TRANSFORMATION Part 3

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 introduced to 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. Your kind generosity will not be forgotten.

Coming up : 3) Performance Knowledge