The Carl Sandburg Varsity Girls Badminton team is halfway through the season, and is gearing up for a great finish! Tryouts were held on Monday, March 2nd, where the girls showcased their talents for Coach Huelsman, the varsity head coach.
Once tryouts were over, Coach Huelsman said that she was most looking forward to, “the growth of the girls, and watching them grow from back to back years,” as well as, “watching the girls grow from JV to Varsity.” Additionally, Huelsman said that, “the team has a very good connection with one another.”
These two key aspects are helping the team become closer to one another to help them get ready for competitive play moving forward in the upcoming season to play not only singles, but doubles too.
Jane Chan, a junior who made the varsity team this year plays singles and doubles. She notes that she and her doubles partner “have a good connection” with one another. When asked about what she was most excited for this season, Chan said, “this is my first year on varsity,” and added that she is excited to “connect with the team, as well as learn from the seniors on the team.”
The first match of the season was held on Monday, March 16 at 4:30 pm, at Downers Grove North. The match was a Quad with Downers Grove North, Naperville North, West Aurora, and Sandburg. Chan said that “she was very excited about her first match,” and that this was the first time her and her partner would come together to play doubles. Chan notes that she was faced with a “different level” of competition because of this being her first level on varsity and the fact that varsity uses feather birdies, rather than the plastic birdies JV and the freshmen team use.
Coach Huelsman said going into the match that the girls “know what they need to do, especially if it’s their second or third year on Varsity.
In regards to her bonds with her teammates Chan said that “we have a pretty good bond [across levels], and I actually play singles with the girls on JV.” Additionally, she said that JV and varsity work together in practice a lot.
Furthermore, Chan said that Abby Mars, a senior, is like the leader of Varsity. “She brings light to practice, and she also helps and encourages others too.”
Overall, the Carl Sandburg Girls’ Badminton team is ready to compete this season! Between great leadership, fantastic connections between the teams, and the combined effort of new and old players on Varsity, the girls have a great and competitive season of growth coming up.