Varsity Badminton Flies into Season, Expects To Qualify For Playoffs
Varsity senior Melissa Jian prepares to hit the birdie during a varsity badminton practice. The Moors coed badminton team is currently third in league, only three games in. Their next game will be against the Mark Keppel Aztecs.
MOOR photo by AAQIL KHAN
ERIC HUANG
Staff Writer
As the weather gets warmer the birds will start flying, from one side of the net to the other. The spring sports season has arrived and Alhambra’s varsity badminton team has officially kicked off their season. Holding a 2-2 record thus far, the team hopes to maintain a great sense of optimism throughout the rest of the season as they hope to ultimately improve their overall record.
“Our expectation is to win all of our individual matches, bettering our team record,” senior Chi Yu said. “We are also aiming to be qualified for CIF playoffs.”
The Moors have been practicing daily in the small gym in lengthy two hour sessions, working on swings, serves, backhands and drives. Since the season is still young, many athletes are trying to get down their timing and accuracy. Along with that, the doubles players will have the added task of focusing on working out the proper chemistry in order to create an effective duo. Practices have placed emphasis on stamina and getting each athlete back into shape. Each player hopes that their efforts in practice will increase their playing ability on the courts as the season progresses and ultimately aid them in reaching their goals.
“For the seniors it’s about leaving everything on the court during their last season, but for us juniors we hope to reach new heights and improve ourselves from last season. Hopefully we’ll be able to do well,” junior Stanley Keung said.
As the season goes on, each athlete hopes to learn from mistakes and build off of each other. Above all, the goal of greatest importance is to improve each individual athlete’s individual skill sets, which is achieved through constant practice. By the end of the season, the team hopes to have won enough matches in the Almont League to qualify for CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) playoffs.
Every player hopes to hit over the net and make this season a successful one. Whether goals are met or not, the hard work and effort put in by each of the players will be greatly pay off in the future. The Moors will next play today on their home court against their rival, the Mark Keppel Aztecs on March 5.