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Steve Butler: high potential to succeed
Date: 9/22/2020 11:37 AM
Published by : Alan Raftery
Poland has announced their new Head Coach, Steve Butler. Learn more about the move and what this could mean for the future of Polish badminton. 

Butler represented England and helped his country win a gold medal in the 1990 Commonwealth Games team event. Individually, he won the Canadian Open in 1988 and added the US Open in 1991. 

Butler has since accumulated extensive coaching experience and left England for North America, where he won his titles. He coached in New York and then Colorado, where he became the United States National Coach. In 1997, he returned to become the England national coach for the junior team and then in 2002 became the National men’s singles coach until 2005, returning to the same role a decade later in 2015. Having worked with the likes of Rajiv Ouseph, Toby Penty, Sam Parsons and Rhys Walker, he has experience of developing high-level talent. 

For Butler, the timeframe for applying and receiving an offer for this role was fairly quick. As he adds.

- I received a lot of information regarding the set-up in Poland and was fully briefed on what the responsibilities were going to be. It did not take me long to decide to accept the position as I think the opportunities to develop the level in Poland are excellent and of course, there is a history of success within their federation. 

The chances for success are high
Followers of Badminton Europe will know that Poland is coming off the back of a golden era, with the likes of Robert Mateusiak, Michał Łogosz, Nadia Zięba and Przemysław Wacha all retiring and becoming involved in coaching the new generation. Commenting on how involved they will be, Butler says.
 
- The coaches have designated groups so my main responsibility will be for singles players whilst I will oversee the coaching program.

Like he did in the late nineties, Butler will leave England, making a permanent move to Poland in early October. Discussing how he feels about this move and how he will enjoy the support from the experienced former players, he states. 

- I am excited to be the Head Coach in a coaching system that involves some of the legends of Polish badminton. There is a lot of coaching experience from elite to junior level and with four designated centres throughout Poland, the chances for success are high. 

Butler will also be involved in coach education and talent identification initiatives. He admits that there will be some challenges, namely the language barrier, but says there are many positives which meant he could not turn down the role. Especially as he feels that the future is bright. 

- I believe there are many Polish players with high potential to succeed and they possess many of the characteristics needed to become winners in the future. 

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