In the United States, basketball, American football, and tennis are staple sports. Many Americans regard them as exciting pastimes, and they receive extensive media coverage via television, social media, and radio stations.

In contrast, badminton is often viewed as a ‘backyard sport’ to play with family and friends. The lightness of the shuttlecock (the projectile) and racquet, can cause people to assume the sport to be too easy compared to sports like tennis, which uses heavier rackets and balls. Furthermore, the lack of exposure to badminton in American media prevents many from seeing the sport at a competitive level.

Despite this, badminton has so much to offer. After all, layers of different skills are needed to master the sport. Evelyn Yao, a badminton player at Gretchen Whitney High School, mentioned, “I realized that there’s a lot of different parts to badminton [footwork, strength, etc.], that all take a lot of time to become good at.” Before playing games, I also needed to undergo heavy training, like practicing various stances and ways to grip the racquet. In badminton, there are different ways to hit the shuttlecock, such as hitting it overhead, below the head, and side to side. A combination of the correct posture and handling of the racquet is necessary to effectively and efficiently hit the shuttlecock. Control is also a significant component of this sport. Though a shuttlecock is small and light, one must know when to use more or less strength to hit the projectile, or you might send it flying out of the court. As Evelyn puts it, “I had to be careful about how much force to use for each shot.” Besides becoming physically skilled, badminton can teach you how to formulate strategies to beat your opponents. For example, if they are close to the net, you could send the shuttlecock to the back of the court or if they are far away, you could send the shuttlecock to the front. That way, you can tire your opponent out and score.

After much training, you can see badminton’s effect on your health — especially after the pandemic. Evelyn commented, “Overall, I feel like my arms, wrists, and legs are stronger now, and my stamina has gotten better.” Additionally, Sharon Wong, another badminton player at Gretchen Whitney High School, noted, “I’ve definitely been more active than before, and I feel really good nowadays!”

Badminton is essentially a whole-body sport — you need to actively move your legs and arms and engage your core to maneuver around the court quickly. With much practice and experience on the court, your reaction time and reflexes can improve. What’s more, playing badminton can improve your mental health, as it can relieve stress from school or work and put your focus on winning games instead. Badminton can be more than just a ‘backyard sport.’ You can participate in competitions, gain connections with other players, and exercise your mind and body. With confidence and determination, you can see the full potential of this great sport.