Dear Badminton Friends,

Leaves are slightly turning colors now, signaling the beginning of another badminton season. Hope you were able to finish all your outdoor summer projects (yes, cruise trip to Alaska counts!), kids settled in their new classes, and everyone tanned, fit, and ready to get back on courts!

This year, three junior players from Bellevue Badminton Club joined the USA team and participated in the Pan Am Junior Badminton Championships in August. To qualify, the teens had to compete in USAB JIT (Junior International Trials) tournament held in San Francisco first. Only the top 4 singles, top 4 mixed doubles and top two doubles pairs in each age group got selected. In other words, they were among the best junior players in the nation to represent USA in Pan Am. Great job, Renata Baker, Christine Chen and Vicky Chen!

The Pan Am trip to Dominican Republic was an eye-opener for all of us! Kids expected to meet new friends and have higher-level competitions and they were not disappointed. Hundreds of players from 19 nations joined this event in the capital city Santo Domingo. Throughout the week-long tournament, everyone competed for their countries, and the atmosphere was heated by the intense matches, deafening cheers accompanied by drums and horns, and of course, by the 100 plus degree temperature inside the non-air-conditioned gym. It was fascinating! Our kids were playing their best, working very hard to advance in all events. At the same time, they cheered for their US teammates, loud and proud, with a sense of patriotism. Their coaches lost their voices trying to deliver strategies one game after another. It’s definitely a team work and wonderful experience for all!

And look at those young Caribbean/South American players! They were bouncing around the courts trying to retrieve every single shot. They pumped themselves up after each point, winning or losing. They laughed and cried. They gave their all. Such talent! Such spirit! They played this sport in a very unique way. It’s so inspiring to watch! Kids exchanged colorful team T-shirts with friends from different countries and these souvenirs were simply priceless.

Parents were of course very excited and making lots of noises at the sideline cheering for their kids, but honestly, it’s somewhat suffering too. Sitting/sweating all day in a confined gym with smoldering temperature and humidity, while the nearest shower was half an hour away, reachable only by the hotel shuttles that ran 4 times a day… There were no toilet paper/lights in the restrooms, the water shut down several times a day, and every few hours there was this grand power outage that left the entire gym pitch black, games interrupted, and players stalled… You got the picture. J No wonder the USA team manager listed flashlights as must-bring items! The funny thing was, whenever the power went out, the kids started cheering happily! They were certainly enjoying the anomaly!

Due to safety reasons, we were guarded by soldiers and security personnel at all times. We were warned not to wonder outside the gym and the hotel premises. It’s unfortunate we only saw a small part of the city, but luckily the hotel had a semi-private beach which allows us to get a taste of the white sandy beach, blue sky and the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Between the hotel and the gym were many old buildings with barred or broken windows. Some seemed abandoned. The highway ride was bumpy on the aged shuttle bus with winds and smell of fuel blowing on our faces. Dinner was served with bananas, bananas, and more bananas. However, the January Haiti earthquake was still in everyone’s mind. We were content with what we got in this neighboring country.

Kids came home with a different perspective of the ordinary life here. On the way back from SeaTac airport, one of the girls genuinely praised how beautiful our highway was! I think that’s what makes this trip truly rewarding.

Thank you for your generous support on the junior fundraising events, which made the trips possible for the kids. We had 23 participants in Jr. National and 3 in Pan Am this year. With your passion and encouragement, more players are joining this amazing sport! Special thanks go to Geoff Stensland, Kenny Lu, Toru Takayanagi (Yonex), Patrick Ip, Katherine Ip, Clinton Chen, Tao Yuan,  James Lau, and Andy (Cafe Ori).

This message was meant to be out earlier, but better late than none! See you on the courts!

Ying-Fang Lai

Our Junior Pan Am Results:

• Vicky Chen – U15 XD Bronze (with Pow Hwa Chan, CA)
• Renata Baker – U17 GS Quarter Finalist, U17 GD Quarter Finalist (with Christine Chen)
• Christine Chen – U17 GD Quarter Finalist, U17 XD Quarter Finalist (with Lee Chern, MA)

Click here to view this exerpt including photos from the event.