Badminton Europe recently hosted a Shuttle Time Teacher & Tutor course in Vantaa, Finland, aimed at helping educators bring badminton into school environments.

Part of the global initiative by Badminton World Federation and supported by Badminton Europe, the programme equips teachers with the tools to deliver fun, safe, and structured badminton lessons—particularly in countries where the sport is still developing. With participants from seven different countries in the tutors' course, and participants from four different countries in the teachers course, the programme has been a success.

“The goal is to make our members as self-sufficient as possible,” said Development & High Performance Manager Jeroen van Dijk. “By educating tutors, they can then train their own teachers and build a programme in their country.”

Georgia’s Gayane Chakhoyan sees it as an important step forward. “This will help promote badminton among school children. I want to involve as many teachers as possible and make the sport more popular,” she said.

For Finland’s Sonja Granqvist, a former professional player, the course also offered practical takeaways. “I’ve learned more about feedback techniques and how to organise teacher courses,” she explained, adding that she hopes to run similar initiatives for coaches and teachers in Finland.

With participants now returning home equipped to educate others, the impact of the course extends far beyond the classroom in Finland. By empowering teachers and building local knowledge, Shuttle Time continues to lay the groundwork for long-term growth—helping badminton reach more schools, more children, and ultimately strengthening the sport across Europe.