One of the trainers in charge of directing the BWF Coach Level 3 Pilot Course was Kenneth Larsen, an experienced former player from Denmark and coach in various countries. His experience and knowledge were key to this course, so we will know a little more about him and his insights about badminton in our region.
Kenneth Larsen started in our sport as a child and with a lot of effort he became a very prominent player in his country and throughout the world. Effort that has also led him to be recognized as a coach and trainer, with a mixture of knowledge and experiences that his personal training has allowed him to achieve.
“I started playing badminton at age 12, I was an elite player in Denmark and I was a European champion with Denmark. Then I was a coach at different levels. National coach of Denmark and other countries. I also had the opportunity to educate myself in things related to sports and badminton, and I am a doctor in Social Philosophy and Social Psychology, and that is very connected to what I do now.”
The transition from being an athlete to being a coach can have different motivations, and success depends a lot on the approach you have. Kenneth became a coach even when he was still a player but the motivation that drove him went beyond personal interest, he wanted to share with others what badminton is for him.
“I really felt, from the beginning, that it would be very fun and rewarding for me to be able to train badminton players and help them find that fun that badminton gave me as a fantastic experience. And that is the most important thing for me. Badminton is so funny that I want everyone to experience badminton that way.”
The Pilot Course for coaches level 3, held last November, was led by Kenneth, who is also co-author of the material used for the course, which seeks to change the approach of the coaches in order to demand their best performance for the benefit of his players.
“The objective of this last level 3 pilot course is focused on how to move from the talent development system to the elite badminton, and think about how elite players work, how to communicate the kind of exercises they can consider as elite players. I think in general, in South America, in this part of the Pan American region, you have the advantage that many of the countries and people have a good attitude to receive new ideas, such as those presented in this course, that is a good perception.”
“It is important for everyone to learn throughout life. We know that learning one can improve and achieve greater success. It is important to always learn to face new situations.”
As coaches, there are many areas to explore and not settle for what you already know or have experienced, but continue to train and be willing to change to improve.
“We can all improve in all areas. Coaches can develop in many ways, especially I think that in the tactical understanding of the game and the skills of practice that elite players need, for example being able to make decisions in the game and think by themselves, I think that is an area to improve in the coaches of the region, especially for those who want to have elite players competing in the world.”
Undoubtedly, one of the reasons why our sport continues to grow is because it is one of the most complete sports in the world, and Kenneth translates it, from his own experience, into fun since with it we can learn better and so we can share with others this fantastic experience called ‘Badminton’.
“There is only one reason to bring people to play badminton. That is because it is the most fun sport in the world. That is what coaches should keep in mind when training players.”
