Shuttle Time Trainer, Badminton Federation of Ivory Coast
Growing Up With Volleyball
I grew up in a town called Bouaké in the interior of Ivory Coast. Early on I discovered sport in the military barracks where we lived. Although my father strictly forbade me from playing volleyball, I managed to keep practising and went on to play volleyball at an international level.
I discovered badminton in 2008 while watching a final between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei. I was amazed and I fell in love with badminton. Fortunately for me, the Badminton Federation of Ivory Coast was born a year later and I was co-opted as a technical executive because I had a diplomas in volleyball and was also a PE and sports teacher.
Badminton and Me
Volleyball player that I was, I loved the spectacular character of the game, but I discovered that badminton was even more spectacular than volleyball… the speed of the shuttle and the dexterity of the players captivated me.
I gave up volleyball which I practiced at the highest level, and devoted myself entirely to badminton. I shared this love with my students in class whom I started training through Shuttle Time. I did the various levels of the Teacher and Tutor course, and finally became a Trainer. This has allowed me to be the national coach of my country for about 10 years, allowing me to contribute to the technical development of the players.
Impact of Shuttle Time
I have forged strong and friendly relationships with the parents of my players. They told me their children had a special love for this sport, and seemed to make them calmer, more attentive and more fulfilled. I was proud of this feedback. I was also proud of the gender parity that Shuttle Time encouraged. Parents who were earlier reluctant to have their daughters practice badminton ended up softening and letting them come to badminton in our region.
Through Shuttle Time I learned that the best form of learning is the one that is playful, which allow us to captivate children and increase their desire to discover.
