Feb. 5, 2015
SPORTS
Blueprint
11
DGS Badminton serves critics a valuable lesson By Patrick Reeg, Freelance Reporter We have all played and or seen sports almost every day throughout our lives. The ones we love we continue to pursue, others not so much. But, of all of the athletics, which one is the most difficult? The average speed of a fastball from MLB All-Star Aroldis Chapman has hit as high as 104 MPH -- the fastest in MLB history to date. Then there is a badminton. With speeds reaching just north of 200 MPH, it makes a four seam fastball float like a beach ball. Perplexing as it may seem, sports in high school are very streamlined to portray “The Big Three” as the only sports that matter. That if it’s not about football, basketball or baseball then it seems to be irrelevant. But, by difficulties standards in high school, there is a diamond in the rough: badminton. Yes, you may be thinking, “Is this idiot going to try to defend badminton against ‘The Big Three?’ How could he?” Yes, buckle your seatbelts and keep your heads up because here comes an idiot defending the often shown measly sport of badminton. In the sporting world, the strategy behind the game is just as important
as the athletes attempting to follow the plan of action. In badminton, though there is of course strategy involved, the sheer speed of the game alone allows for little time to waver about strategy. For many of these athletes it’s simply a walk in the park to play super ping pong on steroids. I would bet the house that most of our school’s “top athletes” would get beat by any of these athletes on any given day. I played senior varsity badminton player Kirsten Gard in a one on one match to see if I was truly a worthy opponent. Besides the camera following my every faulty move, no one else was watching. There was no extra pressure for either player to put on a show, none at all. But Kirsten didn’t seem to care at all. The game was over in about eight minutes, and the score ended 21-5. The amount of times I returned a serve compared to the amount of times I almost threw out my back were most likely equal. Every “athletic” movement I made was quickly exposed by a floating target that had me looking anything but agile. I was embarrassed, tired and looking for answers. I have played every sport you could imagine and never was too bad at any of them, but badminton
Kirsten Gard and Katie Rock after coming in first place during a badminton tournament.
taught me otherwise. The quickness, agility and power are highly underestimated. When I typed “badminton” into the Google search bar, I was met by of course millions upon millions of videos and articles. Some good, some not so good, but no matter who thought what from those who watched the videos of these back and forth, high energy matches, their opinions quickly changed. To those who view badminton as a
Photo by Kirsten Gard
joke, it isn’t. The physical skill required to be an athlete might not seem needed for this sport, but it is. You might think you could beat a badminton player, but you can’t. Most importantly, if you ever feel like sports don’t challenge you enough, try badminton. It may just change your mind. Contact Patrick at pree0588@csd99.org
Fillies ranking system prepares them for competition each practice. Because not all the girls danced in the competition routines, some practices Once the halfweren’t always madatory time buzzer goes for them. Camp shares off during basketthe practice schedule. ball and football “We have some mangames, the DGS datory practices where Fillies begin to everyone has to be take their posithere, and then we have tion on the field or competitive practices court. The Superwhere the alternates can fans slowly sit come if they want to and down as they wait stretch, but they don’t to watch another have to if they don’t Fillie halftime want to. We do butt, abs performance. Once and arm workouts and the music begins, then we stretch and then smiles surface we review and clean our across the danccompetitive routine at ers faces as they competitive practices, kick, jump and and at full team practicturn. As senior es we practice basketball captain Leanna routines,” Camp said. Ivanova described, According to Head “It’s something I Coach Victoria Donwouldn’t trade for nelly, the girls had the world.” The DGS Fillies posing for a picture after a halftime performance. Only 12 out of 24 dancers were taken to compete at state. very creative routines But performing you have so you can grow and know Photo by Grace Chaplin this year choreographed by at halftime during basketball and where you stand and what you have varsity members. Of course football games is only one part to beto do to improve,” Camp said. tines, it is still the girls’ responsibility she wanted their competitive lyrical ing a DGS Fillie. After every football The dancers ranked in the top routine to place well at state, but her to choreograph, learn and practice season, the girls must re-tryout in 12 after tryouts were chosen to be for basketball halftime performances. overarching goal for the season was order to earn a spot on the competichoreographed into the competitive more than that. Ivanova describes the way in which tive team. This year only 12 out of 24 lyrical routine, and the top 18 into “They’ve worked very hard on their the team balances their responsibilidancers were taken down to compete the competitive pom routine. But the routines, and we really just want to ties and the atmosphere of competiat state, cutting half the girls. lyrical routine of 12 was the dance feel proud of what we put on the floor. tion season. During the tryout process, the chosen for entry at state, ultimately I love seeing their joy when they’re “During basketball and competigirls were asked to show a number of keeping the other half of Fillies from with each other or when they’ve had tive season, we split our practices different skills such as toe-touches, getting the chance to compete at state between basketball routines and a really solid performance,” Donnelly turns, pirouettes and more. The girls said. competitive routines. So we practice were then given a rank based off how this year. Although not all girls made the more, and there is a lot more going well they executed their individual on. It’s a lot more rigorous during skills. Junior Vanessa Camp explains competitive routines, everyone still participates in halftime routines at competitive season,” Ivanova said. the ranking system. basketball games. While having to The Fillies practice three to four “Rankings aren’t made public for Contact Tessa at train and perfect the competition rou- days every week for two to four hours tbro0122@csd99.org everyone, but you are told what rank By Tessa Brown, News Editor