Badminton group looking for more players

As they rally a shuttlecock across the net, a group of women who play badminton at the community centre regularly move quickly, break a sweat, and can look pretty fearsome. 

But it’s quickly obvious by the laughter that while they are there to compete, they are also out to have a good time.

The ladies’ badminton group rents two courts a week, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, for two hours, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. However, their numbers have dwindled since COVID shut them down — not all the regulars have returned, and they are hoping to attract new players.

It’s not a club, they don’t have members — it’s a drop-in, pay to play group of mostly retired women, says Diane Walker, who is looking after the bookings and rental.

Most of the regulars have a similar story — they hadn’t played badminton since their school days, but something about the sport, usually a friend or acquaintance telling them how much fun it is, convinced them to give it a try.

It’s great exercise, says Walker, and although it helps to have had some experience with a racquet sport, it’s not essential, and the regulars love teaching as much as they love playing.

There are always a couple of extra racquets, so newcomers are welcome to come and try it before investing in their own equipment, says Walker.

It’s considered the fastest racquet sport, and it’s easy to see why when you watch — the shuttlecock isn’t supposed to touch the ground, and players have to move quickly to keep it in the air.

“It’s not quite the gentle sport you might think it is from watching kids play,” Walker says. “But it’s also very social.”

“It’s fast,” she adds, “but don’t be frightened by it. We have mixed abilities here for sure. And whether you smash it over the net or tip it over gently, they all count.”

The women also like to have time to sit out between matches, which is one reason why it would be helpful to have more players.

Walker explains they don’t always have enough players to require two courts — the women like to have some time on the sidelines to socialize, rather than playing all out for two hours.

The cost to play varies by the number of women who show up, she says — typically it’s $5.

In order to keep the two courts reserved for badminton, as they hope for more members in the future, they have to pay for them, whether they use them or not.

There were only eight women out last Friday, and they would love to return to their pre-pandemic of at least 12 to 14 regulars.

Lil Bergen is one of the regulars. She’s been coming out for about the last six years, and before that, hadn’t played since high school. “It a great way to keep in shape. It gets your cardio up. And I love it. I look forward to Wednesdays and Fridays.”

It’s a sport they can play all year round, and do, although some take the summer off and resume in the fall.

Ana Moisa is the newest in the group, and she too hadn’t played since she was a kid. She moves quickly on the court, and loves the exercise, although she still works and can only play on Fridays.

Jayne Tayler has been playing the longest. She remembers when they were in the old community centre 23 years ago, and she was one of the youngest, encouraged to come out by those she called “the elders.” She used to play with the women during the day, and couples at night, four times a week. She admits to being competitive, and is the one on the court who makes the play look easy, says Moisa, the one who “smacks it in,” while others look graceful, gently tipping it in over the top.

“There is a place here for everybody,” says Walker, “and everyone is welcome. Come out and try it. We all like to help others.”

For more information call Walker at 905-468-0638 or email [email protected].