Training Program Policies & Safety

Students with no experience, or have middle or high school class or club experience are placed into classes by age as follows:

- Age 7-12 starts in Kids Beginner 1 Class

- Age 12-17 starts in Teens Beginner 1 Class

(12 years old can join Teens classes dependent on size and maturity)

Online registration through CourtReserve is available for students to pay with a credit/debit card and a signed waiver and release on file. We do not accept cash or checks as payment.

Partial registration (Drop-in) is registering for only part of the session, such as 6 of the 8 weeks, or not registering for a full-session of classes. Space is not guaranteed for partial registration as partial registration will open 4 days after the full-session registration opens.

Partial registrations or Drop-ins are an additional $5.00 per class.

New students may only schedule an assessment if they have had prior professional training, know all the basic grips, can switch between the grips, and consistently hit the shuttle. Middle or high school training does not count as professional training.

We hold our students, coaches, and classes at a high standard. Proper fundamentals must be learned, practiced, and set to ensure faster and greater improvement as well as prevent possible injuries as the student develops their skill and power.

Assessments may be scheduled here. 

Assessments will not be given to students currently enrolled in class. If a student is not currently enrolled and has a prior class placement, the last class placement will be the level the student will be placed in unless the student has been training at another facility under a USAB certified coach for at least 2 months.

All payments are through CourtReserve. A valid method of payment must be registered to the account to sign up for classes.

Additional Fees:
Non-members: +$5 per class.
Partial (Drop-in) Registration: +$5 per class.

Cancellations must be submitted via email to training@bellevuebadminton.com.

Students are not allowed to cancel on their own after registration. They must email or talk to us
for cancellations due to these cancellation policies:

Full Session Registration Cancellation Policies
● No Cancellations for Single Classes: If a student registers for a full session, the
student cannot cancel individual classes within that session.

Reasoning: Full session registrations are prioritized because they represent a commitment to
the entire course. As an incentive, we offer a $5 discount per class for full session registrations,
as well as priority registration to better ensure a spot in the class.

Example: Brad Minton enrolled in a full session of classes which is 8 weeks long. Brad can no
longer attend the 6th week of class. Brad will not be able to get a refund or credit for the missing
class and the missed class is forfeited.

Cancelling all remaining classes in a full session registration
● Cancelling all remaining classes in a session is allowed: If a student needs to cancel
the remaining classes in a session, it is allowed.
● 80% Credit: Students asking for credit back onto their CourtReserve account will receive
80% of the remaining classes’ value.
● 50% Refund: Students asking for a refund back onto their credit card will receive 50% of
their remaining classes’ value.

Example: Brad Minton, a member at BBC, enrolled in a full session of classes which is 8 weeks
long for $352.00. After 4 weeks, Brad had an unexpected situation which disallowed him to
attend the last 4 weeks of class. Brad called and asked to cancel the remaining 4 classes. He is
okay with receiving credit since he will join again next session. Brad will receive $140.80 credit onto
his CourtReserve account. (4 classes remaining = $176 x 80% = $140.80)

Partial Session (Drop-ins) Registration Cancellation Policies
● Cancellations receive 80% credit back to their CourtReserve account or 50%
refund back to their credit card.

Exemptions for Full or Partial Registrations:
● 100% credit for students who are sick or injured with a Doctor’s note.
    ○ Only credit will be given. No refunds back to their credit card

SUMMER CAMP CANCELLATION POLICY

1. Cancellation and Refunds:
   • Cancellations must be submitted via email to training@bellevuebadminton.com.
   • Cancellations before the start of the registered week of Summer Camp may a full refund.
   • Cancellations after the start of the registered week of Summer Camp will receive 80% credit back to their CourtReserve account or 50% refund back to their credit card.

We do not offer make-up classes for Recreational Classes or Development Team Classes. Any missed classes are forfeited, including missing class due to illness. Missing class due to illness with a doctor's note will receive 100% credit for any missed classes. Missing class due to injury with a doctor's note will receive either 100% credit or 80% refund for any missed classes.

All students will be assessed during class in each session. An email is sent out to those who have moved up for the next session at the beginning of Week 6. 

