Badminton is a very fun sport in which a racquet is used to hit the birdie over the net. A birdie is a feathered projectile that flies differently from the balls used in usual sports. The flight of the shuttlecock gives badminton its distinctive nature. They have a high top speed compared to the balls in other racquet sports.It is often played in a rectangular indoor court and can be played casually or professionally. Points are scored when the shuttlecock hits the other team’s half of the court within the set boundaries. Each side has only one chance to hit the birdie once it is on their side. The play ends once the birdie hits the floor or if a foul has been called.
The game was developed in British India and is a sport that demands excellent fitness. Players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision. It was first played in the 19th century in the Badminton House and has been a part of the Olympics since 1992. It can be played as a competitive sport and a sport to enjoy with your friends. It can be played in singles (as one person vs. another person), or doubles (two people as a team vs. another two people as a team).
Regardless of how fun the sport is, it doesn’t seem to catch on with the other sports popularity. This is because many people view it as a backyard game that cannot be played competitively. Some would say that the sport is under-marketed, unlike other sports such as basketball and football.
Right now, there is a badminton open gym hosted by Mr. Korman, available to Mountain Ridge High School students. The Open Gym is a way for anyone interested in badminton to play and keep their skills intact. There is a one-time registration fee of $30 to participate. The dates of the activities range from Jan. 7 to April. 29, on various days. This is adjusted to the school schedule, meaning that the sessions might be on different days of the week. For more information on the timings, go to Mr. Korman’s classroom (C118).
The badminton team has only been in place for about 20 of the 30 years that Mountain Ridge has been open. For the three most recent years, Mr. Korman has been the coach of the Badminton team. Korman started as an assistant coach to Mr. Rosinbum, but became head coach as time went on.
Currently, he is the coordinator of the open gym for girls’ badminton. Korman istilled the event so that players on the team could have somewhere to practice outside of the season. Of course, people who did not play on the team are welcome as well. Unfortunately, the open gym has had little success in attendance. When on this topic in an interview, Korman explained, “I have a lot of athletes that are in AP classes, and they just feel like they can’t spare the time during the week.” If he had more attendance, Korman said he would have done more constructed training activities for the girls.
When discussing the badminton team dynamic, Korman described it as, “A group of girls that want to have fun playing a sport and not be too stressed.” One of the main reasons he enjoys coaching the team is that badminton is not a typical sport seen in schools. This takes pressure off the team, allowing for a more care-free environment. According to Korman, his coaching style is “laid-back yet competitive”. He then elaborated and said that he is easy-going as long as the team is competitively participating. This makes sense because one of the aspects Korman enjoys most about coaching the team is watching them be competitive.
The team has done quite well under Korman’s management, and this is demonstrated through past seasons. In the first year of his coaching career, the team finished third in the state, and then last season the team won the region. When asked how he predicts future seasons to go, Korman replied, “Badminton is hard to anticipate because it is a sport that people do not grow up playing.” He continued to say that another reason you can’t forecast upcoming seasons is that several members of the team are seniors about to graduate. Korman also took into consideration that many of the seniors leaving have been training for years. This means that next year’s team will have several new players, which is a good thing, but it does make it hard to predict how everything will go.
The Badminton Open Gym at Mountain Ridge is a great way to socialize, but even greater to reinforce your badminton skills and prepare for the fall season.
Jaisana Jaisaravanan, a freshman at Mountain Ridge, says, “I wanted to keep my badminton skills alive, but I think my friends’ commitment to this motivated me even more.” This showcases why several people have gained interest in the open gym.
Havisa Satheesh, also a freshman at Mountain Ridge, contributes to Jasiaravanans’ thoughts by saying, “I hope to try out for the badminton team this coming fall, and this current open gym is helping me prepare for that. Coach Korman’s guidance and mini-lessons have really helped me play better.” This demonstrates that all participants are finding the open gym beneficial and enjoyable.
The Open Gym is still open to anyone interested in Badminton!
