A county pathway for promising young players — from a first talent day with your local club, right through to representing Derbyshire in the National Shires League.
Our two U15 squads went head to head in an all-Derbyshire National Shires League fixture. It's exactly what the county pathway is about: young players growing their game, competing with confidence and enjoying it together.
Every county player starts somewhere. Our talent days and sessions bring young players, volunteer coaches and families together to learn, play and have fun.
Everything current players and squad parents need in one place: training, fixtures, your squad and club news.
Pulled automatically from each squad's fixture list.
Pick a squad to see its team and fixtures.
Check Spond for your group and any last-minute changes. Meet the coaching team →
Chellaston SchoolChellaston
Get directions →Derbyshire Junior Badminton is the county's pathway for promising young players, built on three pillars: health, friends and sportsmanship. Alongside training and matches there's a friendly parent network and social events through the season. Here's how joining works, even if your child has never played competitively.
Age doesn't matter. Whether your child is just starting out or already in their teens, they're welcome to get in touch. We'll find the right group for them.
Completely new to badminton? A county trial can feel daunting for brand-new players, so we also point beginners to friendly local starter clubs linked with DJB. They're a relaxed way to learn the basics, play every week and build up to a trial when your child is ready. See local starter clubs ↓
Get in touch with DJB and your child is invited to a trial, whatever their age. No club or coach recommendation is needed.
Players ready for county development are placed in a training group. If it's a bit early, we'll point you to a grassroots session to build up.
You register a parent account on Spond, keep your membership details up to date and pay the annual membership fee. We then assign your training group.
We create or update your child's Badminton England (JustGo) account and send you the details. Then it's on to Performance Centre training.
Players join from grassroots badminton, trial for the County Performance Centre, then represent Derbyshire in competitions, with a route through to the senior team.
The National Shires League: Derbyshire's junior teams play counties from across the country. Weekend fixtures cover boys' and girls' singles, doubles and mixed doubles, with every match counting towards the team result. Rules & scoresheet
The Inter-County Tournament (ICT): our strongest Under-19 players are selected to represent Derbyshire against the best junior players from other counties. Selection comes from county training, trials and Shires performances. Watch Derbyshire at the ICT on YouTube
Beyond the county: players can also enter the Badminton England Circuit, which leads on to the Nationals, as well as friendlies and restricted events through the season.
DJB is run not for profit. Fees cover courts, shuttles, coaching, trophies and Badminton England membership, with any surplus going back into development: junior coaches, tournaments and concessions. All payments are made through Spond.
Fees shown are for the 2025/26 season and may change. Training times and venues are on the Members page.
Most county players start in grassroots badminton: junior clubs, school badminton and coaching sessions like these. They're a great way to play weekly and build towards a trial.
Derby club running junior coaching sessions.
Visit Rolls-Royce BCJunior badminton coaching and holiday camps around Derbyshire.
Visit Bright Star SportsRunning a junior club or school session in Derbyshire? Let the committee know so it can be listed here.
Derbyshire Junior Badminton is the county's development programme for promising young players, running age-group teams that compete in the National Shires League.
We work closely with local junior clubs across Derbyshire to spot and develop talent — not just in Derby city, but right across the county. The programme is run by a volunteer committee alongside a team of qualified coaches, all focused on giving juniors a genuine pathway from their first talent day through to representing Derbyshire in national fixtures.
Our mission: give every promising junior in Derbyshire — whatever club they play for — a genuine, well-supported pathway from their first talent day through to representing the county on the national stage.
A volunteer committee supports three tiers of play, with players progressing from grassroots foundations through Performance Centre training to competitive achievement.
Ask about: trial outcomes, joining, fees, fixtures and Spond.
Helps new families join and keeps member records.
Looks after new and returning members, from trial outcome through to joining, keeps membership records up to date, and answers families’ questions about fees, registration and Badminton England accounts.
Organises fixtures and runs Spond: registrations, messages and payments.
Arranges county fixtures with other counties and keeps match dates up to date. Also manages the organisation’s Spond platform, including member registration, group communication, event scheduling, attendance, payments, and keeping members updated with important information.
Ask about: payments, receipts and budgets.
Looks after DJB’s money, budgets and payments.
Manages financial records, budgets, payments, receipts, and ensures accurate and transparent financial administration.
Ask about: safeguarding, club links and competitions.
Worried about something? Talk to Nicole about any safeguarding or wellbeing concern.
Email the Welfare Officer →Nicole is the first point of contact for any safeguarding or wellbeing concern. She makes sure DJB follows Badminton England safeguarding policy, that coaches and volunteers have the right checks and training, and that every player feels safe, respected and supported at training, fixtures and events.
Links DJB with clubs, schools and community sessions.
Builds links with junior clubs, schools and community sessions across Derbyshire, helps spot promising young players, and makes sure families know how to get involved in the county pathway.
Organises the Inter-County Tournament for DJB.
Coordinates and oversees the Inter-County Tournament, including team entries, fixtures, communication with counties, venues, officials, scheduling, and ensuring the tournament runs smoothly.
Every session across the four age groups is delivered by our qualified coaching team — several of whom came up through the county programme themselves.
County coaching runs three times a week across Derby. Check Spond for your group and any changes to the schedule.
Chellaston SchoolChellaston
Get directions →Leads a coaching team made up of qualified Level 1 and Level 2 coaches delivering the county programme across all four age groups.
