Has the Performance Centre model survived its childhood ? the answer is yes. There has been a high mortality rate where funding has run out, however the Performance Centres which have survived are strong and well structured, they are working well with the County Badminton structure and the learning curve has been tough for all parties. If the Child is wanting to play Badminton for the County or competitions the Performance Centre now is the place to be.
Around the Country with Sponsors like us at badmintonalpha, Forza and Adidas taking a strong lead in supporting with team kit and coaching the generation of Performance players are starting to flow through the system at under 13 level and below, is very encouraging for both Coaches, players and of course the Parents who have spend their hard earned money.
There is still a long way to go and funding is always a problem. The support the Performance Centres have had in the past will not be there over the next few years the gap will have to be closed in other ways, there is a good long term future for the Performance Centre providing they are run sensibly.
The infrastructure is improving all the time, being fine tuned by both the Pc's themselves and Badminton England but they need to to survive this long term plan. Will it give us good English players who can compete? This is a question we cannot answer for another few years yet.
