I'm back.

I promised I wouldn't write until the end of my training course. Well, it's over and I passed. Now I'm on the next level. Today was the first session and I feel exactly like I did the last time; sore and tired. But I can say it was and will be completely worth it.

Exercise. I can't believe how weird it feels to not be a giant ball of blubber. I was never fat, but it's the last year of high school, and I'm expected to sit at my desk studying and doing homework all day (not playing games). Being active does wonders for your mind and body.

Coaching. I see things so much better now. Maybe a bit biased towards the coaches' training, but still. Having someone who can tell you exactly what you're really doing wrong is invaluable for any sport. It's completely different from my school coach. Now I look at the team, and see all these little flaws. Of course, I still commit them as well, but you see players who have been coached and haven't, and you realize the coaching was actually helpful.

Oh, I didn't mention that I made the school team. My school is one of those, "I wish I didn't go to this school" schools. Basically, it's an athlete's school. I hate that. But only for football, soccer, volleyball, rugby, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, swimming (a few years back) and curling. Surprisingly no decent Badminton players (and not many Asians, coincidence?) meaning that the tryouts were easy. I can say now after several weeks I'm the strongest player on the team. And I'm terrible.


I put this here so it would be less text-y.

I play Singles A. There are Men's and Women's Singles, Doubles and Mixed with both A and B teams. This is school level play, not a ranking!

The coach is nice, but not a good coach. I hear so many contradictory lessons from her, and we do pretty useless drills. But it's a school team. More on that later.

The main thing is, I can't believe I used to be one of my teammates. The general sloppiness, laziness, lack of focus, bad form and bad play I used to have, and now my teammates have, is pretty astounding. Now I can't even look at my teammates play because it feels so... wrong. That's the price I pay for coaching.

Of course, what's a high school team without playing games. On game days, we miss last period to play with two other schools in the district. Now remember what I have said up to now. I can only feel that what I say is true, because the players with better form always wins.

Every time we have played so far, we play one really good school, and one decent school. Of course, the whole team gets steam rolled except for the Girls Doubles A, which is basically led by this ridiculous athlete girl. I can beat her, Singles and Doubles, which makes me sad because she got third in Regionals. The women's side of badminton seems so much easier.

Yes. I get steamrolled. Hence the blog title. I knew I sucked. It is my first year playing Singles, and it's also the A team. Meaning I play against the best players at every school. And you know how I said we play one really good school, and one decent school? Well, I get 21-4, 21-5 by the really good school, then play a really close game with the decent school, but still lose.

It's discouraging. All the more so since I've been injured the entire season. I had a toenail on both feet bleed under and the nail fall out completely. My ankle and calf on my right leg have been in constant pain. My thigh ripped or something last week. So yes, it's been painful.


But I still love the game. I ask my opponent for his name, and introduce myself before we start. I laugh off whenever I lose a point, and never lose my temper. I'm always smiling, even when I'm losing, and I haven't been frustrated yet. Well, except when I had to forfeit because my thigh gave up.

It's a really big change and all because of the coaching. I'm enjoying badminton so much more, even in spite of my losses. I can't say I have fun losing, but I have fun playing my best, and playing against better players.


Now, hopefully I can win one game. Only six left to make a mark.


I've lost 5, forfeited 1 and missed 2 due to injury, so 6 remaining. 6 games left, 6 schools to play. This should be interesting...