SHS badminton look to ‘rally’ through season

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

The Strathmore High School is looking to build on last year’s zones victory and the returning players.
The team is a mix of young boys and girls who compete against adults in competition.
“We get our first test this weekend (March 14) in our Feather Tournament that we host and the kids are playing against adults. They’ll get a handicap but it’ll be good competition for them,” said head coach Kenton Zandee.
“It a nice warm up, fun team tournament and players come from around the province and we’re pretty much the only high school entered in it.”
The players will be very busy after this tournament for the next couple of months in other tournaments.
“From there, we’re busy, we’re in Brooks next weekend. We have our big home tournament on March 28 and there is going to be 300 athletes here,” said Zandee.
“Then after Easter break we go to the Lethbridge tournament and then we’re almost into zones.”
Since tryouts in January, the team has been shaping up nicely but is waiting for some players to come back from other school sports.
“We’re still waiting from some players to come from basketball that are still playing there and we’ve got some players this year that haven’t played before, even in Grade 12,” said Zandee.
He added that players have to have a few key components on the court.
“I think it’s shot making and fitness, but it’s also intelligence on the court. They have to know what shot to make when,” said Zandee.
The players will become better with more exposure on the court.
For the first time this year the team will be able to send two doubles teams to zones.