During the first two weeks of March, nearly 80 Maggie Walker students participated in the Badminton Club’s annual tournament. The club shut down for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning, but now that in-person school has returned, the Badminton Club has been able to have monthly meetings during lunch in addition to the tournament. Senior Alan Watts, the club’s president, commented, “This year we wanted to bring back the club to its full potential from before COVID, so we decided to host the tournament this winter.” The club, sponsored by Mr. John Walter, has provided many students an enjoyable way to exercise with friends in an environment that can be an outlet from the stress of school.

Badminton is an increasingly popular sport that consists of many movements and rules similar to those of tennis. Although badminton does also have its differences from tennis, their similarities allow many tennis players, including Watts and other club members like sophomore Ethan Choe, to transfer their skills to badminton. In fact, Choe, along with several of these tennis players, made up a good portion of the nearly 40 pairs that participated in the tournament’s bracket. Watts commented that he was pleasantly surprised by the number of teams that entered the competition, many consisting of underclassmen. Watts also said that this “made [him] excited to know that the club has a solid foundation to continue in the coming years.”

The entire competition lasted two weeks, with several games occurring at the same time in the gym during lunch. Choe said that the entire tournament was well organized, stating, “It was fun to play against friends.” Over the two weeks of the tournament, multiple teams competed, getting knocked off one by one. The final two teams played each other during lunch on March 11. The tournament concluded with an impressive match between Watts and Choe and their respective partners, Audrey Price and Alex Percey. The game was evenly matched, ending with a close win by Choe and Percey. With this win, the two secured a $50 Amazon gift card as their prize. Many club members came to watch the final game and also play some badminton afterwards.

The tournament was overall considered a success by Watts, who is enthusiastic about the future of the club in this school year and in upcoming school years. He says badminton gives him “a break from academics and an opportunity to be active.” This growing club provides students with the same opportunity to have fun participating in an exciting, laid-back sport and to momentarily let go of the stress of their academics.