Updated 16th May 2025
Process and sequence after DSA documentation is submitted and processed:(The following is tentative and subject to changes)
1. Successful pre-selected candidates for trials will be contacted via email. Normally, all applicants will have a chance for trials.
2. Look out for email invitation for Trials.
3. Trials will be held on SJI campus, based on dates announced on SJI Website and/or email sent.
4. Candidates to be properly attired, mentally, affectively and physically prepared. No further trials for those on MC or absent. If there is a clash of trials with another institution, please make a choice, thank you.
5. Candidates will be briefed on day of trials, parents and guardians will be informed when to pick boys up after the trials. We recommend complete concentration and no distractions for their trials so they can remain focused throughout.
6. Coaches, teachers and senior students will triangulate assessment of footwork, movement speed, poise, power and strength, skills and finally some sprints(if time permits). This will be done via the participants playing amongst each other and also with SJI Team Sec 1 boys to have some element of challenge in their trial assessment. Please do not come and appeal to say that your boy won all his matches and yet still not selected. The latter is not the sole determinant for the trials.
7. There will be 2 shifts of trials to split the huge number of applicants on that morning. About 40-60 per shift. After each shift, all will be debriefed and dismissed to the canteen/ground floor.
8. Round 2 will consist of 10-15 boys from the annual application list of between 100 to 150 applicants. Round 2 selected students will be informed via email to attend as a group during one of the usual SJI Badminton training days, usually within a week of the actual one.
9. No announcement of rankings will be done at end of trials as we will need to use the time thereafter to work out the rank order and determine how many of the final 10-15 SJI will eventually offer. Most years, the general offer is not more than 4-5 boys.
10. A phone call will be made to parents of the final 4-5 boys later based on the timeline in the DSA application forms. If offer is not accepted or more time is needed, we will proceed down the rank order and confirm the first 4-5 boys to agree to the SJI Badminton DSA offer. Once offer is accepted, it is assumed that the candidate will join SJI if the candidate has attained the minimum cut-off for Express Stream nationally.
Rationale for 2 rounds is to streamline the better performing candidates and make the difficult assessments thereafter to shortlist the final group. SJI Badminton, overall remains a small CCA, and thus is limited by space(4 courts), training days(3 days) and coaches(1 coach), hence the need to be extra vigilant in choosing the best for the final list. Those not offered, but make it to SJI on their own academic merit of meeting the SJI PSLE cut-off, may have a slim chance of making Badminton CCA their CCA of choice, if not, there are other Badminton related activities that can be experienced as a SJI student.
There will be some disappointment after the first round during the trials and also after not receiving any word about being offered DSA spots. Please work with us to pre-empt and manage expectations and possibly make this a learning experience that they can learn from too. We teach our boys the same things when things don't go our way and ask them how best to manage the loss, disappointment and frustration. We believe the home environment and school can work together to do just this and more too.
We would advise parents and candidates to consider very carefully if SJI is the school of choice for DSA and being part of the family. Rejecting the confirmed offer by SJI for DSA, after confirming and signing the letter of offer, would mean SJI would have lost its chance to give this opportunity to another possible DSA student, leading to a smaller number joining SJI Badminton CCA as DSA students. We seek your understanding and cooperation with the above.
Please note that the above is only a rough guide and may change as the time draws nearer to the DSA timeline. The above process and timeline is based on what was generally practiced in previous years after several revisions. The above is subject to change at the discretion of the school and TICs.
Decisions made to select for both rounds are final and only determined by the Teacher in Charge on the day of the trials. No appeal whatsoever will be entertained. All DSA applicants who got through the trials will be ranked, even though they have been knocked out in the first round.
Thank you.