Originally designed to recognize women who are constantly striving to achieve their personal goals in all aspects, the BWF highly praises the important performance of female players in badminton.
The female player we chose was Xu Huaiwen, who was a major member of the Overseas Corps in the 2000s. Xu Huaiwen was born and raised in China to parents who worked as basketball and volleyball coaches. After retiring from the military, she began her coaching career in Germany and is currently coaching in Sarri, England.
She was a member of the Chinese national youth team and in 2000 she traveled to Germany to pursue a new dream.
She said she was a lucky child who grew up in a family that loved sports. She tried many different sports as she grew up and eventually chose to become a professional badminton player.
Coming to Germany gave Xu Huaiwen a new lease of life, having won the European Championship twice and the bronze medal at the World Championships twice. In 2006 and 2008, she also helped Germany win the bronze medal in the Uber Cup, which was also the best result the German women's team has ever achieved.
After achieving many achievements for China, Xu Huaiwen represented Germany from 2000 to 2009. After her career as an athlete, she decided to go to the United States for further study, and in 2014, with the help of the BWF Coaching Program, she went to the United Kingdom to work as a coach. Yet with each new attempt, there were far more obstacles than she had expected.
"The challenges of coaching players of different ages and abilities are different." Xu Huaiwen revealed.
"It took me a while to move from athlete to coach and I think adjusting my training plan and style in a timely manner for different players is the key to success."
Xu Huaiwen said that the experience of being a top player has added fun to her coaching career.
"Because of my professional background, I know what I can do to improve my skills. The most challenging part is how to make the training effective and fun, repeating the exercise is key for young children, and repeatable training is often boring. As more and more people come to train, I hope to discover more talents. ”
After becoming a coach, Xu Huaiwen's enthusiasm has become higher and higher, and she says that she is happy for the development of the sport.
"As a coach, I need to provide coaching and a positive badminton experience to the players. I am grateful to the BWF for the opportunity I have given me, and I also enjoy attending coaching meetings and coaching workshops. I always learn a lot as a speaker or as a participant, and these courses keep me motivated. ”
Watch: Xu Huaiwen and Pi Hongyan provide teaching courses for active women's singles players at the BWF Coaching Conference in Glasgow.
"I am fortunate to live in England, where the England badminton team has always been committed to providing girls and women with the opportunity to play badminton."