Badminton Europe welcomes Jonathan Søgaard as the new Senior Development & High Performance Officer. With a huge passion for badminton and a background that combines coaching experience with innovation and business development, Jonathan is eager to make an impact in European badminton.
A coaching journey rooted in passion
Jonathan’s professional path was driven by his love for coaching. “I just followed my passion of being a badminton coach and did the education as a side thing, honestly,” he admits. Still, his studies in Innovation and Business Development at CBS align well with his new role, where he will help shape badminton’s future in Europe.
Jonathan has coached in both Denmark and Germany, experiences that broadened his perspective. “When you just live in the same country, you are kind of in a bubble. I know now that things are very different in other countries, both badminton-wise and on almost all other aspects – and Denmark and Germany are neighbours! It humbles you and opens your perspective.”
Key lessons and goals
With years of experience in talent development, Jonathan brings a valuable mindset to Badminton Europe. A lesson that stuck with him came from a former Danish National coach: “’You can always do more.’ In sports, you are never done. You could always do an extra initiative, conversation, or video analysis. The problem is you burn out.” This philosophy now shapes his approach – focusing on sustainable, long-term progress rather than short surges of intensity.
Among his proudest achievements is the work he did at his first club, where development flourished, and at one point, 45% of the 300 players were female. “I am not even sure I could replicate that statistic today if I tried.”
Looking ahead at Badminton Europe
Jonathan is especially excited about projects related to coaching and coach education. “I truly believe it is the foundation for growing the sport in terms of both number of players and performance. Getting a better coaching level across Europe would solve so many of the other struggles clubs and associations are facing.”
In his new role, Jonathan will focus on a range of initiatives aimed at developing badminton talent across Europe. One of his key projects is enhancing Coach Education, with the Advance Course and an upcoming tactical course aimed at elevating coaching standards. He will also be working on Team Europe, a program designed to guide young players on their pathway towards world-class performance. Additionally, his involvement in grassroots initiatives, such as the Miniton concept and education through sport, will help strengthen the foundation of badminton at the entry level.
His goal in his new role is simple yet impactful: “I want to make a difference.”
Beyond badminton
Outside of badminton, Jonathan enjoys running and strength training to stay in shape. He is also a big music fan, enjoying concerts and festivals, and in an ideal world, he would play his saxophone more – although, as he puts it, “which is close to nothing” at the moment. A fun fact? He had very long curly hair until he was 30.
Welcome to Badminton Europe, Jonathan!