Badminton Stays Strong during Tough Times

Coronavirus has been the new reality of our lives; how we do things depends on it. In these difficult times, sports have not been able to be continue the same way. For people who love playing sports and like being outdoors, it could seem to ruin their lives. I’m not the best at every sport, but I’m not bad at badminton, which is why I’m on the team. I hadn’t been able to play badminton most of my freshman year. Then, sophomore year, I was about to start playing, and the coronavirus struck.

The pandemic has affected everyone differently, but the badminton team has not given up. We’ve kept going and stayed together. I have chatted with some of the amazing badminton players who are transparent about their views. Everyone had similar answers: We are all in a dire situation. We cannot do anything to fix this, so just live with it. I talked to one of the best tennis players and a fantastic badminton player, Tea Graham. She was upset and disappointed about not being able to start badminton because it is a spring sport. She was stressed about it like anybody else would be, but she was also supportive of the school’s decision. She talked about following the state guidelines and said that living in the moment can change your perspective. Graham likes to work out and read.

I talked to another star player, Mariam Abbasi, who said that she was upset about the season not starting, but it was like a break for her: no waking up early, spending more time with family. Abbasi loves to draw, watch new shows, and (everyone’s favorite) sleep.

I think that the best thing about my teammates is that they have a positive outlook even at the most difficult of times. This is what we should all learn from this situation, whether coronavirus goes away within the year or not. A negative outlook will not get our sports back. We understand that uneasy feeling of not being able to play but not understanding the public health dimension will not improve the situation.

Even as a badminton player who hopes for the return of her sport, I believe that we should not overlook the disease. We should take all necessary precautions. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and that applies to the current situation. Stay safe and stay alive.