Sweat drips down the faces of these determined athletes, hearts pounding, arms expanding every second the birdie flies over the net. Badminton has had a long history of success being Sac-Joaquin Section champs for five consecutive years. Through tough training, high expectations and commitment for the team, badminton has become the most successful sports program on campus.

Because the bar has been set high for the players, head varsity coach Hung Nguyen has been having the current varsity players help out the junior varsity team at practice to prepare them for when the seniors graduate. By having the seniors help out, they will pass their knowledge of the sport onto the younger players.

“He gives us time to partner up and help them with shots and strategies they can use in the game,” said senior Lonnie Ellis.

Nicholas Vang, a sophomore on varsity, does not feel pestered by having to help out the freshmen on the junior varsity team. “I feel good because we need a strong team for next year.”  Not only do the seniors feel like this is helping their team but the younger players feel this way as well.

“They make you want to be better, they motivate you,” freshman Lynzie Vang said. However, she believes that real improvement comes from within. “You have to know you have potential and want to do it for yourself,” she said.

But for some, just believing in yourself is not enough.Sophomore Bao Ngan believes that in order to play well, you have to play selflessly. “You should want to play for your team,” she said.

Having a good reputation in the league for many years, Nguyen notes that other teams look up to their badminton as an example of passion for the sport. “Everyone always wants to be like us on our competitive level,” Nguyen said.

However, he does not expect next year’s team to be on the same level as this year’s team. “We will lose a lot of experience,” he said. “Next year will be a big step down.”

The current seniors have been doing exceedingly well and are being led by Somalie Prak, who currently holds a 5-0 record. She hopes to achieve her goal of going undefeated in league and win sections. In order to obtain that goal she knows that she needs to stay focused. She also realizes that maintaining the team’s current standards includes working with the weakest parts. “Next year the team will be decent if they work hard,” Prak said.

For the boys’ team, Lonnie Ellis is the defending singles league champion. Speaking from experience he said “the seniors make the team.”

Nguyen, however, still says that next year’s team will try to live up to what the seniors have accomplished. “They know the winning tradition, they know they have a name to uphold,” he said. He adds that their motivation comes from the notion that the team has always been successful. 

Vang believes that next year’s team has potential as long as they “work hard during practice and don’t give up during games,” he said.

The seniors hope to create a positive impact on the younger team with the time and dedication they put forth in the sport. One senior that Vang looks up to is Channa Prak.

“She has a lot of strength and her technique is very good.”