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Two badminton rackets with blue and white frames and a shuttlecock between them on a white surface, with the word 'Badminton' written across the image.

Badminton Academy Program

Program Overview

The Maribyrnong Sports Academy (MSA) Badminton Program is one of Australia’s premier school-based badminton development pathways, providing talented student-athletes with access to elite coaching, high-performance training, and nationally recognised development opportunities. In 2023, MSA became a Badminton Australia Performance Pathway Partner, making it the only school in Victoria to hold this prestigious status at the time. This recognition reflects the academy’s commitment to developing athletes from the foundational stages of the sport through to elite national and international competition.

Badminton Australia established the Performance Pathway Partner Program to create sustainable high-performance environments within schools, clubs, and associations that can support athlete development at every stage. Through this initiative, MSA works closely with both Badminton Australia and Badminton Victoria to provide student-athletes with a clear and structured pathway towards state, national, and international representation.

The coaching team consists entirely of Australian Badminton accredited coaches who bring extensive experience from both national and international competition. Their knowledge allows student-athletes to learn not only the technical aspects of badminton but also the physical, tactical, and mental skills required to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.

MSA Badminton is particularly proud of its strong history of athlete success. Alumni student-athletes such as Gronya Somerville and Jacob Schueler progressed through the MSA program before earning selection in Australian national squads and representing their country at major international events, including the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and numerous international championships.

The program is designed to support student-athletes in achieving their individual sporting goals. Many athletes aspire to gain selection in Victorian Junior Teams and compete at prestigious national events such as the Val Nesbitt Trophy (U15), June Bevan Trophy (U17), and C.P. Maddern Trophy (U19), as well as national age-group championships. Others pursue opportunities to represent Australia at World Junior Championships, World Senior Championships, the Thomas and Uber Cups, Commonwealth Games, and ultimately the Olympic Games.

Through expert coaching, high-performance training, and strong pathway connections, the MSA Badminton Program provides student-athletes with an outstanding environment to develop, compete, and excel in one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.

Three boys playing badminton in an indoor gymnasium. Two of the boys are standing on one side of the net, while the third boy is on the opposite side preparing to hit the shuttlecock.
A digital profile card of Ben Walklate, head badminton coach, with a photo of him wearing a blue sports shirt with red and yellow accents, standing against a blue background, smiling, with text highlighting his credentials and coaching history.
Two young women in navy blue sports uniforms with red and yellow accents playing badminton indoors, carrying pink badminton rackets, on a wooden gymnasium floor with yellow and blue equipment in the background.
Text with names and titles of coaches, including Ross Smith, Erin Walklate, Veevian Chong, Nelson Oon, on a blue background with a yellow stripe at the bottom that has the logo 'MSA'.
A young boy wearing a blue sports jersey with yellow letters and black shorts is playing table tennis indoors on a wooden floor, with blue wall panels in the background.