The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: badminton

  • Badminton is back at Cal Poly Humboldt

    Badminton is back at Cal Poly Humboldt

    By Carlina Grillo

    Every weekend on campus students make birdies fly. Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., badminton lovers can be found at an open gym hosted by the Humboldt Badminton Club. Located at Forbes Gym, badminton is one of the many recreational sports on campus that host drop-ins. Drop-ins are $2 a session for community members, but for students, it’s completely free.

    Aaron Muscarello is the president of the badminton club and has been slinging shuttlecocks since middle school. As a senior and a physical education major, Muscarello is passionate about bringing badminton back from the dead. 

    “This is the first full semester,” Muscarello said. “To see a whole gym full of people, like this, was initially my goal to start. The next goal is to get more competition. I like to see tournaments. It’d be cool to have an intramural league but we just have to get people that are willing to… progress and want to be more competitive.”

    With big plans for this club’s rebirth, Muscarello’s big time goal is to travel and compete against other schools. In order to achieve his goals, he must start by recruiting more consistent club members. 

    “It was kind of a selfish goal,” Muscarello said. “You can’t play badminton by yourself right? So you need other people… I want to play so I’m going to be the one to get all these people together. And that’s why I started honestly. It’s a great opportunity to come down like if you want some exercise on a Saturday, especially when it’s raining.”

    Either with friends or on your own, the badminton club is beginner friendly and a good place to socialize. Depending on experience, games range from fast paced one-on-one matches, to slow and steady doubles. Most of the time they don’t keep track of points. 

    “If you’re somebody that wants to run around and actually meet people that are really cool, that is what the club is for,” Muscarello said. “That’s why drop ins are a sweet opportunity.” 

    Morgan Lopez, a child development major, was a first-timer on the badminton court. She had hardly played the sport before, and walked away feeling positive about the experience. 

    “It’s actually really fun,” Lopez said. “It’s way harder than I thought it would be, but I think I’ve got a dub coming up here soon. It’s a cute little game, a cute little racket, cute little birdie. Cute little net.”

    More serious about the sport is Clarissa Peyton, a zoology major. Peyton has played badminton since highschool where she competed in the Citrus Belt League and played varsity singles.

    “I love badminton because it’s a really satisfying sport, like when you smash it [the birdie] or trip up your competitor with different moves,” Peyton said. “I also just love competing with people and seeing people really give it their all.”

    Muscarello attributes the success of the club to the people he works with. This includes club officers, his advisor, recreation sports and the office of student life, his family, and most importantly his team and the people who show up to drop ins. 

    “I might be the President – or King, Emperor, Firelord – of the Humboldt Badminton Club, but this is a team game and I couldn’t have gotten this club to where it is without the support of [my team],” Muscarello said. “I couldn’t have done it without y’all.” 

    For more information check out @Humboldt_badminton on Instagram or for the full list of drop in sports see: https://recsports.humboldt.edu/drop-in-recreation 

  • It’s for funsies

    It’s for funsies

    Badminton and pickleball clubs meet on Sundays for exercise and conversation

    Ben Bouchard’s love of badminton drove him to start the badminton club last semester. This past Sunday nearly 20 members of his club showed up to smack birdies from one side of the net to the other.

    Bouchard said he hopes to compete with other schools one day, but acknowledged HSU’s rural location. He mentioned reaching out to other schools, but for now wants to focus on the fundamentals.

    [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Olivia Chang” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”16″]“I like how casual it is and relaxed, it is not super competitive… Everyone, no matter their skill level, can drop in and play.”[/perfectpullquote]

    “I just want to hone our skills and get better,” Bouchard said. “I know the Bay Area has a lot of tournaments so we’ll see.”

    Bouchard said he originally started the club to meet other players and to allow people to better their skills. He said that what draws him to badminton are the strategic and mental aspects of the game. It is something that he found more passion in than other traditional sports.

    “I was training to be on the track team, but I always ended up coming back to badminton,” Bouchard said. “It is more fun and it’s a nice break from school.”

    Zoology senior Olivia Chang went to the gym to get a break from her studies and to play a few games with friends.

    “I really need the exercise,” Chang said. “I usually sit around and study, so it is great to get a good workout.”

    IMG_2484.jpg
    Ben Bouchard hits the birdie back to Olivia Chang during a game of badminton on Sunday Feb. 24 in the West Gymnasium. | Photo by Freddy Brewster

    Chang is a member of the club and has been going to the meetups every Sunday since October. Chang also takes dance lessons at Redwood Raks in Arcata, but particularly looks forward to badminton every week.

    “I like how casual it is and relaxed, it is not super competitive,” Chang said. “Everyone, no matter their skill level, can drop in and play.”

    Psychology senior Giselle Velasquez also played this past Sunday. Velasquez said she likes to compete and enjoys playing people who are better than her.

    “There are so many people that are good and they teach you all sorts of skills,” Velasquez said.

    [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Ben Bouchard” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“It allows me to disengage… When I’m playing badminton, that’s all I’m doing.”[/perfectpullquote]

    The pickleball club was also at the gym. Karen Soiker is an avid pickleball player, as well as an HSU alumnus who grew up in Sunny Brae. Soiker is retired and in her free time travels the world with her paddle, always ready for a game. Next month she is headed to Amsterdam with six local pickleballers for a clinic hosted by a professional.

    “It keeps me active,” Soiker said. “I like to compete, but for some folks who don’t it is a very social sport. You meet, you play, you go out to lunch. It is pretty fun.”

    Soiker said that the pickleball meetups have been happening for about six years at HSU. Soiker also said the sport is growing.

    “There is also a meet-up at the Adorni Center in Eureka,” Soiker said “We are bursting at the seams.”

    Soiker and Bouchard’s passion for their pastimes show. For Bouchard, his love of the sport stems from summer times with his family and the state of mind he enters when playing.

    “It allows me to disengage, when I play it just fully takes over,” Bouchard said. “When I’m playing badminton, that’s all I’m doing.”