
In mid 2022, at 12yo, I foresaw it will be difficult for her to get a place in the U14 category because SBA had a strong girls team in that category. There is a possibility she may not be eligible to play for 2023 JET. Therefore I decided to buy insurance and pursue the doubles category instead. Doubles require 8 players (away to non-host venues) and up to 12 players (if SBA host JET) - in the hope that she will have better opportunity to be in the doubles team in case she cannot get into singles. We decided to pair Kiera up with Felicia Ho who was then training with LJYBA. Therefore, Kiera joined LJYBA for this purpose and had to split her training days equally between Artsport and LJYBA while still attended SBA trainings.
The other reason why we went with LJYBA was because coach Lee Jian Yi was also in the panel of voluntary coaches for SBA. Obviously, by being in his academy, we belief Kiera's interest will be looked after as well. If at all.
Sometime in the 3rd Qtr or 2023, we added additional gym (coach Rosli) and physical training sessions (LJY on Sunday sessions) for fitness, agility and strength building into her training program. Therefore, I belief her progress would have, in all likelihood came from the diversity in her training programmes over the past 2 to 3 years. You can see it depicted in the colored bar chart below, a summary of her training hours (by months).
The best way to illustrate diversity is from this analogy. Most players want to be comfortable naturally. Take driving a car for example. Initially it is challenging. After 50 hours or so, it becomes automatic. After that, more time spent driving doesn’t improve performance. If you want to keep improving, you have to keep driving in challenging situations like new terrain, higher speeds or in difficult weather. Therefore, in order to improve, a player has to be pushed beyond their comfort zone. Explore a number of badminton academies. Different academies and coaches provide different ideas, approaches and training programs. Also watch the chemistry between the coaches and the players. If the child is unhappy or bored, it is probably time to find another club.
Ever since Kiera started swinging her racquet, she has had base training with me and my wife and assisted occasionally by her two older brothers whom were former Pjba state players. Whenever we had time or during holidays when clubs and academies were closed, we would take her to court to train and spent game time with her.
When Kiera was 10yo, she started training with an external coach arranged by her primary school. Gradually through recommendations, she switched school and joined Artsport. Later, we managed to get her in the Selangor Badminton Association to train with the state team. As she was progressing, we decided to supplement her with another academy ie. Sports Arena in Cheras Mahkota where they had a group of KLba and SBA players training there. Artsport later decided to form a separate group for the Elite players which later attracted some Pjba, KLba and SBA players. The group grew steadily and Kiera was one of the remaining pioneers there until today.
In mid 2022, at 12yo, I foresaw it will be difficult for her to get a place in the U14 category because SBA had a strong girls team in that category. There is a possibility she may not be eligible to play for 2023 JET. Therefore I decided to buy insurance and pursue the doubles category instead. Doubles require 8 players (away to non-host venues) and up to 12 players (if SBA host JET) - in the hope that she will have better opportunity to be in the doubles team in case she cannot get into singles. We decided to pair Kiera up with Felicia Ho who was then training with LJYBA. Therefore, Kiera joined LJYBA for this purpose and had to split her training days equally between Artsport and LJYBA while still attended SBA trainings.
The other reason why we went with LJYBA was because coach Lee Jian Yi was also in the panel of voluntary coaches for SBA. Obviously, by being in his academy, we belief Kiera's interest will be looked after as well. If at all.
Sometime in the 3rd Qtr or 2023, we added additional gym (coach Rosli) and physical training sessions (LJY on Sunday sessions) for fitness, agility and strength building into her training program. Therefore, I belief her progress would have, in all likelihood came from the diversity in her training programmes over the past 2 to 3 years. You can see it depicted in the colored bar chart below, a summary of her training hours (by months).
Friday, 3 May 2024
TRANSFORMATION PART 1
In 2023, a 13yo Kiera was rank 6 in GSU14 category despite showing glimpses of her potential by being the only one upsetting SBA top rank Lim Yew Ern during SBA ranking. (Lim Yew Ern remained unbeaten throughout the ranking matches.) However Kiera was still besieged by inconsistencies in the first half of 2023 and fared poorly in JET1 & JET2 although she was a year junior than her U14 opponents she lost to. However, she underwent a metamorphosis starting mid 2023 when she began to get the better of her peers in various private tournaments, MSSD and MSSS. Her results were posted prior to this. By end of 2023, she was already matching the levels of Chanice Tan. Her breakthrough came when she became the first in her batch to break Siti Nuramina’s 3 year unbeaten record during Selangor Closed which then shot her up as rank 1 in SBA GSU14 category. By Feb 2024, in JET1 Group B, she was runners up in GSU14 and won the GDU14 title with Eva Tham. In Apr 2024 JET 2 Kelantan, she bettered her record by emerging champions in both GSU14 and GDU14. We were pleasantly surprised as well. How did Kiera do it coming from rank-6 to rank-1 in a mere six months? I was mulling over this for some time to search for answers as well. After some months, I came to the conclusion that her transformation was not something that happened during this period but over a longer period and contributed by combination of factors which I will share more in coming posts.
1. Diversity in Training Program
2. Robust Badminton Ecosystem
3. Performance Knowledge
1. Diversity in Training Program
2. Robust Badminton Ecosystem
3. Performance Knowledge
TOURNAMENT RESULTS JUNE 2023 - APR 2024
Apr 2024
Affin 100Plus Junior Elite Tour (Leg 2 Kelantan) Group B
GSU14 – Champion
GDU14 – Champion (Kiera/Eva)
Mar 2024 Affin 100Plus Junior Elite Tour (Leg
1 Selangor) Group B
GSU14 – Runners Up
GDU14 – Champion (Kiera/Eva)
Mar 2024 NCT Junior Badminton Championship
(Qualifying Round 3)
GDU15 – Champion (Kiera Sba/Chloe Pjba)
Mar 2024
Four Season Badminton Championship (3rd Round)
Women Singles Open – Semi Finalist
Feb 2024 MAXXIMA Junior Challenge Badminton
Championship
GSU14 – Semi Finalist
GDU16 – Semi Finalist (Kiera/Eva - Injured)
Jan 2024 ICE Badminton Open
GSU13 – Runners Up
Dec 2023
Selangor Closed
GSU13 – Champion
GDU13 – Champion (Kiera/Eva)
Dec 2023 MSSD Olimpik Muda
GSU13 – Champion
GDU13 – Runners up
Nov 2023 SSA Badminton Circuit Grand Finals
GSU13 – Champion
GSU15 – Champion
Nov 2023 Allianz Junior Badminton
Championship Grand Finals
GSU13 – Semi Finalist
GDU13 – Semi Finalist (Kiera/Eva)
Oct 2023
Tops Arena Empire Badminton Junior Championship
GSU13 – Champion
GDU13 – Champion (Kiera/Eva)
July 2023
MSSS – Klang
GSU15 – Semi Finalist
GDU15 – Semi Finalist (Kiera/Felicia)
July 2023 MSSD – Puchong
GSU15 – Champion
GDU15 – Runners up (Kiera/Sudikhsha)
July 2023 Shuttle Flash Badminton Junior
International Championship
GSU13 – Semi Finalist
July 2023 SSA Badminton Circuit 5th
Round
GSU13 – Runners up
GSU15 – Champion
June 2023 Skyworth Badminton Championship
GSU14 – Champion
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