To ensure fairness amongst our students, here is how we decide how a student moves up in class placement: 

Each student will be assessed during their class by their coaches. Three weeks prior to the end of each session, each coach will nominate five names per level to be moved up. Once students have been nominated, all coaches will vote to determine if the student nominated is eligible and ready for the next class placement.

Students with poor performance and attitude may be moved down in class placement or moved out of competitive training. A verbal warning and discussion with the student's parent will be done before any retrogression.

All policies and attire requirements are in place for the safety and comfort of our participants. Wearing proper attire not only can improve performance but can prevent injuries and offer protection.

All athletes, regardless of class and level, are required to wear athletic wear. This includes tracksuits, sweat suits, t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts, and socks. Absolutely no jeans allowed.

All athletes are required to wear closed-toe, athletic, non-marking, rubber-soled shoes. YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE COURTS IN ANY OTHER SHOES.

All athletes in competitive level classes (Competitive Advanced and High Performance) are required to wear badminton specific court shoes. 

For children ages 4-10 or children under 4’6” (54”/137 cm), we highly recommend a junior sized racket with a grip size of G5 or smaller (G6) and a thin grip for the badminton specific development of each athlete.

If you do not have a racket of your own yet, there are rackets for purchase at the Pro Shop. You may also borrow a racket to use during class. Loaner rackets are first come, first served, and the Club cannot guarantee a racket will be available for use every time.

To borrow a racket, you must leave your first and last name or a photo ID (required for adults) at the Front Desk. Rental rackets are $5 per racket.

To maintain a safe environment for all students, coaches, and parents, we have a set of policies based on our collaboration with SafeSport, the governing body surrounding safety in US Olympic sports. There must always be at least two adults in the gym if there is only one minor student present (such as a private lesson). This goes for all interactions between coaches/administrators and our junior students.

Coaches may not give a ride to an individual student to or from group or private lessons. Coaches will treat all students fairly and without prejudice, with the intention of keeping our badminton clubs a safe environment for all people on physical, emotional, and psychological levels.

If you or someone you know has a complaint or any other issue related to any of these topics, you can reach out to any of our coaches in-person, via email or phone. Other options include reaching out directly to SafeSport through their online reporting website https://safesport.org/report-a-concern.

We aim to make our badminton clubs a safe and friendly environment for everyone.

To ensure the quality of our classes, when a child may be too young maturity-wise or face challenges in executing specific skills, such as hitting or feeding the shuttle, the parent or guardian will be contacted and requested to participate with the child so the child can receive the necessary support and guidance during class. 

This way, the coach(es) can continue guiding the class and ensure fair and proper attention to all students. If the parent or guardian is unable to attend the class with the child, a refund for the remaining classes will be given.

In the event of severe weather conditions, the following policy outlines the procedures to be followed in the case of class cancellations due to severe weather:

SEVERE CANCELLATIONS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY 12PM FOR WEEKDAY CLASSES, AND 9AM FOR WEEKEND CLASSES.

1. Automatic Credit for Cancelled Classes:
If classes are officially canceled due to severe weather conditions, all students enrolled in the affected classes will automatically receive a credit for the missed class. No further action is required from the students or parents in this scenario.

2. Credit Request for Non-Cancelled Classes:
If severe weather conditions persist, but classes are not officially canceled, parents have the option to request a credit for their child's missed class. The process for requesting a credit is as follows:

Parents are required to send an email to training@bellevuebadminton.com before the start of the class being missed.
The email should include the student's name, class details (date and time), and a brief explanation of why the class was missed due to severe weather.

At Bellevue Badminton Club, we understand that schedules can change. To accommodate unforeseen circumstances, we offer a one-time class transfer option per session for students enrolled in full-registration programs.

Eligibility:

• Students must be registered in a full-session program.
• The requested transfer must be to a class of the same level.
• The requested transfer must be for a different day or time.
• Students must transfer the remaining classes of their session to the other class.
• The class transfer is not guaranteed and is dependent on space/class availability.

Limitations:

• Only one transfer is permitted per student per session.
• Transfers are not guaranteed and may be denied due to space limitations or other factors.

All training sessions, group and private, will only be conducted within our training program, ensuring a consistent and unified approach to player development.

Any students who continue to train with another program will no longer be invited to train with BBC’s Competition Team.

