JUNI​​​​​​​OR REPRESENTATIVE

Auckland Badminton Association (ABA) has a strong and consistent Junior Representative Program across all age groups. We deliver weekly high-performance coaching and development opportunities to our squads, along with additional training camps throughout the year.

For players who were not selected into a representative squad, there are still pathways to progress. These include private coaching with our rep coaches and participation in ABA’s singles ladder, which helps identify emerging talent.

Junior Representative Programs

ABA is committed to sustained success and aims to be one of the top performing Associations across national competitions and tournaments, including Wisden, Slazenger, and the New Zealand Junior Team Championships (NZJTC). Our representative program focuses on providing an environment where players can reach their full potential, whether that means international success, national representation, or achieving individual goals.

Weekly squad coaching runs during the school term, with breaks aligned to public holidays. During school holidays, ABA offers representative training camps to support continued development and preparation.

The New Zealand Junior Team Championships (NZJTC) is the key event each year for our junior squads. To be eligible, players must be between the ages of 10 and 18. NZJTC provides a valuable opportunity to travel and compete as a team, fostering growth, teamwork, confidence, and lasting friendships.

For our senior pathway, the Wisden and Slazenger Cups are the highest priority events within the representative calendar.

🏸 Player Pathway

Your journey with Auckland Badminton begins here​​​​​​​

✨ Future Stars

Beginner-level program for children aged 9 and under who show enthusiasm and interest in badminton.

Start your journey in competitive badminton by learning core skills in a fun and positive environment. This program introduces young players to fundamental techniques and footwork.

🎯 Foundation 

A tailored program for young, talented athletes aged 8–11 who are ready to take the next step.

Players develop strong technical foundations and begin refining their skills in preparation for competitive play. The focus is on skill development, coordination, and building confidence on the court.

⚡ Development

Designed for emerging representative players who are beginning to compete more regularly.

Athletes will build on their technical base while being challenged physically and mentally. Training includes targeted drills, tactical awareness, and match strategy, helping players progress towards higher-level competition.

🔥 Performance

For our top junior representative players.

Players in this squad are expected to compete consistently throughout the season. Performance squad athletes benefit from cross-squad training opportunities, allowing them to train alongside similarly skilled peers and stretch themselves against players in the Wisden pathway.

🏆 Elite

For ABA players performing at the highest levels nationwide.

This program is for athletes with strong commitment and ability, aiming toward national squad selection. Training is designed to push players to their peak performance through advanced technical, tactical, and physical development.

YONEX YOUTH SUPER LEAGUE

For all junior representative players that qualify for NZJTC 2025 (Under 19)

Every Saturday morning across Pakuranga College, Macleans College and Epsom Girls Grammar the Yonex Youth Super League is held.  This is a variety of training and box competitions to give players a competitive experience with active coaching and to help rank players.  Over the year the focus changes:

Term 3 – Training and Grading (focus is on building fitness, core skills, and grading players)

• Alternating weeks between half training and half singles box match play and 1-hour fitness/footwork, 2 hours training

Term 4 – Fitness and Training (focus is on fitness and core skills)

• Every week a combination of fitness/footwork and training.

Term 1 – NZJTC Selection (focus is on selecting our best squads for NZJTC)

• Alternating weeks between singles and doubles box match play

Term 2 – NZJTC Training (focus is on refining our teams and preparing for NZJTC)

• We will have announced squads for each age group and then will be training in these squads.

SELECTION POLICY

ABA maintains a consistent selection philosophy across all our squads and teams.  Ultimately selection has some subjective elements and selectors will choose based on their opinions teams that they believe will perform at the highest level.  Parents, players, and others may not agree with the selections, and if they feel a mistake has been made, they can follow the complaints process to make their case.  Please note that any issues raised should be made respectfully as the selectors are not making personal decisions without thorough consideration to begin with.

• Committees make selection decisions, not individual coaches.  By having a committee approach, it ensures that all players are evaluated fairly and that it is more than one coaches opinion.

• Attendance, commitment, discipline and attitude in squad training and at competitions is important.  As a rule, attendance at over 80% of training is expected and if a player is not going to attend, it is expected that they communicate well in advance with their coach.
• Performance in competitions, including YYSL for juniors.  Ultimately performance in a competitive environment matters and seeing players deliver in competitions helps coaches believe that a player will perform when under pressure playing for ABA.
• Player’s potential to improve with our training.  This is the most subjective part of selection and while it requires faith in identifying talent, it is important to factor in as some players excel in a training environment and given time perform better than others who might have looked better a few months earlier.

We are confident that we have a transparent process that players can understand and work towards achieving higher selections, that doesn’t depend on any individual coach, and has checks and balances to ensure that we do not let players slip through selection cracks.

In addition to the standard selection philosophy, ABA look at grouping players together who can train well together.  ABA does also listen to parents who have logistical issues with multiple children, however, there is no guarantee that younger players who are not up to the skills required for a higher program will be allowed to train in them.

ABA TOURNAMENT COACHING POLICY

In a strategic shift to enhance the development of badminton players, Auckland Badminton (ABA) has decided to increase its support for athletes by providing coaches at all Badminton New Zealand (BNZ) Age Group Nationals and all BNZ-sanctioned Under 15, Under 17, and 19 tournaments hosted at Waikato, Counties, North Harbour, and Auckland Badminton. This decision reflects ABA's commitment to ensuring players have access to high-quality coaching during key competitions while maintaining a strong focus on squad training to prepare them for these events.

By allocating coaching resources to these important tournaments, ABA aims to give players the tactical and emotional support they need during high-level competitions. Coaches will be on-site to offer guidance, help players refine strategies, and provide encouragement to enhance performance on the court. This hands-on approach will allow players to compete with greater confidence, knowing they have the support of ABA’s coaching staff.

In addition to tournament support, players will continue to benefit from top-tier coaching as part of their squad training. These sessions will not only focus on technical skills but also emphasise mental toughness, strategic thinking, and preparation for the challenges of tournament play. By combining robust squad training with dedicated tournament coaching at critical events, ABA ensures its athletes have the best possible foundation for success in both national and international competitions.

This strategic adjustment highlights ABA’s commitment to fostering excellence in badminton, providing its players with comprehensive support to maximize their potential and compete at the highest levels.