Badminton looks to rebuild after loss of key seniors

Varsity and JV. Badminton is one of the few sports where both levels practice together.

Some players returned from last year, but the senior core that propelled the team in previous years graduated in 2022, leaving a smaller experienced group for the ensuing season. With a relatively small team however, badminton looks to strengthen that core through practices that improve skill and bring the team closer together.

“It’s just practicing every day; and just playing on the weekends…and we meet really often with teammates.” sophomore Peter Xie said.

These weekend practices are crucial for many of the connections formed in the team.

“A core idea that we believe as a team is that our results depend on the effort we put in. Understanding this has really helped motivate our team to push ourselves,” junior captain Macias said.

A Division I title will not be easy in a rebuilding year, but a place in SPHS’s wall of CIF victory is still achievable according to captain Macias and co-captains Ng and Fong. In order to succeed in CIF, bringing a whole crew of freshmen and underclassmen up to speed is crucial. In addition to tryouts in the winter and summer, badminton sharpened their skills over winter break with trips to open gyms. Even though practice and dedication are highly valued in the sport, creating a safe learning environment for new players is a must for the team.

Story Rose Vandevelde Photo Michelle Shadmon

As SPHS’s only Division I sports team begins to prepare for their upcoming spring season, badminton looks forward to a rebuilding year. This year, the handful of seniors and upperclassmen will try to bring prior knowledge to a young team.

SPHS’s badminton community goes past the official roster of the team, to badminton club. While the captains of the team are also in charge of the club, SPHS’s badminton club is mainly a way to provide an opportunity for those who enjoy playing the sport.

The impact of COVID-19 and a virtual year was detrimental to the badminton program, and the team was forced to rely mainly on its returning seniors in the 202122 season. With the loss of these graduated seniors, less experienced players make up much of the roster.

Aside from the team’s captain junior Elijah Macias and co-captains senior Priscilla Ng and sophomore Anson Fong, some of the small group of more experienced players are poised to shine this season. Juniors Jadon Tse and Abby Chen looked strong in previous years and will help propel the team to victory.

The South Pasadena badminton team ended their previous season with a disappointing loss in the first round of CIF. However, when taking into consideration the fact that the team is in a league considered the most difficult in the country, their performance is commendable.

The highly decorated Arcadia badminton team will be the biggest threat in the league as they shoot for their third consecutive CIF title. Not only have they won the previous two, they are ranked among the top teams in the nation.

This year, the team will have to suffice with a smaller roster than usual, with about 25 players in total between

“The type of environment I want to create for this year’s team is [a] warm and welcoming community. During my freshman year, the seniors on the team were very helpful to me, this helped me improve a lot. [Being] captain, I look to replicate that same sense of community into this year’s team,” Macias said.

Practices will include many different types of skill improvement drills, led by Macias, as well as badminton head coach Edwin Luong.

“As a team we really plan to focus on shuttle drills so our players are able to adapt their shots in different situations. I think that will really help our team improve and win more games,” Macias said.

With three levels of competition in the area (D1, D2, and open), badminton will enter division I or open during the season. The team will get their chance to show their hard work and dedication to practicing in March, when they will compete in the first league matchup.

Giving credit where credit is due