By Kimberly Chen,
Staff Writer
Flashes of white soared overhead in the gym before gently falling over the net. Lightly jogging back and forth, junior William Yang eyed the birdie, loosely holding the racket before slamming it forward, shooting the birdie over the net. Cheers resonated throughout the gym as Badminton Club members praised the impressive shot before returning to their respective games.
Yang is the current president of the Badminton Club. He founded the club his sophomore year, encouraging all students to participate in badminton matches in the gym every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during office hours and lunch. A year after the club’s launch, Badminton Club garnered a group of loyal players and earned the “Most Meetings” club award from the ASB, commending their consistent schedule.
A majority of meetings consist of inviting students to play in casual bouts with other members. Students may bring their own equipment or borrow it from the school. In preparation for club meetings, the club’s cabinet sets up nets in the gym, allowing participants to choose whichever court they wish to play at.
“Badminton is appealing because it requires quick movements, accuracy, sharp reflexes and power,” said junior Trevor Cheng. “Not to mention the array of play styles and the satisfaction of executing those styles well. I find it extremely satisfying to feel my racket smash the birdie down, or snap off a fast backhand or even slice the birdie to barely lift it over the net.”
Yang initially hoped to make the club an official school team after noticing Arcadia and South Pasadena’s teams. In addition to finding a rental space for accommodating practices and games, Yang found a coach and completed the mandatory petition. He gathered over 200 signatures and presented his plan to Principal Fil Lujan, who denied it due to space and funding issues. The school found his proposed rental space of $200 per day too costly to approve. Furthermore, other spring sports already filled all practice and game slots, leaving no space for a badminton team.
“Even though I’m still slightly frustrated at the fact that we couldn’t become a team, I’m definitely happy with the club,” Yang said. “The number of members has decreased since we started, but now there are definite regulars that come consistently.”
Badminton Club introduces a non-traditional sport to the student body and provides a community for students who love it. Based on their steady group of regular attendees and notably frequent meetings, students value the safe space to play badminton apart from the stress factors that usually accompany joining a sports team.
“I wanted to make a club after COVID-19 to share my interest in the sport with others,” Yang said. “I am happy with the community that the club has gathered, seeing as how we’ve gained a group of players that can connect with each other over our passion for badminton.”