The clink of the rackets hitting after every shot and squeaky shoes running across and the announcers speaking for the next game. Loud cheers rang out as the birdie switched from side to side. These were the sights and sounds of Stagg Boys and Girls badminton teams. They went up against Chavez on April 2 and had a blast. Stagg boys won two games and lost three, while Stagg girls won five and lost zero. 

Two of Stagg badminton players, Madalyn Chhoung-Sun and Iyvn Kea, were playing against Chavez and both had won their matches. Chhoung-Sun had a very good stance and both Kea and Chhoung-sun were good on their feet. The way they hit the birdie was strong and satisfying. Their athletics were graceful when picking up the birdie, swigging their rackets up and down and preparing to hit again. When they got in their stances and hit the birdie it was effortless and soft too. They showed determination to run to the birdie and tried to catch it.

Madalyn Chhoung-Sun is one of Stagg’s players. She’s a junior here and this is her second year playing. She’s also V1 (varsity 1). Madalyn says it’s a very competitive sport but she honestly enjoys the sport. Chhoung-sun won in her singles match against Chavez, 21-16. 

Something that motivates her is her team and the good environment. “If the badminton team wasn’t a great team, I wouldn’t really enjoy it as much as I do, and I honestly just enjoy the sport.” Her and her team have a pretty close bond to where they can work and coordinate perfectly. 

Chhoung-Sun said, “I don’t wanna lose,” and that she tends to have a negative mindset during it but before games mostly it depends on her mood and over time it lightens up when she hears her team cheering. 

Junior Iyvn Kea is a varsity player. He was nervous to play and was too much in his head. He is hard working and wants to work as hard as he can to be better than before. He wants to find a purpose and do something he’s good at. Kea works hard and loves the sports he’s doing because the coach takes care of them. “He’s like a father figure,” Kea said. This motivates him and pushes him even more. Kea won in his doubles match against Chavez, 21-15. 

Stagg student Natalynn Praseudsuk came to support Stagg badminton and to cheer them on. “A lot of my friends play and I wanna cheer them on,” Praseudsuk said. 

Maryland Cabus and Lillianna Chom are the Stagg badminton assistant coaches. When coaching, they love to see the players work their butts off and get better and become better as an individual. They want them to try to beat Edison as one but right now they want the new players to improve more and be ready for the next challenges/matches. 

Chom said, “if a team leader shows to the others how hard they work and how hard they put into the team and the game, then they’d want to do that for themselves they wanna work as hard and as much as they do.”