Senior-age Juniors — ready to play? Ready to lead? Start your coaching journey.I am a University PhD student and Sport and Exercise Psychologist in Training, with a Level 2 coaching qualification and experience working across a range of badminton settings. My coaching experience includes working with junior county players and University development teams, supporting coaching at the England Junior Performance Pathway through regional performance hubs, delivering one-to-one coaching, and working with players at a Special Olympics badminton club. I am passionate about developing players both on and off the court, creating inclusive, supportive environments that help individuals reach their potential.
Building confident, resilient players, on and off the court.I am a fully qualified Level 2 badminton coach with a massive passion for the sport and our local badminton community. When I’m not on the court coaching, you’ll usually find me in the stands—I travel to support the county team at as many Derbyshire games as I can.
I am currently available for private 1-to-1 coaching sessions. Whether you want to master your footwork, sharpen your tactical game, or completely overhaul your technique, I tailor every session to your personal goals. Let's work together to take your game to the next level!
Supports sessions across the programme as a Level 1 coach, helping deliver safe, structured and enjoyable training for our younger and newer players. A Level 1 qualification is the entry point on the coaching pathway — it focuses on assisting more experienced coaches, reinforcing basic technique and movement, and giving players a positive first experience of organised badminton, ahead of progressing toward Level 2.
New to badminton? Ready to learn? Build your skills.Every coach in our programme holds a Badminton England coaching qualification, certified by 1st4sport — a nationally recognised awarding body for sports coaching. The pathway has three levels, each building on the last, so parents can be confident their child is learning from coaches trained to a national standard:
Level 1 — Assistant Coach. The first step on the coaching ladder, training coaches to support sessions under the guidance of a Level 2 (or higher) coach.
Level 2 — Coach. Builds on Level 1, giving a coach the skills and confidence to plan, deliver and assess sessions independently.
Level 3 — Head Coach. The highest badminton-specific coaching qualification, focused on leading a coaching team and supporting players' longer-term development and progression.
Source: 1st4sport / Badminton England coaching qualifications.
The U13 age group is where many players take their first steps into competitive county badminton. Sessions build core technique, movement and match awareness in a supportive environment.
Managers: Donna Kellogg and Mustafa Sadiq
Girls: Eden, Hailey, Harper, Inaya, Maddie, Nikshipta
Boys: Aden, Jack, Luke, Prem, Vickram, Yinrun
U15 players build on the fundamentals with faster-paced drills and a fuller programme of competitive fixtures, including National Shires League matches.
Managers: Linda Hitchcock, Mustafa Sadiq, Katie Andrews and Phil Watts
Boys: Advay, Harry, Keean, Isaac, John, Alex, Ben, Freddy, Miller, Yinrun
Girls: Nidhii, Nikshipta, Ranya, Holly, Lucy, Inaya, Aruna, Evie, Isabella, Mia
At U17, players train and compete at a higher intensity, often balancing county badminton with GCSE or college commitments.
Managers: Ram Mahadevan and Chun-Ho Ong
Boys: Daniel, Advay, Harry, Keean, Karson, Isaac, John
Girls: Chinmayi, Caylee, Nidhii, Kyanne, Sahana, Sharleez, Jubilee
Our U19 squad is the bridge between junior and senior county badminton, with players expected to train and compete like adults while still developing.
Managers: Chun-Ho Ong and Gokila SivaKumar
Boys: Joe, Saiyoush, Daniel, Advay, James, Adi, Harry, Keean
Girls: Chinmayi, Caylee, Nidhii, Kyanne, Sahana, Sharleez, Anahita
This is where updates, results and announcements for Derbyshire Junior Badminton will be posted.
Our two U15 squads went head to head in an all-Derbyshire National Shires League fixture. Thanks to managers Linda, Mustafa, Phil and Katie, and to all the families who came along to support.
Trophies and medals were presented at the U17 Restricted Tournament. Congratulations to all our players who took part.
The official rules of the game, where to check ratings, and how we run the club — a few links worth bookmarking.
The official laws of the game — scoring, service faults, lets and court dimensions — explained in full.
Read the lawsThe junior county league our U13, U15, U17 and U19 squads play in. Check the competition rules, fixtures and results on the official Shires League site.
Shires League rulesLook up national rankings and player gradings, including ratings for players registered in Derbyshire.
View rankingsWe run registration, event scheduling, attendance and payments through Spond — get the app to stay on top of sessions and fixtures.
Official coaching qualifications, courses and development opportunities — including how to start or progress on the coaching pathway.
Visit Badminton England CoachesDerby club running junior coaching sessions — a great place to play and improve week to week.
Visit Rolls-Royce BCJunior badminton coaching and holiday camps delivered by Bright Star Sports around Derbyshire.
Visit Bright Star SportsKnow a good local resource that should be listed here? Let the committee know via the contact details.
Every trial, talent day and National Shires League fixture is run by volunteers and funded through sponsorship. Choose a partnership tier below, or get in touch about something bespoke to your business.
Headline partner — Logo on the homepage hero and every age-group page, branding on match kit, and pitch-side presence at National Shires League home fixtures.
Season partner — Logo in the site footer, a feature on our News page, and a mention in matchday communications for a full season.
Local partner — Listing on our Resources page, plus a shout-out at talent days and local coaching sessions across the county.
Bespoke support — Sponsor a single age group, a trophy, a kit run or a talent day. Tell us what you'd like to fund and we'll build a package around it.
Where your support goes: court hire, coaching qualifications, kit, and travel for players representing Derbyshire at National Shires League fixtures — helping talented juniors from right across the county get a genuine shot at the county team, not just those in Derby city.
Whichever tier suits you — or if you'd like to discuss a custom package — the county committee would love to hear from you.
Contact the club