Badminton player Lisa Nicholson, 12, has only been practising for the BC Winter Games – held in Mission Feb. 20 - 23 – for three weeks, but you wouldn’t know it from watching her.
“She’s gotten the hang of it really fast,” says her teammate, Sarah Kroeker, 12, who has been participating in badminton for three years.
Both girls are excited for overall experience of the games, their first trip without their parents, and the chance to compete against players from around the province.
“Being ready and on your feet, thinking ahead of the game at what your next shot could be, having a strategy is really important” when competing at the net, she said.
And her coach, Ted Ewald, agrees. Good footwork, anticipation, and the ability to be aggressive are all important traits, he said.
“You think it’s a wimpy game, but it’s not when you start getting competitive,” he said.
He’s bringing 10 athletes to Mission this week and is anticipating that the team will be competitive against the Kootenay and Prince George zones.
In preparation, the team has been practising each Monday as a group, on top of their regular bi-weekly junior club nights which see about 30 members train at the Thornhill Gym.