Varsity

Badminton is one of the sports at OHS that begins soon after the school year starts. This season, being the first normal one since the pandemic began, has been filled with positive moments throughout. 

“We survived it, we did real well, we got to play the whole season,” said Paula Cappelletti, coach. “Badminton wasn’t affected that much; we were fortunate.”

The team has been able to reach and accomplish goals throughout the season, allowing the girls to continue to develop their skills in the sport and proudly represent OHS in each match. 

“I think that we’ve done a lot of things that we didn’t expect to be able to do,” said Tristan Hanrath, senior. “We won every single portion of the doubles tournament for the DVUSD [tournament].”

This year, all six players on the varsity team are seniors, most of them having played the sport since their freshman or sophomore year. All of the players are extremely committed to the sport and have taken extra measures to improve themselves as athletes. 

“Several of them have taken lessons all summer long over in Mesa and they have gone to camps to get better,” Cappelletti said. “Just from the beginning of this season to now I’ve seen a big improvement in their play.”

The team made it to state last year, but unfortunately lost. One of the main motivations for the girls this season is trying to make it back to state and redeem themselves. 

“My goal for this season would be to make it to state,” said Bria Riggan, senior. “Definitely just winning my matches and trying to do the best I can during my games. I think that’s like a goal I have for myself, just winning as much as I can.”

For most sports, sportsmanship and friendships amongst teammates is definitely something that is needed to bring the team closer and OHS badminton has easily accomplished that, making the team more united. 

“It’s just like a really good place I think for a sport; everyone on the team is just amazing. I love all of them,” Riggan said.

The friendships and love within the team has created a very open and encouraging environment, making it a very healthy place for a sport. 

“I love how close we’ve gotten this year especially with everything we’ve overcome,” said Tristan Hanrath.

JV

This year, the JV team has all the same people who were on JV last year. Because of this, the players have gotten a lot of playing experience over the last couple seasons and they’re preparing to move up to the varsity team next year. 

“I’ve seen a lot of progress because of that experience,” Cappelletti said. “They’ve done well, they’ve stepped up and done well.”

Since all the varsity players will be graduating this year, JV will be moving up to varsity, making this their last year to prepare themselves and their skills for the varsity team.  

“I think my goals are to have fun and get better and to, hopefully, be ready for next season and varsity,” said Arpana Sripathi, junior. 

Due to the senior athletes graduating, next season JV will be getting a new start as the new varsity.

 “We’re losing all our seniors next year so all of the JV will move up next year,” Cappelletti said. 

The entire team practices together, despite varying skill levels, so oftentimes the players will practice against someone who is at a higher skill level so that they get better and improve.

“I’ve gotten more confident in myself and my ability to play because before I would just get nervous,” Sripathi said.

As practices with multiple levels help people develop skills, they’ve also helped the girls become very close. Connections between the players have also helped them develop life skills, like getting along with teammates and working together.  

“We’re just able to create great friends and that’s one of the great things about badminton,” Sripathi said.

Exhibition

All the new players who joined this year are on the exhibition team. Since they are new, they were given the option to attend a badminton camp before the season started. 

“They were very nervous because they said ‘we don’t know how to play,’” Cappelletti said. “No one knows how to play whenever you first start.”

Exhibition has practiced often with JV to improve themselves as well as prepare some girls to be the next six girls who will get to move up to JV next year. 

“We try to put people with the same skill level but then we also have them move up, like exhibition players will play the JV,” Cappelletti said.

Practices together have helped all the players learn the routines and drills. The higher level players have helped train them, especially in the practices at the beginning of the season. 

“I hope to learn the techniques they use to beat others,” said Arushi Gupta, sophomore. “They’re really influential.”

Exhibition has looked up to JV and Varsity and sees them as role models in the sport and in sportsmanship. They have all been encouraged by the JV and Varsity athletes in badminton. 

“I really love the experience because the entire team is so kind and we all work very well with each other,” Gupta said.

As everyone is polishing their skills, the exhibition team is preparing themselves to see which six girls will get to be part of the JV team next year, as well as just becoming better athletes.  

“A lot of them were at the bottom and now they’re right below JV,” Cappelletti said. “They’re gonna be ready.”