After only two weeks of practicing in the gym, Cypress Badminton played their first game of this season, winning 13-8 against Cerritos followed by a score of 17-4 against Marina and 17-4 against Kennedy. After last year’s successful season when Cypress finished as Co-Champions for CIF with Cerritos, the badminton team is training hard in hopes of another triumphant season.
The team’s formula for their success includes rigorous warm-up routines before each game. In addition to the standard footwork drills, they kick off every practice with dynamic stretches. These stretches are designed to target several muscle groups, with the main focus on the lower body. Players are independently guided throughout a series of stretches that span the length of the court, promoting flexibility and injury prevention. This routine prepares their bodies for the games and helps improve their overall performance on the court. Junior, Linda Taing, said, “Legs are definitely the most important part–like having strong legs in badminton is a necessity because you’re moving a lot.” Following that, they move on to their normal warm-ups which include jumping jacks, mountain climbers, ski jumpers, and many more. During the first two months of the year, the main and practice gym are typically unavailable due to the CIF Basketball games, leaving the team with limited space to practice. As a result, the team usually focuses on conditioning exercises near the tennis courts to ensure they stay in shape before the games begin.
Players shared that they have grown closer to the people on the team. The captain of both the JV and Varsity teams, Fiona Huang says, “I tend to not get too close to people, but this year I have a lot of people on the team that’s really close to me right now.” As players form stronger bonds with their teammates, they get more opportunities to strengthen their self-confidence. Junior–Gabby Duran shares, “The best part of being on the team is…knowing that even if you do bad, or having an off day, your teammates are always there to support you and reassure you that it’s okay…and knowing that there are people who are proud of you no matter what.”
Badminton’s most recent game against Gahr ended with a winning score of 18-3. As the season continues, there is no doubt that Cypress badminton will end up with another successful season.
