The Shannon Pohl Badminton Academy offers private lessons, group lessons, camps, coaching clinics, tournaments, badminton open gym, and a pro shop. Shannon Pohl is also available for demonstrations and speeches. For more information about the Shannon Pohl Badminton Academy, sponsorship opportunities, or to book her for an event, please contact Shannon.

Register for winter programming today!

Join us for badminton private lessons and classes today for all ages and levels! Currently only 2 players are allowed on a court at a time (singles style) during all programming for extreme social distancing. That’s your own area of 22 feet by 20 feet! Join us today! The winter session runs November 30th-February 14th, the day before high school tryouts. This is the last session of badminton before the start of the high school season on February 15th! Starting late? No worries, we can pro-rate if there is availability!

• Beginner Class ages 6-10 (offered 1-3 days a week)
• Beginner Class ages 11+ (offered 1-5 days a week)
• Advanced Beginner Class (offered 1-4 days a week)
• Intermediate/Advanced Class (offered 1-2 days a week)
• Elite Junior Team (3-4 day a week tournament training)
• Elite Senior Team (3-4 day a week tournament training)
• Private Lessons with Shannon, Andres, or Clay
• Semi Private Lessons with Shannon, Andres, or Clay
• Adult Class (Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 p.m.)

Winter Session Schedule and Pricing

New Protocols Starting Friday, 11/20

The State of Illinois goes into the Tier 3 Mitigation Plan, Friday, November 20. The Shannon Pohl Badminton Academy is committed to continuing our services while also adhering to these new safety guidelines. 

The good news is most of what we have been doing is already compliant under the new mitigation plan!!!!!

Starting Friday, November 20th, we will adhere to the following additional policies:

• We must now operate at no more than 25% capacity. No changes need to be made for us here as we have been doing that since the beginning of the pandemic and with the restrictions during Tier 3 Mitigation further limiting us we are likely to be operating at 8-15% capacity at the most during this time.

•Face Coverings must be worn at all times throughout the facility, even while exercising on court and playing badminton, regardless of spacing. 

• For Students: Individual Training is allowed to continue. We received further clarification from the State that individual training is defined as no more than two people per court. The good news is our badminton training programs including elite teams, classes and private lessons have already been operating under the two people per court policy since the beginning of the pandemic and are compliant. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have taken extra measures to go above and beyond regulations to keep our students as safe as possible and we will continue to do so! We will take an additional measure at this time during classes so that each student will only practice with one other person per lesson.

• Open gym is paused during Tier 3 Mitigation, court reservations are now required to play at the facility. With the new guidance for the state stating that only 2 players per court are allowed, this means that court rentals will be available for singles play only, with only 2 players per reservation. They can be reserved in advance through the website or the Kourts app as before. Additional players beyond 2 will have to rent another court. Our 2020 standard court rental fee for members is $20/hour with up to 7-day advance booking and $25/hour for non-members with up to 3-day advance booking. We value all of our members and recognize that limiting play to two people per court is a greater financial burden than many of you are used to, so we are currently offering discounted court rental fees to our members at half price for $10/hour.

We want to remind everyone, that prior to entering the play area, all participants must wash their hands in the front bathrooms. We will of course be continuing all of our other previously outlined safety measures.

Thank you for your understanding and for continuing to support the SPBA during this time! We will get through this all together! As circumstances continue to change, we will continue to send updates and follow all protocols. 

Did you know? We have a brand new $70,000 Heathing & Ventilation System at the SPBA!

Part of the construction of the Shannon Pohl Badminton Academy this past year included a brand new state of the art $70,000 heating and ventilation system. Per building codes, fitness & sports centers require a greater quantity of fresh air ventilation than warehouses and office buildings. Not only that, but we bring in fresh outdoor air at 127% above the minimum requirements for a fitness center/sports center. Every 2 hours, the entire volume of the sports floor air is exchanged. Our system was designed by engineers to bring in, and heat outside fresh air and circulate it along with our exhaust fan throughout our huge 20,038 square sports floor.  Not only that, but it was created to work without creating wind that would affect the flight of the shuttle! This system is even more ideal now, during the pandemic, when fresh air from outside instead of re-circulated air creates a safer environment.

