JESÚS GUTIÉRREZ LÓPEZ
Badminton Federation of Mexico
Childhood Days
I was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico. My childhood was fun as I had many friends and was always into sports. In my childhood, I spent most of my free time playing soccer. I used to play badminton with my brothers as recreation, but my first contact with organised badminton was in my second semester of my physical culture and sport degree at the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes. I was invited to participate as a line judge in the BWF World Junior Championships 2010 in Guadalajara. I was fascinated. Top players like Viktor Axelsen and Carolina Marin were participating, and I feel now that I was very lucky to be there.
Early Impressions
I was surprised by the speed with which it developed, and the strength and passion with which the players competed. From that event, badminton began to be part of my daily life. I started my career as a umpire and later as a referee and at the same time trained as a coach. I began to get involved with the badminton association of the state of Aguascalientes to help the development of the sport.
Memorable Moments
Participating in events such as the Pan American Games, BWF World Junior Championships, and other international and national championships, living with Olympic and high-performance athletes, and meeting badminton people from all over the world are experiences that I would not change for anything.
What Badminton Means
It is practically my life — I work as a teacher in badminton, I’m a badminton coach, I’m a referee, most of my friends are in badminton, my little nephews have started practicing badminton. In other words, all areas of my life are related to badminton. Just the fact that the shuttlecock is the fastest object in sport means that it is more spectacular than many other sports. Also, the fact that practically everyone can practice it makes it so valuable.
Developing Badminton in the Community
We started by conducting Shuttle Time courses aimed at PE teachers and now we have the gold accreditation at the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes in the Shuttle Time university course. This has helped us to have more clubs; badminton is now practiced in other municipalities of our state.
In terms of infrastructure, we now have more mats and better material support so that our players can develop nationally and internationally.
Influence of Shuttle Time
Shuttle Time has helped grow the Aguascalientes badminton family. It has given us the base to standardise the teaching of badminton. It has helped us develop coaches, players and technical officials, and it has helped us have more sources of employment.
Badminton is a sport with complex technique which requires different motor skills. Its teaching need not be difficult if the correct methods are applied with the necessary instructions, and it can be fun for children or anyone who is starting out.
