“A lot of other people think its just like a backyard sport that’s not taken very seriously,” said senior Gretta Strand, who’s played on South’s badminton team since her freshman year. Strand and many of her teammates have expressed feelings that badminton is not a sport that is taken seriously.
Senior Courtney LeBrun, who is a captain of the badminton team, said, “The most popular thing I’ve heard is they think it’s the girly version of tennis. People think it’s just a game you play at a barbecue with your family or something.” This, however, is not the case at South.
Many of the badminton players at South had never played it competitively before high school. “I have been playing badminton since freshmen year, but before high school I had only ever played with my family,” said Strand.
Others, like Lebrun, have been playing since they were small children. “I’ve played it since I was maybe 5 or 6 with my dad, so it’s something sentimental to me. It’s been a part of my life since I can remember,” Lebrun said.
Senior Carter Denison joined as a sophomore. “At first, badminton was something fun to try out for, but now it’s pretty serious,” she said.
“It’s not a light sport like people think it is,” said Lebrun regarding the physicality of badminton.
Strand added, “We are really moving our feet. It takes a lot of strength and stamina to play a whole match of badminton. I don’t think many people really see that unless they come to a match.”
Brenda Frisvold, the coach of the badminton team, said, “It’s very intense, especially in singles. I would say that a singles game of badminton is just as intense as a singles game of tennis or just as intense as playing volleyball.”
“Everybody assumes it’s really easy and they just join because they think it’s fun, but it’s a lot harder than they assume,” said LeBrun. “I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘Oh, I want to join a sport. I’ll just try out for badminton. I’m sure I’ll get in. It’s easy.’ But it’s not.” LeBrun remembers quite a few people who tried out and didn’t make it.
Badminton requires a large commitment. “It just consumes your life because you get up at 5 AM to go to practice and then after school a lot of times you have matches. It really never stops,” said Strand. The badminton team holds practice every morning from 6:30 to 8:00. Players are expected to make it to every practice, even if the sun has not yet risen.
Badminton is also a very competitive sport. “In the five years I’ve coached we’ve won the city [title] four out of five years. We were undefeated two of the five years, and our overall record in the city was 45-4,” said Frisvold. The badminton team also has high hopes for the season. “I really want to medal in State this year,” said Denison.
While it is extremely competitive, badminton at South is also known for being a very fun-loving and enjoyable sport. “I know someone who was on the team last year who said she preferred it over volleyball because it’s a lot more easy going and fun,” said LeBrun. “All the girls get along and we’re not competitive among each others.”
Denison shared this sentiment by adding, “It’s a lot more easy going. It’s for sure still competitive, but you can have a lot of fun with it and really enjoy yourself.”
Some players on the team feel very strongly about the perception of badminton. “It’s just as serious as football or baseball. If it’s a big part of someone’s life, it’s a serious sport,” said Lebrun. “I get really upset because I’m very passionate about it.”
Other players, like Strand, don’t mind that others don’t take it seriously. “I have fun with it and I enjoy the sport. I don’t want to force other people to enjoy the sport,” Strand said. “If you are at all interested in badminton, you should just come to tryouts and see just how hardcore it actually is.”
