This semester, a quarter credit Physical Education (P.E.) class is offered that stands above the rest: Badminton. Badminton has not been taught at DePauw in several years, so when head track and cross country Coach Kori Stoffregen was asked to teach a P.E. class, he knew exactly which one to pick.
Badminton has been played since the 17th century and has been an Olympic sport since 1992. It is often played as a leisure activity outside on a nice day or as an intense sport fighting for gold, but this semester, we are meeting in Lilly.
For the class, all the equipment you need is yourself; coach takes care of the rest. We have rackets, shuttlecocks and nets. We set up in the Neal Fieldhouse in Lilly, where badminton courts are lined in navy blue.
Although it seems unorthodox to some, I felt it necessary to buy myself some badminton rackets before the first day of class. I found a 4-pack for $3 at a thrift store in Cincinnati, Ohio. How was I going to pass that up? Every day, I play with an old wooden racket, probably from the late 1980s, and I couldn't be happier. It has a little more weight to it, more than the school issued rackets, and the wooden frame gives me more coverage when I knick the shot (where you miss, but barely hit the shuttlecock with the frame), making my near-missed shots fairly effective.
So far we have learned proper scoring, serving and footwork, but we have a long way to go. I have been working specifically on my footwork, especially since my classmate and friend, Doug Hinkel, a sophomore from Lafayette, Ind., keeps beating me in our daily match. Doug played tennis for most of his life, so he has the court awareness that I have not mastered yet.
Don't get confused; badminton is not like tennis. There are some similar rules, but the game is played very differently. For instance, there are rules about serving. Before class, I thought I could have a powerful overhand serve like the tennis pros show off, but I was wrong. All serves in badminton must be underhand, below the waist. Did you know there is a different serve when playing doubles rather than singles? I didn't. Not until class with coach.
I am having a great time in class. Aside from having to shower after class and probably change my clothes, it is a great form of exercise. After the first few days of class, my forearms were sore from practicing my serves and volleys. Since the class is in the morning, I come to class feeling tired and leave class awake and refreshed for the rest of the day. What's better than a morning workout in Lilly?
Since Badminton is a quarter credit course, it only meets twice a week for an hour, which is nice for those with a busy schedule like mine. I am having a lot of fun while not feeling overwhelmed with the rest of my courses. Hinkel loves badminton class almost as much as I do. He said that when he is in class, he doesn't worry about anything else.
"You don't worry about grades, you don't worry about manners and you don't worry about the presidential race," Hinkel said. "All that matters is that the shuttlecock gets over the net."
Not everyone is going to take P.E. classes, but everyone should take badminton. The class gives me a break from the grind of homework and tests and gives me the opportunity to have fun in a relaxing game with my friends. Swing away!
- Brian Austin is a sophomore from Terrance Park, Ohio, with an undecided major.