OLDS — École Olds High School (ÉOHS) badminton athletes “played pretty well” but didn’t win any medals during Grade 9 zones, head coach Mary Marshall says.
Gabby Schoeder won three of seven games during the zones, held May 10. Zaijan Exlavea and Jann Bugaoizan won one out of five games.
“No one made it to the playoffs (but it was a) great opportunity for them to compete and further develop their skills for next season,” Marshall wrote in an email.
The Grade 9 zones served as the final event of this year’s season.
“It was a big commitment for me this year, but also incredibly rewarding,” Marshall wrote. “The students were eager to improve and showed a lot of heart.
“They came out for early morning practices, starting in February, trained through Easter break, and demonstrated real dedication.”
Forty to 45 students in Grades 9-12 came out for badminton this season, a number about on par with initial turnout in previous seasons.
As the season progressed, that number narrowed to around 20 to 25 who regularly came to practices and competed.
“We usually see higher participation from Grades 9 and 10, as their schedules tend to allow more time for school sports,” Marshall wrote.
“By Grades 11 and 12, students are juggling more — diploma exams, jobs, relationships, and graduation prep — so their availability becomes more limited.
“Still, our Grade 12s, including Silas Marks, Melody Fuller and Pearl Reyeg, really stepped up and balanced it all impressively.”
Marshall is pretty pleased with how the season went for the Spartans.
She noted that Ryder Persson placed first during zones, then ended up in fourth place in provincials.
“Overall, I think it went really well, having so many students make it to zones,” she wrote.
“The energy, commitment, and growth from the students was inspiring. Every year has its ups and downs, but the sense of community and individual improvement made it a success in my eyes.”
Marshall has some advice for players hoping to improve their performance next season.
“In terms of off-season development, students can definitely benefit from playing community badminton nights and keeping up their fitness,” she wrote.
“More court time along with fitness would help a lot if they are considering moving into more competitive or club-level play.”
Marshall is grateful for the help she received from ÉOHS Athletic director Jeff Clattenburg and from the Mountain View Hospice Society where she works. It allowed her to work flexible hours so she was able to coach the athletes.
