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Having been interrupted by the pandemic in 2019, the badminton club at Malden High would be abandoned for years before its restoration. This school year, it made a celebrated return, led by senior Priscilla Wong as president and her sister, Susila Wong, a sophomore, as vice president.
Priscilla heard of the club’s existence in her freshman year, four years earlier. She recalled thinking it was “just a very interesting activity” and “quite a lot of people [were] actually in there.”
Collaborating with Susila, as well as Angela Hu and Jingyi Zhou, she decided to bring it back as one of the only sports clubs at Malden High. The group, bonded in their mutual love for the sport, met over the summer to discuss access to the gym and potential meetings at the Malden Teen Enrichment Center (MTEC).
As of now, the club meets in both locations irregularly. Meetings take place in the Finn Gym when unoccupied, and unofficial gatherings are at MTEC, otherwise known as the Teen Center, which hosts events on its own. The next meeting is to be determined, as the club is waiting on availability.
“Since Girls Volleyball ended, that’s normally what we would use… Now that basketball season is starting up, I think using the gym will be a little tougher,” advisor of the club Joshua Sellers revealed. “So, we’re talking about maybe meeting at one of the K-8s and using one of their gyms,” but the idea is still in the works.
At gym meetings, officers simply set up nets and club members can play wherever one is available. “If they have any questions they can just ask… If they actually need a person teaching them, we’re there for it,” Priscilla shared.
Meetings at MTEC, on the other hand, entail tournaments.
Rather than having several nets up simultaneously, there is one central net where 2v2s occur.
A clip of a tournament at the Teen Center featuring Kevin Lin and Eric Mei against Rin Dang and Phu Phan.
“Tournaments aren’t official,” stated participant Eric Mei, but winners are incentivized by a prize, “which makes it competitive.” Mei remarked that everyone is friendly and shows good sportsmanship.
Commenting on the club itself, he said, “Though it’s new we have a decent number of members who are all kind and help each other get better.”
Susila conveyed that the officers want the club to be a place where students can discover or become fellow badminton lovers and be able to have a friendly or competitive game with their friends.”
“We want students to realize the fun of badminton, not just those that are experienced but also those that have never touched the sport.”
Susila Wong
A member of the club, sophomore Kevin Lin, joined due to his interest in badminton. When he was younger, he played casually with friends, but he wanted to try playing more competitively. After playing in three tournaments and looking forward to the next, Lin concluded, “I really enjoy the club and getting the chance to experience playing badminton competitively.”
A hit for badminton lovers, the officials of the club and the advisor regard the club so far as a success. Their passion for the activity and the hope to allow more students opportunities to play openly drove them to re-establish its existence as a club again, so seeing students crowd the gym or the Teen Center as they swing their birdies is a pleasant sight to them all.
“I have been amazed at the turnout and how many kids want to come and play badminton after school,” Sellers shared. “All the kids there have a great time and just have fun with their friends.”
And, “badminton isn’t a sport in our conference, so the only way that we could play is with a club like this. So, I think it’s been going great.”
“Badminton was one of the few activities that brought my family together every so often back when I was still in elementary school in China. I am still not exceptionally great at the sport, but my passion for the sport continues,” added Susila.
“My favorite aspect is most likely seeing people have fun and seeing those that are new slowly get better at the sport each meeting,” she continued.
In the coming months, the club looks to hold a bake sale fundraiser and a badminton tournament, likely during the spring when the gym is available. It is also willing to create a tutorial or clinic if requested. For information on club events, join classroom.google.com/c/NTI3MjA5ODU5MjQ3 or visit their Instagram @badminton_club_mhs.
