By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated October 2, 2024
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5 min read
Are you feeling anxious about the upcoming corporate badminton tournament?
As a result, a corporate badminton tournament can either be a frustrating experience (“feeling like a burden”) – or an amazing one.
In this post, I want to guarantee that it’s the latter.
I’m a 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion and a professional badminton player for 8 years.
In that time, I’ve competed in competitions all around the globe (including the World Championships in Denmark in 2023).
In this post, you’ll discover a 5-step process to prepare for a corporate badminton tournament.
As a quick overview:
| # | Step | Description | Time Span |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meet Your Team | Build rapport with your team and understand their strengths and weaknesses to enhance teamwork. | 1-2 weeks before the tournament |
| 2 | Practice With Your Partner | Play and communicate with your partner frequently to develop coordination and game flow. | 2-4 weeks before the tournament |
| 3 | Prepare With A Holistic Approach | Work on all aspects of your game, including offense, defense, footwork, and endurance. | 4-6 weeks before the tournament |
| 4 | Mental Preparation | Prepare yourself mentally to stay positive, supportive, and focused, even if you’re not playing every round. | 1-2 days before the tournament |
| 5 | Don’t Forget To Rest | Ensure you get enough rest and recovery time before the tournament to avoid overtraining and burnout. | 1-2 days before the tournament |
Let’s dive right in:
Corporate badminton tournaments are doubles and mixed doubles focused. And in doubles, you’re only as good as your team.
As a result, you should know who you are playing with.
Meeting your teammates and building rapport is the first step in maximizing your team’s potential.
You should learn about everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. You should also learn what type of person they are off the court (which will also improve your work climate btw).
This support goes a long way during the actual tournament, as you will be rooting each other on during each of the matches…
… and beyond in the day-to-day work life.
Once you know who your partner is, you should find as many opportunities as you can to play with them.
The more that you can play with them, the easier it will be to play together during the tournament.
At this stage, you should focus on two things:
While working together as a team is one of the most crucial aspects of corporate badminton tournaments…
… you still have to make sure you can carry your own weight as a player.
After all, if your partner is a great player – and you’re not yet, it’s common to feel like a burden and out of place in doubles or mixed doubles. Right?
So, whether it’s offense, defense, footwork, or even your physical endurance, you should be working and improving your game with a holistic approach.
Tournaments can get serious – and they are also long. You’ll be playing a lot of matches in one day, and you want to make sure that you have peak performance throughout each and every match that you play.
Spending time prior to the tournament training and improving helps you level up your game and play better matches.
So, the occasional weekly run to improve your endurance can really go a long way.
On match day, remember that only a select number of players play each round versus another team.
So if you aren’t one of the ones selected, make sure you stay positive and cheer on your teammates. Even, and especially, if you think that you are the better player!
There are so many reasons why you might not be playing in this round – there might be a better matchup or your team might be saving your energy for the next round.
Regardless, you should be cheering on your team and hoping for the overall best outcome!
The days prior to the corporate badminton tournament offer an opportunity to prepare yourself mentally for the tournament, and allow you to keep your ego in check on match day.
It’s important (and fun) to keep on practicing and training before a tournament, but one of the most important things you can do is to rest.
Overtraining is a common problem for people who are excited to compete, so you should make sure you aren’t overdoing it and you have adequate time between playing sessions to recover.
Especially the few days (and night) prior to a tournament, you should make sure that you get a full nights sleep so that you are primed and ready for the long day ahead of you!
There’s no reason to be anxious about the corporate badminton tournament coming up.
By following these five steps, you set yourself up for a rewarding experience:
Remember, success in doubles or mixed doubles isn’t just about individual skill…
… it’s about teamwork and synergy with your partner.
Building rapport and understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses can significantly enhance your performance on the court. Practicing together helps you communicate effectively and coordinate your movements, making the game flow more smoothly.
Additionally, focusing on your personal game:
Ensures you can contribute fully to your team’s efforts. Mental preparation is equally important. Maintaining a positive attitude and supporting your teammates, whether you’re on the court or cheering from the sidelines, fosters a supportive team environment.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of rest. Adequate sleep and recovery time are crucial for peak performance during the tournament’s long days.
