It’s only one week into the badminton season and the Mustangs are already 5-0. The last three matches had Costa winning 17-4, 18-3 and 21-0. The fast start is due to a solid group of experienced players and a deep bench of rising stars. The coaches have mixed players up to give younger athletes some varsity experience when the match was in hand.
“Badminton is an Olympic sport, but you don’t have to be an Olympian to play it”, remarked Coach David Levin. “We serve an underserved group of athletes, not economically underserved, we expand opportunities for kids who, if it weren’t for badminton, may not be playing a sport.” According to the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, a think-tank measuring impact and tracking participation in youth sports, 70% of kids quit sports by age 13. Pressure to perform which makes sports not fun anymore is cited as the top reason. Also, once kids enter high school, they may not make the team of a sport they have been playing. Adds Levin, “We’d love to have all of our South Bay neighboring School Districts embrace badminton to give an additional three or four dozen kids an opportunity to play a high school sport. Plus, our badminton players tend to be high performing in the classroom, and involved in other extracurriculars. Playing a sport keeps them well-rounded.” It's also not unusual to see badminton players doing homework in the stands during matches and tournaments. Or balancing their Orchestra or Model United Nations (MUN) schedules with court time. Badminton is certainly an athletic sport, but skill, finesse and shot making can overcome physical stature. After the three successful wins during the week for Varsity, on Saturday the Junior Varsity players competed in a JV Tournament in Arcadia, a powerhouse badminton program. Several players placed in the top four across doubles and singles, all underclassmen, and the future of the program. “The bottom line is that badminton is a sport all kids can try. We have players who have trained at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club since birth, and players who picked up a racket for the first time in High School. You won’t see coaches yelling and screaming on the sidelines, and all of the kids are having fun,” says Coach Cindy Levin, who along with her husband Coach David and Coach Patty Perkinson, guided the players for hours in Arcadia. This Saturday the Mustangs host their first Tournament at the Mira Costa Pavilion with Mark Keppel, Long Beach Poly and Loara High Schools looking to put a dent in the Costa record. Start time is 8:30am. Come out cheer on the Mustangs! Check out our schedule on miracostabadminton.com Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
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AuthorAlan Berkes is a Costa parent who has coached multiple youth sports in Manhattan Beach Archives
April 2024
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