Trained for Success

The Panther: What is badminton?

Michael Trainor: Badminton is a two or four-player net sport. It’s sort of a combination of tennis and volleyball; players can play singles or doubles with a partner, and they need to get 21 points before the other person/team does. You can get points by having the opponent hit it out-of-bounds, hit it in the net, hit it on their own side, or hit it so they can’t return it quick enough.

TP: What position do you play?

MT: I play number one for the Palmetto Team in the boy’s singles division. The other divisions are girl’s singles, boy’s doubles, girl’s doubles, and mixed doubles (one boy and one girl).

TP: Why badminton?

MT: I chose to play badminton because the tennis scene was much too serious and competitive for me. I had played tennis my whole life but lost my love for it freshman year. It was then that I picked up badminton, and I haven’t stopped since!

TP:What is the team’s dynamic?

MT: The team is made up of some of the nicest and funniest people you’ll meet at Palmetto. Last year, notorious jokester Tony Cai was on the team, and he’s a perfect example of the type of humor you’ll find within our group. The captains are Alice Cardet and Ryan Perez, who are both genuine and hilarious at the same time. There is no grade discrimination, either! Under and upperclassmen alike join together to beat out the competition, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

TP:What is your favorite part of badminton?

MT: My favorite part of badminton has to be the life lessons I’ve learned from it. The coach, Dave Zarco, may be old, but with that comes wisdom. He’s taught me how to play badminton, but often enough, how to better myself by boosting my confidence and self-image and how to better others by appreciating those around me. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for me both on and off the court, and his post-practice life advice talks made me the person I am today.

TP: What is the trick to being a great badminton player?
MT: The trick to being a great badminton player is to practice! Anybody can be good at badminton. It’s easy to pick up, especially if you have experience with other racquet sports, and Coach Zarco knows how to whip you into shape and turn you into a real player! You need coordination, agility, stamina, strength, and smarts to play badminton, and with practice, anybody can master all of those areas.