Peru’s former player and currently coach of th national team, Christina Aicardi, seeks to continue contributing to badminton in her country, not only in high performance, but also in the training of new badminton coaches in Peru.
As a player, Christina was a champion in various international tournaments and as a coach she enjoys the achievements she has made with her players. However, she did not plan to be a coach.
“I became a coach by chance, it was not in my plans. I always liked education and even being a player I liked to teach badminton and I did it several times. It was a stroke of fate but on the way I realized how much I I liked it and that I could develop a lot. I continue on that path. That is what motivates me. And honestly, now I don’t want to get off this path, I love it, it challenges me every day and that is what I like the most.”
Many athletes choose to be coaches and repeat the style of their coaches, others choose to wear their own style. However, all of them go through a period of adaptation where they identify their new functions and styles, and undergo changes that will lead them to be better.
“For me the transition was a lot of learning. I had a more behavioral type of coaching and I decided not to be like that, because as a player I did not feel that this form brought out the best in me. I wanted to move away from the behavioral method as a coach but on the way I realized that there must be a balance. Help athletes to analyze but there are also times when they must follow a pattern and follow orders.”
“The course has been very interesting and helpful. It has invited me to do a self-reflection, to analyze what type of coach I am based on the information we have received, to see if I am a behaviorist or a constructivist. And of course, the course invites me to use other ways to approch with my players. ”
Training is a fundamental part of every professional’s career, not only to acquire a certificate but also to stay updated in knowledge. Aicardi has taken various trainings that have allowed her to continue improving as a coach and she is truthfully committed to the importance of constant training.
“It seems to me that constant training is vital in many careers. Just as a doctor must always be updated, a coach must do the same and have the ability to break from patterns he has always followed and learn many tools to be able to deal with different types of players and games. ”
Christina dreams as a coach, looking at the achievements that her players can achieve but also the contribution that she can make to our sport.
“My dream as a coach is to have a result at the Pan American level and a result at the Olympic level, improving what Peru has previously achieved. I would also like to find a topic of interest within badminton and do a professional study through a university that has a career. specific to develop something inside badminton. “
