Playing badminton in Coventry
Written by a club that plays in the Coventry league, for anyone working out where to play. Including the players we are the wrong club for.
How the league works
The Coventry Badminton Association runs three separate competitions with 14 divisions between them. Each has a Premier Division at the top and numbered divisions below it, and clubs enter as many teams as they can field.
- Men's Premier, then 5 numbered divisions
- Ladies' Premier, then 2 numbered divisions
- Mixed Premier, then 4 numbered divisions
Promotion and relegation move teams between divisions each season, so a club can be strong in one competition and mid-table in another.
What a league night is like
A fixture is doubles, played in a school or leisure centre sports hall, starting at half seven and finishing around half nine. Feather shuttles throughout the league. Pairs from each club play a set number of rubbers, everyone shakes hands at the end and goes home.
You need indoor non-marking shoes and your own racket. The club sorts out everything else.
Finding the right level
Most people who get in touch with a club describe themselves as intermediate. It is the most common word in badminton and one of the least useful, because it means something different to everyone using it. A better question is which division you could hold a place in.
Monsoon Active looks for top-level local league or county experience, which covers only the upper reaches of the 14 divisions in the league. That leaves a lot of good badminton, at a lot of clubs, for everyone else. If you are still learning, a league club night is a frustrating place to do it: start with a pay-and-play session or a club that coaches, and come back.
- Coventry Badminton Association
Every club in the Coventry league, with venues, contacts and current tables.
- Badminton England club finder
Search affiliated clubs and sessions by postcode across the Midlands.
- Coventry City Council directory
Council-listed sports and leisure activities, including casual badminton sessions.
- Warwick Sport
Pay-and-play courts and social sessions at the Sports and Wellness Hub.
If you already compete
Then come to club night. Monsoon Active plays in Coventry, holds all three Premier Division titles, and a visiting player pays £10 a night. Email Kenroy Harrison and say what you have played.