March 1, 2026
The first rollout of the Shuttle Time University Course in Trinidad & Tobago happened last year with a tie-up between the Trinidad & Tobago Badminton Association (TTBA) and the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT).
The purpose of the course was to create a structured, university-delivered coach/teacher education pathway. UTT received the BWF Shuttle Time University Silver Accreditation in delivering the course.
This offers certification to UTT students and educators in BWF Shuttle Time methodology, producing a steady pipeline of trained facilitators to expand badminton in schools and communities across Trinidad & Tobago. The course was rolled out in November 2025.
The course is targeted towards undergraduate students enrolled in the Teaching and Coaching Badminton module within the BSc Kinesiology programme at the Centre for Kinesiology, Physical Education and Sport (CKPES), University of Trinidad and Tobago.
The cohort in the first year was primarily young adults, with 72% aged 18–25, 20% aged 25–30, and 8% aged 35+, with a near-balanced gender split of 45% female and 55% male. The course thus equips emerging teachers, coaches, and sport practitioners with accredited Shuttle Time pedagogy and delivery skills.
Creating a Coaching Pipeline
The course is being implemented to strengthen TTBA’s coaching pipeline by enabling UTT students to qualify and serve as Shuttle Time teachers, directly supporting the national development of badminton.
Delivered within UTT’s teacher education and coaching curriculum, and supported by TTBA, the programme is aligned with national badminton standards while building a growing, ready-to-deploy group of Shuttle Time–trained teachers to expand school and community delivery.
UTT and its students benefit by gaining an internationally recognised accreditation that enhances the value of their academic offering, improves graduate employability, and equips students with real-world skills. These include practical coaching, safeguarding, and session-planning competencies that can be applied immediately in schools, clubs, and grassroots programmes—expanding participation, improving teaching quality, and accelerating long-term sport development in Trinidad & Tobago.
Course Programme
The Shuttle Time Programme is delivered each academic year as part of the Teaching and Coaching Badminton module within the UTT’s BSc Kinesiology programme. TTBA facilitates the Shuttle Time component during the module’s scheduled practical/coaching delivery period.
The course is being implemented through an in-module, practical delivery model in partnership with UTT and TTBA, where students complete the full Shuttle Time content via lectures, tutorials, and hands-on activities.
To date, delivery has been run at the National Racquet Centre, covering all 10 Shuttle Time modules; participant reaction has been positive, reflected in high attendance, active engagement in discussions and presentations, and clear motivation to teach. Early outcomes include a growing pool of confident, Shuttle Time–trained emerging teachers/coaches ready to support school and community badminton, with implementation supported effectively by the Shuttle Time manual, app, and videos.
Building Long-Term Capacity
Shuttle Time National Coordinator Anil Seepaul believes the Shuttle Time–UTT collaboration is a model pathway for sustainable national development. “By partnering with academia, we are expanding the pipeline and pool of trained coaches who can reach rural and underserved communities, making badminton truly inclusive and accessible for all. The strengthened networking between the National Association and the university system builds long-term capacity, elevates coaching standards, improves the talent pool emerging from schools and communities, and positively reshapes public perception of badminton as a structured, credible, and life-enhancing sport,” Seepaul said.
