For the past several years, Perry has ranked first in the state. The badminton team has a reputation for their immense skill and many achievements among athletics at Perry.  Last year, the Perry team ranked first in the state, winning all 14 matches. This year seems to be following a similar path of success.

Under the leadership of Coach Johnson, both the varsity and JV teams have won all of their matches.  In the upcoming weeks, there will be the championship games and players are hopeful for what will be their 4th state championship win in a row. 

The badminton players are known for being incredibly dedicated and committed to being the best possible. This work ethic applies to multiple sports because some badminton players also play for the school’s softball team in the spring. Notably, freshmen Amiya Hernandez and Maclayne Justus are players for both badminton and softball. Badminton is played in the first quarter and softball in the third, so there are no time complications, but the weight of playing dual sports does have its effects. 

Part of the reason for the resounding success of Perry’s team is the close chemistry between the girls. Hernandez says her favorite thing about the team is: “All the girls are super nice and it’s just fun cause it’s super intense with the whole team and us all challenging together. Like, it’s a good environment to be in.” 

But playing both sports does have its downsides. Jusuts says, “You don’t have any time to have a social life.” Attending practices, games, and other team events are difficult for one sport, but playing two sports would only add to the stress. School is another aspect the players juggle; keeping their grades up is a high priority. Hernandez says; “Studies and work at school come first, so I have to always do that, and if I don’t get that done I don’t get to do the sports.” 

 Despite the seemingly different nature of both sports, there are some common skills. When playing both badminton and softball, intense focus and concentration are required. For example, when hitting a birdie during a badminton match, one must focus intently on the object of their goal, similar to being up to the bat in softball, and concentrating on the pitcher. Both girls are hard workers and work hard for each sport. 

Athletic ability isn’t the only factor necessary to be on the badminton team, their character also counts. All of the players are passionate about the sport, but also keep up in school and be a role model for others. When describing what makes a good player, senior Adrianna Ramos, said: “They need to be willing to have fun, and just always smiling and having a positive attitude and positive mindset.” Overall, the badminton teams deserve recognition, not only for their exclamatory skill but also for the pure dedication and commitment the players exude.