AS part of This Girl Can Week, Ballarat Badminton hosted a women\u2019s come-and-try morning last Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Prospective players visited Ken Kay Stadium to receive tips, and have a hit of doubles with coach, Rhonda Cator.<\/p>\n
Manni Wang, Nicole Ng, and Helen Brown had fun reacquainting themselves with the game, which they\u2019d all played earlier in life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw this advertised on the City of Ballarat website and hadn\u2019t played badminton for 54 years, so I thought I\u2019d come and give it a go,\u201d Ms Brown said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to try some other activities as well, like pickleball, and maybe Zumba at the Eastwood Leisure Centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cRhonda, our coach, was excellent and very patient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends, Ms Wang and Ms Ng, attended the session together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was playing badminton twice a week in China, but I moved to Ballarat two-and-a-half years ago,\u201d Ms Wang said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to play but didn\u2019t know it was a popular game here, or that the Stadium was here, so I was so excited when Nicole sent me the link. I\u2019ve learnt how to play doubles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been taking care of my kids and haven\u2019t had a chance to play, so I think this program is really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Ng, originally from Malaysia, used to play badminton weekly with friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t play for five or six years, but today I can feel the sweat on my face, and it feels great,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Girl Can is a good transition back to sport. If I didn\u2019t see this was on, I probably wouldn\u2019t have tried to play badminton again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would consider joining the Tuesday ladies\u2019 night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Cator said it was great to see new faces on-court.<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially, they might bring friends or their husbands up to play, so that\u2019s fantastic,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cActivities like these are an opportunity for parents usually home with the kids to get out of the house and active.\u201d<\/p>\n
This Girl Can Week began on Monday, 22 March and runs until Sunday, 28 March. The activities are supported by the City of Ballarat and its Active Women and Girls program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AS part of This Girl Can Week, Ballarat Badminton hosted a women\u2019s come-and-try morning last Tuesday. Prospective players visited Ken Kay Stadium to receive tips, and have a hit of doubles with coach, Rhonda Cator. Manni Wang, Nicole Ng, and Helen Brown had fun reacquainting themselves with the game, which they\u2019d all played earlier in […]<\/p>\n