Badminton

Many Americans play baseball, basketball, soccer, or tennis. Many of them watch these sports on TV, and many buy tickets to their games and matches. But the average American has never even heard of competitive badminton, let alone gone to see a match. As a player myself, I can assure you that the common misconception that badminton is merely a backyard sport couldn’t be farther from the truth. Badminton began as a leisurely backyard …

…something you would see in just any backyard. Badminton requires intensive training and conditioning, and in the most competitive countries children are often started as early as 4-5 years old. In America, the game is not regarded as a respected sport, but despite this fact, children with the desire and ability to play can begin at any age. As a coach as well as a player I can attest to the challenge the sport yields.