Winter Session Registration:

Training will continue as planned following the safety protocols and modifications listed above. The winter schedule is available here. Registration for those who didn’t register during pre-registration is available here.  The winter session runs from November 30th- February 14th, the day before the high school badminton season is scheduled to begin.  Please email any questions to badminton@shannonpohl.com or call 847-722-8857.

Court Rentals

You can book court rentals below, or most easily by downloading the Kourts app on your smart phone. In adherence to the above mentioned new state issued regulations, court rentals are limited to 2 players per court and must follow the safety protocols and modifications listed above.

Update on Exiting the Gym

*** UPDATE: We have made a few amendments to our exit strategy from the gym. Players who don’t drive can continue to be picked up in the back of the gym. For players who drive themselves or parents who wait in their cars, players are now allowed to exit through the front. To avoid players having to share a tight hallway we will continue to use our one-way hallway into the gym and we have created a one-way hallway out of the gym through the pro shop. 

Register for fall classes today!

The fall session starts August 12th and online registration is now available! Sign up today for group or private lessons! 

Interested in a private lesson at a time not listed? Reach out to us and we will see if we can accommodate it!

Would you like to take a lesson with your learning pod? We can arrange group classes and private lessons with your friends from your pod! Email us at badminton@shannonpohl.com to set up times!

SPBA Safety Guidelines for Classes: Fall Session

SPBA Member and Guest Safety Procedures: Fall Session

Click on the image below to read our new regulations during Phase 4 of Restore Illinois!

Open gym is back starting Saturday, 7/4!

Open gym is back starting Saturday, 7/4! Open gym participants must follow all the club rules described in our safety video as well as the rules stated in the Member and Guest Procedures. 

  • In Phase 4, walk ins are permitted during open gym times. Staff will record the names of all participants & spectators. The gym will only allow customers up to 50% capacity. Once capacity is met, a sign on the front door will be placed and no more will be permitted to enter.
  • Spectators are not allowed except for parents of kids ages 10 and under.

Everyone must sign the new Covid-19 Waiver Form. New players must also sign the first two pages of our Standard Waiver Form. Please print out and bring to the gym if possible. There will be more copies at the gym.

We are Open!
Book court rentals, classes or private lessons today!

In addition to Open gym, we are also offering court rentals. You can book court rentals below or through the Kourts app on your phone. Classes and private lessons can be booked here

Members have all been emailed your login information so you can receive preferred timings and discounted pricing for court rentals.

  • Members can book courts up to 7 days in advance. $40 for a 1 hour 50 minute court rental for up to 4 people per state guidelines. You must list the first and last name of all the members of your group when booking your reservation. **All court reservations end 10 minutes early for the safety of the next group.
  • Non-members can book courts up to 3 days in advance. $50 for a 1 hour 50 minute court rental for up to 4  people per state guidelines. You must list the first and last name of all the members of your group when booking your reservation. **All court reservations end 10 minutes early for the safety of the next group.

Court Booking Schedule:
1 court available for court rental during open gym times, as well as other times. Please see the Kourts app for schedule and availability.

Everyone must sign the new Covid-19 Waiver Form. New players must also sign the first two pages of our Standard Waiver Form. Please print out and bring to the gym if possible. There will be more copies at the gym.

 

 

Thanks and we can’t wait to see you back at the courts!

Join us for Online Zoom Badminton Workout Classes!

Thank you all so much for joining us last week and giving us your feedback as we tested out the world of online badminton classes! It was so nice to see all of your friendly faces as we continue to progress together from home! We were excited by the overwhelming response last week with over 100 different participants. 

Online Class Schedule:
Sundays:
11:00-12:30 Beginner Older Ages 11+ / Advanced Beginner
3:30-5:00 Elite Jr. Team / Intermediate
5:00-6:30 Elite Sr. Team

Mondays:
4:00-5:00 Beginner Younger ages 6-10
5:00-6:30 Elite Jr. Team / Intermediate

Tuesdays:
4:00-5:30 Beginner Older Ages 11+ / Advanced Beginner
5:30-6:30 Beginner Younger ages 6-10

Wednesdays:
4:30-6:00 Elite Sr. Team
6:00-7:00 Adult Class

Thursdays:
4:00-5:30 Elite Jr. Team / Intermediate
5:30-7:00 Beginner Older Ages 11+ / Advanced Beginner

Fridays:
4:00-5:30 Elite Sr. Team
5:30-6:30 Beginner Younger ages 6-10

How do online badminton classes work?

