It is well-known that many athletes at Xavier play multiple sports. Looking deeper, one can see that many multisport athletes’ second sport is badminton.
Badminton, although considered a smaller sport, had 71 girls try out, and only 25 made it.
According to head coach Brian McNerney, he is “looking for the best athletes” when conducting evaluations at tryouts, which might be the reason there are so many multisport athletes on the team.
Badminton consists of varsity (6 players), JV (6 players) and exhibition teams A and B.
Every Friday, the girls have a scrimmage match that determines their placements for that week’s matches. Every girl on the roster, however, is guaranteed a match.
Multisport athletes use the skills they gain from other sports, like footwork and hand-eye coordination, to excel in badminton. Softball, lacrosse and tennis, specifically, have aspects that translate well to badminton.
Nora Wickers ‘27, a member of the varsity softball team, also plays badminton. “Using a bat is similar to using a racket. Both skills utilize hand-eye coordination,” Wickers said.
Young women playing badminton at Xavier are not only building upon the skills they utilise in other sports, but they are also able to maintain training for their primary sports. According to Wickers, badminton helps her improve at softball while still having fun.
Many athletes noted that they could still train while playing badminton without becoming overwhelmed. “I don’t see any issue doing both sports at the same time,” said Keegan Packer ‘27. Packer is an all-state defender for varsity lacrosse and a crucial player for badminton.
Although athletes are frequently forced to choose one sport, badminton allows girls to explore while staying in shape and having fun, all while making them better athletes overall.
Although badminton is a competitive sport that requires dedication, it can also provide the fun stress reliever that many young athletes are looking for. At practice the players are excited and feel comfortable approaching coaches when they have an issue or question regarding other sports. Makenna Packer ‘27 noted, “I have no problems when I need to accommodate for lacrosse.”
Youth sports have become increasingly more competitive in recent years, but McNerney notes, “The girls have low expectations from their parents,” which is part of the reason that girls may enjoy the stress-free environment that is being built, when their other sports may have much more pressure and expectations on them.
Players seem to be happy at practice, and they do not feel any pressure to be perfect. They work hard and break a sweat, while laughing through mistakes. This may be because they can work on getting better for themselves, not for the approval of a parent or coach.
By providing a lively environment with a moving roster, these athletes must focus, but they can also have fun while getting better. The healthy competition of a mobile roster forces them to work hard and motivates them to keep pushing.
Playing time is guaranteed; whereas, in other sports girls may never see the field or court. Badminton motivates them to work in practice to earn more playing time, however.
