|
|
|
|
Source: http://www.badminton.ca
Date:Mai 2006
Mike Beres and Will Milroy Hit North Carolina
By William Milroy
(April 30, 2006) North Carolina - Two Days.
Two World Champions. 8 exhibition events and 4000 screaming kids. What an incredible experience!
It started out that Mike and I were forwarded a request by a badminton enthusiast
in North Carolina who wanted to have a two-day exhibition event. A former Canadian
player many moons ago, Paul Knechtel told us that he had a commitment from the
current Mens Doubles Champions, Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan, to come and
participate in his event in the Raleigh/Durham area. Needless to say, it did not
take very much more convincing to attract us to come and participate.?
In our minds, it was a chance to play and practice with Howard and Tony, the 2005
Cinderella story of the 2005 World Championships, but we were not prepared at all
for what was in store for us! Paul Knechtel started this event last year when he
invited former USA Champion Kevin Han to participate in a two day promotional
tour that focused on promoting the sport of badminton to middle school children
(Grades 6-8), while also delivering an important message regarding the importance
of education in a young person's life. Armed with the slogan "Set your goals,
Follow your dreams and Get your education", Paul continued the event with the
goal of making it bigger and better. To do this, he put together a whirlwind
tour of 8 exhibition events over 2 days, targeted to reach over 4000 kids.
Here is a little taste of what our schedule was like on the first day:
- Leave hotel by 7:15 am
- Perform 4 separate school exhibitions over 9 hours
- Perform 1 two-hour exhibition from 7pm-9pm
- Back at the hotel for 10pm
I tell you, the first 4 exhibitions were pretty amazing. Thousands of kids who
were both excited to be out of class and excited to be seeing some badminton
that they never knew could exist. I admit....there was a little bit of showmanship
involved and playing to the crowds, but they were great fun with a high level of
energy. The highlight, of course for us, was the opportunity that night to play
a full match against the Americans. We lost in three sets but it was a great
opportunity to elevate our game and have exposure to a speed of playing that
is not always available to us at home in Canada.
The next day was just as exhausting as the first. Only three events were planned,
but that did not change anything. We still had to be out of the hotel by 8:15 am
and on court by 9 am for a 2 hour clinic. After that was over, we hopped in the
van and drove two hours to Charlotte for another 2 hour event. Of course, with
only one more left in the day, we drove back from Charlotte to Raleigh/Durham to
participate in the Grand Finale. Well, it turned out that it was raining like a
South Asian monsoon, so combined with hockey playoffs and a later start time,
the attendance was a little lower than expected. As well, the energy from the
players was a little bit lower than the previous day's match, so the quality was
not as high during our match. Mike and I lost in two straight sets without getting
much rhythm or anything going for us against the Champs. So, since we definitely
lost the badminton portion of the event, we took the opportunity to win the crowd,
a usual tactic for us at this point in the trip. With an almost unbeatable
performance in the "Return the Smash" contest, Mike "The Hammer" Beres went with
a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. Unfortunately, I could not say that my record was
as impressive, but I was up against some serious competition. I mean, this kid
must have been practicing to beat my smash all weekend. I could even see him in
the crowd trying to get my timing down. But hey, no excuses right.....?
Overall, it was awesome. Great organizing from Paul and his team, combined with
some incredible receptions from the schools, made this event a total success.
Another special feature about this event was the fact that it was all captured
on camera. The on-court performances and antics at the schools. The off-court
chatter in the van between Mike, Tony, Howard and Myself. And of course one of
the best Smashing Contests ever captured on film, even if it does come at the
expense of me losing to a 7 year old! I have heard that the DVD is coming later
this summer but you will have to keep checking www.badmintonvm.com for more details.
Thanks to Vigor Media and Black Knight for their help in bringing the filming
crew with us and thanks to Badminton Canada for getting us in touch with Paul
and his North Carolina organizing committee. Most of all thanks to all the kids
and supporters who treated us so well over our weekend. You inspired us to work
like dogs, and made it an event to be remembered.
William Milroy
Vice-President Players Association
|
|
|
|
|
| © copyright 2005 Badminton RTP |
|
|
|
