Lucas Punkari
After coaching local badminton players in Fort Frances for the last 20 years, Manami Alexander is moving on.
The long-time coach will be moving to Winnipeg this weekend, where she will be living with her daughter Anika who is playing squash and training in the city.
“I just got a job offer there last Thursday and they want me to start this Monday (the 13th), so I’m leaving here on Saturday,” Alexander explained.
“It’s earlier than I planned, and I’m rushing to prepare to move right now,” she added.
Having started her coaching here with the Muskie badminton team in 1992, Alexander started the local junior program here in 1996, and has watched it grow over the years.
“At that time, I felt the need of a junior program was needed to prepare those high school players for their seasons,” Alexander explained.
“There was a local badminton club with recreational players, but no one from the club went to a tournament, so I started to go out of town for tournaments in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg to start networking with other badminton players and clubs.
“We started to host our own tournament in 1998, and it has grown to be a tournament with 100 participants over the years,” she added.
Since that time, the work of the junior program has been shown through numerous appearances by Muskie players to the all-Ontario championships, and a couple of players having the chance to play at the junior nationals.
“I’ve seen the junior badminton program establish a strong base and provide many youths the opportunity to learn the sport and exceed their goals,” Alexander enthused.
“I’ve enjoyed coaching from the small seven year olds to the high school and university players, as well as some parents and adult players who are trying to improve their badminton skills, and I’m so glad to see there are a group of people enjoying badminton on a regular basis and some of them competing at various tournaments.
“Over the years, there were some difficult times for me to keep running the program and organize the big tournament every season, but it was so rewarding for me to see the players improve and enjoy the sport and experience going to tournaments and making friends as youths,” she added.
“I’ve grown with these players as a coach and I can’t appreciate enough to parents who trusted me to let me teach and guide their children in the sport and their support to the club and tournaments.”
While Alexander will be leaving town, the local junior badminton program itself will be in good hands with people ready to help take it over.
“I had talked to the badminton club members about my plan before and asked some parents to help continue with the programs for juniors,” Alexander noted.
“Shari Bujold and her husband (Louis) will probably help with the junior practices, but I’m not sure if he would help with Muskie badminton.
“But Taylor Whitehead is coming up to high school, so his dad Dave might help, and I will be helping as much as I can from Winnipeg,” she added.
While she is sad to have to leave her coaching activities here, Alexander is hoping to see the programs continue to grow in the years to come, while also thanking those that have helped her out along the way.
“I would like to thank the club members, parents, and the high school staff for their support in the junior program, along with everyone else who has helped to promote the badminton program here,” she added.