• Exceptions For External Training: We acknowledge the value of diverse training experiences. Athletes are permitted to engage in training outside the training program if it takes place out of town, in another state, or in another country. However, it is mandatory for athletes to notify the Head Coach in advance and provide details about the external training program.

• Competing Clubs Exception: In unique cases where players wish to train at a competing club in the same area, permission to train private lessons can be granted if they are partnering with somebody from that club for that lesson. This exception aims to facilitate collaborative training opportunities. Players seeking this exception must obtain prior approval from the Head Coach.

Minimum Training Requirement: All athletes in our High-Performance program (High-Performance & High-Performance Junior) will be required to train in at least three (3) group training classes per week. With the updated training schedule starting in 2024-2025 Session 1, we aim to make our training more efficient and easier to fit into the athletes’ schedules. Our High-Performance coaches agree that most players in the High-Performance program need to do more group training and do not necessarily need Private Lessons for their continued development. Please speak to your Bellevue Badminton Club Coach for their recommendation. Players seeking this exception must obtain prior approval from the Head Coach.

Students enrolled in 3 or more classes per week in our Competitive Training program are eligible for make-up classes. To schedule a make-up, please contact Head Coach, Derrick Ng.

Important Notes:

• Make-up classes are subject to availability and are not guaranteed.
• If no spots are available, the missed class will be forfeited.
• Make-up classes cannot be carried over to the next session.
• If you know you’ll miss a class near the end of the session, you can request a make-up in advance, before the absence occurs.

The coaching staff will select and approve a set of tournaments for participation throughout the year. This strategic selection is based on the alignment of tournament goals with the overall training program objectives.

• Strategic Tournament Planning: The coaching staff will carefully evaluate each tournament’s significance, considering factors such as level of competition, skill development opportunities, and overall program goals. Approved tournaments will be communicated to athletes and parents at the beginning of the season.
• Balanced Competition Schedule: The goal is to strike a balance between providing ample competition experience for athletes and avoiding over-competition. The coaching staff will consider the impact of tournament schedules on athletes’ training and skill development.
  
• Competitive Team athletes will need to compete in a minimum of 3 approved tournaments a year.

Approved Tournaments (Includes but not limited to:)

1. Northwest ORC
2. NorCal ORC
3. South ORC
4. SoCal ORC
5. USA Junior Team Selection Event
6. Midwest ORC
7. Junior Nationals
8. Northwest CRC
9. Northwest OLC

Athletes training under Bellevue Badminton Club are required to wear competitive athletic attire with Bellevue Badminton Club branded clothing during competitions. If athletes have their own shirts, Bellevue Badminton Club will provide the logo file for athletes to print Bellevue Badminton Club’s logo on their shirts or provide printing for a small fee.

Competition: If an athlete fails to wear Bellevue Badminton Club branded clothing during competition, they will receive a warning. After the first warning, if the athlete continues to not to wear Bellevue Badminton Club branded clothing, they will not receive on-court coaching during their match. 

As a Competitive Team Athlete traveling to compete in approved tournaments, there will be a tournament fee if one or more coaches travel to coach the team.

This tournament fee will cover the cost of the coach(es)’s transportation to and from the tournament, rental car(s), lodging fee, and food. The total cost will be divided among all the athletes participating in the tournament and will vary for each tournament.

Bellevue Badminton Club will sponsor the coach(es)’s wages during the tournament.

We are introducing a Parent Volunteer Program to encourage active participation from parents during tournaments or events hosted by Bellevue Badminton Club. One parent per family is required to contribute volunteer hours, and a refundable volunteer fee of $100 will be collected at the beginning of each season.

• Volunteer Opportunities: Parents will have the opportunity to volunteer during tournaments, events, or other activities organized by the Bellevue Badminton Club. Tasks may include event coordination, assisting with ladders, or providing support during tournaments and events.

• Refundable Volunteer Fee: A $100 refundable volunteer fee will be collected at the beginning of each season. This fee can be fully refunded to parents upon completing the required volunteer hours during that season. If there are no volunteer opportunities during the season, the volunteer fee will be refunded.

Alternative for Non-Volunteers: Parents who are unable to volunteer within the season can choose to consider the $100 as a non-refundable volunteer fee. This fee will be absorbed by the program and contribute to the overall development of the badminton community.