A BROMSGROVE badminton coach is hanging up his shuttlecock after more than 30 years teaching hundreds of children and adults to play the popular racket sport.
Roy Gibson originally took up the role as a stand-in for four weeks back in 1992 after being asked by Ken Watkins from Bromsgrove District Council’s Sports Development Team.
But, he continued in the coaching job at Waseley Hills High School’s sports hall, and those few weeks turned into three decades.
Such were his skills at coaching, some youngsters who could not hit a shuttlecock when they arrived for sessions went on to play badminton for clubs and county.
Among those playing were students undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme.
Roy, who was also well-known in Bromsgrove town centre for being a council parking warden for a number of years, said:: “Everyone doing the D of E needed to do some sporting activity but a lot of the really academic ones were not keen to begin with.
“Many hoped they could come and sit in a corner as a tick box exercise but I managed to get them taking part and ensured they could all play by the time the sessions had finished.”
The 30 years he completed as a coach is testament to his tenacity and determination – he has had prostate cancer, a knee replacement in 2019 and needed surgery for a broken hip last year but he kept on going,
Roy is now swapping his rackets for spades and trowels and intends to spend more time on his allotment growing fruit and veg.
He also celebrated his 50th anniversary on September 23 and praised his wife for her support and ‘for putting up with him going off coaching every Wednesday night’.
And he thanked Gomez Vincent from sports development team for all his help and support.
“It has been great to see so many people of all ages progress but now I think it is time to call it a day.”
