Boys in Y7 were excited to receive a very special badminton games session on Wednesday from none other than Olympic Silver medallist Gail Emms MBE.
Gail joined forces with her sister, Lisa Emms (as many of you will know as our science technician), for the fun session.
Gail, who is keen to encourage everyone to play badminton, enthused the boys about the fun and fast-paced sport – said to be the world’s fastest game – in the introductory session. Did you know the fastest recorded badminton smash reached 351 mph? For comparison, Andy Murray’s fastest serve is 145 mph.
Starting with long, gentle rallies, the boys soon progressed to trying their hands at clear shots, drop shots and smashes. Gail explained, “If you can throw a ball, you can play badminton. It is a brilliant sport for agility and flexibility, and it is great alongside other sports as the skills are easily transferable.” And, especially apt on a cold January day, the fact that it is an indoor game is one of the reasons it is the world’s most popular game in terms of participation after football.
