Having a strong connection with teammates is a vital element for high school sports and the badminton team has just that.
The Pumas have been training to take home another state title.
They want to become a whole team unit. The girls have completed outside of school activities together to increase their chemisrty that will inevitably increase their power on the court.
“We’ve already done Escape the Room together and we plan on doing Feed My Starving Children later,” senior Jillian Lagasca said.
She went on to explain that in Escape the Room, the team would find different pieces of the puzzle and then they would come together to complete each piece.
Participating in this activity helped the badminton team practice working together as a whole to accomplish a larger goal; just like state.
“In doubles you kind of have to rely on your partner to know what to do…and you trust them,” Lagasca explained.
Coach Lerina Johnson said, “we are really trying to show gratitude and appreciation for each other.”
Appreciation towards one another is a big deal for the badminton team as they complete challenges to improve their skills on the court.
“We make sure we stay competitive against each other in order to stay ready to play against the best,” said Junior Julia Mumme.
They compete in challenges where the players are put head to head in a match and placed in rankings.
They are able to move up in rankings and the higher ranked players take charge as the leaders.
Playing in these challenges make the players appreciate each other more because of their constructive criticism. Lagasca went on to say, “I’m working on shots a lot more instead of just concentrating on smashing.”
Taking notes from the challenges, Lagasca knows that she cannot reach perfection practicing skills she has already perfected.
She focus on her weaknesses and building those up to achieve her full potential.
With building more powerful shots, she will be able to wear down other players on the court and vary her techniques during matches.
Making this year stand out, the badminton team is concentrating more on team bonding and other small weaknesses each individual player might have.
By working together and being grateful for each other’s help and encouragement, the badminton team is setting themselves up for a successful season.