View slideshow Badminton proffers intramural challenge
Campus tournament to test student athleticism, skill
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Juniors Riley Endicott, left, and Tyler Combs battle for success at last year's badminton intramurals. This year the tournament will be held in the FC gym and feature 28 teams.
Students will compete in a week-long badminton intramural tournament during lunch, March 30 through April 3. Teams of two have signed up, hoping to secure the first place title, beating the 27 other groups.
In addition to high school students, teachers are allowed to participate. Math teacher Jane Gillespie will team up with Brady Lee, '12 for the tournament.
"Brady asked me, and I said, 'Of course,' because Brady is an athlete, he is a hard worker," Gillespie said. "I know he will hustle and he's a fun guy, so of course I would be his partner. I haven't played since I was a senior in high school, but I was the doubles league champion and I'm very competitive."
The first two games will be minor table games to warm each team up. On Thursday and Friday the real tournament will begin. All games will be held in the FC gym.
Freshmen Danielle St. Marie and Annie Johnson will play together for the first time this year.
"The badminton intramurals are just a fun thing we decide to do, and we paralleled it with P.E. because they were actually playing badminton." ?Mitchell Callisch, '09
"We have conditioning together and we dominated in badminton," St. Marie said. "It'll be lots of fun to do something with friends at lunch. While it'd be nice to win, I'm playing for fun."
Scott Callisch, P.E. teacher, and son Mitchell, '09, are in charge of the preparations for the tournament.
"The badminton intramurals are just a fun thing we decide to do, and we paralleled it with P.E. because they were actually playing badminton," Mitchell said. "We are using the international badminton rules."
Teachers are also encouraged to participate in the intramurals. Bessalee Downing, social studies teacher, dives to keep a birdie in play.
Mitchell looks forward to the competition, maintaining hopes of winning, as well as enjoying the game, he said.
"My partner is Aaron Hedrick ['10] because we were in the same P.E. class; we just had a badminton thing going on," Mitchell said. "I love badminton, it's a fast racket sport, it's fun, and requires thinking on where and when to hit the birdie ? it's pretty intense."
Though the tournament is open to all students, some were unable to participate due to a lack of a partner.
"I can't find a partner and this would have been my first time," Nick Avery, '12, said. "It sounds like fun though."
For more information on intramurals, read the Feb. 13, 2008 article, Badminton serves recreation or e-mail Scott Callisch.
