By Alexandria Chhith
Murphy News Service
Voices of girls trying to find fellow badminton teammates and their coach filled Eden Prairie High School’s gym Friday, minutes before their third game of the season against St. Paul’s Central High School, a team ranked fourth in the state.
Dozens of girls were already practicing, others were still filing in from the locker room.
Twenty minutes later, all fifty-eight players were neatly standing in a line, ready to welcome their opponents to the home court. Head coach John Becker stood at the head reciting technical rules of the game.
Introductions started.
Captain Alina Ahmed, 18, called out the names of the varsity and junior varsity players – each shook hands with their opponent and coaches.
She took a deep breath and called out the names of the girls on the rest of the team.
A couple more breathes and a few more glances at the line-up sheet and she finished announcing all 38 names.
Twenty minutes later, the match was decided. Eden Prairie lost 0-7 against St. Paul Central.
In the remaining time, St. Paul Central’s few exhibition members played against Eden Prairie’s. The varsity and junior varsity players played additional games against the rest of Eden Prairie’s exhibition team, so everyone had a chance to play.
“We’re actually up a little bit from last year,” said Becker, “Last year we had around 40 girls.”
Becker primarily coaches the varsity and junior varsity teams. Assistant Jim Williams coaches everyone else – who comprise the exhibition team.
Becker said he is hoping to know everyone’s names despite the large team.
“Lately, I’ve been taking attendance,” he said, “it’s much easier to match the name to the face.”
There are two reasons why girls join the badminton team, Becker said: Some of the girls on the team plan to attend college and use badminton on their resumes, while others are athletes who simply like to play sports.
Ahmed said she is friends with everyone on the team.
“The team was smaller last year and it’s fun to meet new people,” she said adding, “I got to know a lot of different people than I would have known otherwise.”
“Badminton felt like a family,” former badminton player, Randa Hak, 18, said. “We all had a connection.”
Ahmed is the second singles seed on the team, but said last year she wasn’t even on the junior varsity team.
She played badminton during the summer with her brother, who is on a club team at the University of Minnesota.
“Badminton Fanatic” is what Becker calls her.
“I like that it’s always a different game and it’s a lot of strategy,” Ahmed said adding she swims during the fall.
“[With swimming] You just chase it down to drop time, but I feel like with badminton it’s fast-paced it’s fun and energetic,” she said, “Every point you’re trying to win it – and I like that.”
Becker said he especially encourages volleyball players to join the team.
Volleyball players tend to move up the team faster than most because both sports use the same downward motion, Becker said.
This proved to be true for Friday’s game.
Second double seeds, Angela Fusselman and Emma Teal lost their match, but were the only varsity players to win one game against Central. They lost 21-13, 19-21, 19-21.
Fusselman, Teal and two other varsity double players are on the school’s volleyball team in the fall.
“The volleyball coach actually approached me saying that he likes his girls to play badminton” he said.
Becker said he wished more schools had a badminton team.
“Edina this year has 90 kids and this gives [girls] the opportunity to do something,” he said. Becker added without badminton many girls would not be active and through the sport they make many friends.
Alex Chhith is studying Journalism at the University of Minnesota.
| Line-up</p>
Varsity Singles: 1. Ellie Schu 2. Alina Ahmad 3. Madison Duffy 4. Laura Dardick Varsity Doubles: 1. Rachel Korman & Ella Johson 2. Angela Fusselman & Emma Teal 3. Malenie Ven & Maya Subramanian</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </article> |