One area that is commonly neglected in the pursuit of progressing as a badminton player is physical capacity. Athletes spend so much time working with their bodies that they forget to work on their bodies. Very few badminton classes have enough time for mobility development, strength and coordination training in addition to their standard curriculums.

This is a great off-season time to focus on repairing injuries, building strength, improving speed, agility and flexibility and studying your sport. COVID-19 is the off-season. It doesn’t mean we stop training, we just train differently. Use this time to help develop the physical capacities you need to help you reach your goals and maximize your potential as badminton athletes.

We mix interactive fitness training with hand-eye coordination drills, along with racket skills and most importantly badminton footwork drills. Badminton footwork is a HUGE component of the game that often doesn’t get enough attention in short classes and it’s the fastest way to improve your game. Some countries where badminton is very popular and there aren’t enough courts for everyone have students only do footwork for several years before they are even allowed to step on the court so that they can move with ease and get to the shuttle once they join the court training. As the weeks go on we may also include some discussion topics such as mental training, nutrition, strategies, rules, terminology and more depending on your level.

Price:
1 hour classes cost $10 X the number of classes you choose through May 31st.
1 and a half hour classes cost $15 X the number of classes you choose through May 31st.

How to Register:
* You can join as many days a week as you like.
* Existing students with credit do not need to register for online classes. They have already been sent the link and classes attended will be deducted from your balance in accordance to the email that was sent to you.

For all new students,
1. Email Shannon at badminton@shannonpohl.com and let her know which classes you’d like to join this month.
2. Send payment with Zelle to badminton@shannonpohl.com with your full name in the memo.
3. If you are new to the SPBA, you must fill out the first 2 pages of this waiver form
and email it to badminton@shannonpohl.com.
4. We will then email you a link for each day of the week class you’d like to join.

I’m an adult, can I sign up for online classes?
Absolutely! We’d love for you and your friends to join our Adult class on Wednesdays from 6-7pm.  If you have a group of 5 or more, we can also set up a time for your group!

Further questions?
If you need any technical assistance just drop me an email or give me a call at 847-722-8857 and I’d be happy to help you get set up.  Stay safe and healthy and we hope to see you all online or on the courts soon!  

SPBA closed through May 30th

The SPBA will remain closed through May 30th due to the governor’s emergency stay-at-home order for all of Illinois. There will not be any open gym, private or group lessons during this mandated time. However, we are offering online zoom badminton workout classes of all levels. These classes combine fitness, hand eye coordination, racket skills, and badminton footwork. Join us today for online badminton zoom workout classes! Email Shannon if you’d like to sign up.

We will keep you updated via our newsletter and our website with additional information as we receive it. If you have any questions please email us at badminton@shannonpohl.com

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for your continued support of the Shannon Pohl Badminton Academy over the years as well as through this most difficult time.

We wish you all a safe and healthy return to the courts once this is all over.

The SPBA will be closing for two weeks, starting today, 3/16 to 3/29.

Dear Patrons, Members, Parents, and Students,

At this time we regret to inform you that we will be closing for 2 weeks, starting tonight, in order to help stop the rapid-fire spread of the COVID-19 virus. We are taking this course of action to help protect the health and well-being of our children, families, staff, and the community-at-large.

We have been and will continue to closely monitor the latest developments related to COVID-19 by following the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local health agencies.

We are relaxing our student’s makeup policy during this spring session to allow for the most flexibility possible during these challenging times. All missed classes can be made up for any reason throughout the spring session including classes missed during this break. When we resume classes, we will begin scheduling all makeups. While this is a difficult time in the world of small businesses, we will work hard to help everyone as best as we are able to should we need to extend any closings.

We will update any changes that become necessary in the upcoming days ahead via our newsletter and the website.

Stay healthy, and we hope to see you on the courts as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your patronage and support.