POTTSTOWN >> Floyd Wilkins was without a home or job last summer when he noticed community members working together to set up a badminton club. The recreational sport not only led Wilkins to much needed employment but also helped put a roof over his head.
The 24/7 badminton facility Smashville relocated to the third floor of 310 E. High St. from West High Street in 2015. A Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation grant helped facilitate the move. Wilkins was struggling to find a job and saw the relocation as an opportunity.
“He showed up one day at the front door interested in doing some work and we happened to have lots of drywall coming that day,” said Eric Miller, Smashville founder and Pennsylvania Badminton Association president. “We said, ‘We’ll put you to work in two hours,’ and sure enough he showed up in two hours. After that, he would show up every day. We taught him how to do drywall, how to paint, how to put in flooring and insulation.”
Wilkins played a major part in the construction of Smashville’s new location and to show their appreciation, the nonprofit organization created a donation page in his name. People can give a tax deductible donation to Smashville and Wilkins will work off their contribution. Because of donations, Wilkins was able to afford a small room in Pottstown.
While stringing racquets at Smashville, Wilkins became interested in the sport and started to learn how to play badminton. People like Wilkins are exactly the reason why Miller started Smashville which fosters amateur sports competitions.
“I opened this club because I wanted to help give back to the sport,” Miller said. “Smashville aims to be inclusive of all players. We recognize that higher level players want to get advanced level games in, however as a 24/7 dedicated facility, I believe we have the time and courts to accommodate everybody… Maybe a luxury that other clubs with limited court time just can’t offer. I think having unlimited badminton available helps foster players’ attitudes of being more inclusive and playing with everybody.”
Badminton became popular in England around the mid-1800s. The racquet sport involves at least two opponents hitting a shuttle cock, also known as a birdie, on a tabletop court back and forth across a net. A rally is a series of shots between players that starts with a serve and ends when a point is made when the birdie hits the ground. In a match, three games are played to 21 points each.
A badminton tournament was held in January to help celebrate Smashville’s new location. About 50 players of all different skill levels came to the tournament, some travelling from New Jersey, Miller said. Wilkins took home second place in the rookie doubles division.
“It was a moving experience to see this place transform from a pile of junk and rubble into a badminton tournament venue hosting some of our region’s top talent as well as local college teams and our local rookies. The support and enthusiasm from our community has been awesome,” Miller said.
Badminton is a very physically demanding sport. Players cover about four miles in one hour and make about thirteen shots per rally, according to the United States Badminton Association. Experienced players can hit the birdie at speeds more than 200 miles per hour. This is why it is considered the fastest racquet sport in the world, even compared to tennis. Tennis games typically last about three hours but players only cover about two miles and make about three shots per rally.
“Essentially, badminton players run twice as much as tennis players in half of the time,” Miller said. “And beginners can get a rally going. In tennis, you need a fair amount of training.”
On March 12, the club will have an official grand opening equipped with food, music and even a ribbon cutting to introduce Smashville to the local community. Though the grand opening is next month, the club is open for play now. Every Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. children up to age 18 that have a Pottstown address play for free. Adults are welcome to try the sport on club play nights which are every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and all day on Saturday and Sunday. All other times are available by reservation only, or open to those with premium club memberships.
Miller plans to add pickleball and table tennis to the facility this September. For more information about Smashville, visit the website www.smashville.us or the twitter account @SmashPA.
