Badminton Club Courts High Interest at Tryouts

The East Court at the Center for Recreation and Sports can be
converted to three full-length, competition standard badminton courts.
(Photo by me)

The fall season of the 2013-2014 Adelphi University Badminton Club got underway with four days of tryouts on Thursday, Sept. 12, Friday, Sept. 13, Thursday, Sept. 19 and Friday, Sept. 20. A total of 55 Adelphi students, a group comprised of both returning and new team members, attended tryouts over the four days. Tryouts were held on the East Court at the Center for Recreation and Sports, where the team also conducts all of its practices.

Following sign-ins and introductions, each day of tryouts began with a warmup session. To get the blood flowing, students paired up and rallied together on each court. To conclude each day, the players were split up into groups based on their experience and skill; from there, the students competed in singles and doubles games against others of similar ability level.

Tryouts in particular provided a unique challenge for the team's executive board. The East Court at the Center for Recreation and Sports, the only one with badminton lines painted on the floor, can be divided into three standard size badminton courts. As a result, only four players at most can be on each court at one time. Tryouts were conducted in a timely and organized manner to facilitate as many games as possible. As soon as a game was completed, the next singles or doubles game immediately headed out on the court.

Club president Jenna Cavuto (near left) addresses a
group of new players at tryouts. (Photo by me)

Despite the struggle for space, tryouts proved to be a great success. "I thought tryouts were fun! My favorite part was getting to know the many new people," junior John Medina said. Medina, a psychology major, has been a member of the club for two years. When he arrived at Adelphi, Medina had no prior experience playing badminton. However, over two years, Medina has worked incredibly hard to improve and the results have come for him; last spring, Medina was elevated to the club's tournament squad and competed against Stony Brook University.

With many new faces on the team this year, the outlook on the season is looking bright. "I'm most looking forward to playing other schools with my teammates," Medina concluded.

With the roster now set, the team will begin to move forward with their scheduled practices later this week. Practices are currently scheduled every Thursday from 4-6 pm and Friday from 11 am-1 pm; beginning in October, the team will also hold practices on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm-8 pm.