Pauline Leadbeater with the scooter she was given by the GBA on her retirement. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0573250)
BADMINTON is to lose the services of one of its longest servants. Pauline Leadbeater has decided to take a back seat and step down from the day-to-day running of St Michael’s Juniors.
The 71-year-old, who took over the running of the club in 1956 with her late husband, Reg, said it had never felt like 52 years in charge. ‘I don’t know where the years have gone, but I have had so much enjoyment from doing it and watching the children improve.’
Leadbeater said she would miss helping and encouraging youngsters to develop through the junior ranks to become top senior players and that taking them away to compete and seeing her own children develop into such good players had been outstanding memories of her badminton career.
‘My late husband and I attended each Island Games from the first one in the Isle of Man to Shetland in 2005, in which most of the medal winners had been juniors who had come through our junior clubs.’
Guernsey Badminton Asso-ciation president John Stuart paid tribute to Leadbeater and on behalf of all the GBA clubs, players and the committee presented her with a new motor scooter.
‘St Michael’s Juniors have, without doubt, been the backbone of junior club play in the island,’ said Stuart.
‘And I do not say this to understate Feathers Junior Club or the fantastic efforts of Jean Carey, Jackie Chilton and other helpers and supporters who ran that very successful club on Saturday afternoons.
‘It is simply that the family commitment of Reg and Pauline extending over 50 years is an incredible dedication to our sport.’
Leadbeater admits the landscape of badminton has changed through the years.
She said the recent bureaucracy and paperwork were low points.
‘Everything was much more straightforward years ago.’
Leadbeater also feels too much training goes on nowadays as opposed to game play which teaches children how to win.
‘I am so grateful that people have remembered me over the years and appreciated my contribution to badminton enough to give me such a lovely present.
‘Who knows I may even pop up to the badminton halls from time to time on it.’
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