The Girls Badminton team at John Dewey High School is gearing up for strong competition this season as student interest is increasing.
The team began as a small group with just a few players, often overlooked in the school’s athletic scene.
This year, due to increasing student interests and promotion, the team is growing quickly. The increase in participation has been both exciting and challenging.
“This year, we have about like 20 girls signed up, which is a big increase compared to last year,” the badminton team coach Marc Gross said.
While managing a larger group requires more planning and organization, he views the growth positively.
“I feel excited. It’s definitely more work to manage a larger group, but it’s also rewarding,” he explained. “Also this is great that students are interested in being active and trying something new.”
Coach Gross believes that word of mouth played a big role in the team’s expansion. “Last year’s players had a positive experience and shared it with their friends,” he said. “Morning announcements also helped spread the message each season.”
Practices are held in the big gym after period 9, from 3:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., two to three times a week, he added.
As the season moves forward, coach emphasized that teamwork remains the main focus. “Our main goal is teamwork and improvement,” Coach Gross said. “Of course, we want to perform well in competitions, but it is more important than that. I want everybody in the team to work together, to improve together, and to grow together.”
Returning players like sophomore Anna Chen, described how different the team feels compared to when she first joined.
“When I first joined, the team was much smaller. We didn’t have that much practice,” she said. “Now the team is bigger and more organized. We have more competition, and teamwork.”
At the same time, Chen acknowledged that growth brings challenges.
“One challenge is balancing schoolwork with practice and competitions,” she said. “Another challenge is competition within the team since there are more players now.” Despite that, she sees the increase as positive. “I feel like the team’s growth is making the school more open to different types of sports,” she added. “As more people join, it builds a stronger overall sports community.”
Even students who casually play badminton and are not officially a part of the roster have felt the impact of the team.
Junior Yinhui Yu said she usually gets the opportunity to play after school, though it has become more difficult as interest and participation are steadily increasing. “It’s harder than before to get the chance to play,” she said. “I wish we had more official practice time.”
Yu explained that her interest in badminton started through her friends. “I first became interested because some of my friends were playing, and they invited me to try it,” she said.
After school, she often stays in the gym with friends while waiting for practice to begin. Looking ahead, she hopes to continue to improve. “I would like to see more practice and more good equipment like birdies and nets in the future,” she said.
For many players, the goal goes beyond winning games. As the coach put it, the team hopes “to work together, to improve together, and to grow together.”