The H-F Badminton team has been practicing since September for the upcoming season. With their first match on March 16, the team is ready to “bring the juice!”, a term that senior Alexa Orozco finds means to lay all your energy out on the courts.
Despite qualifying two players for State, last year’s regular season matches didn’t perform as well as anticipated. The coaches planned to correct this by putting more commitment into off-season practices and encouraging the girls to build depth in their skills year-round.
“They’ve been in open gyms hitting and just staying in tune with the sport, rather than just kind of stopping and then getting started again months later,” head coach Alexander Pratt said. “They’ve been picking up racquets almost nonstop since our last season.”
Pratt has been coaching the sport for 15 years and is now entering his fourth year as Head coach, which provides a unique bond with the athletes. “I’ve seen these now seniors grow from freshmen,” he said. “So these are kind of my babies.”
The team runs on the principle of what Pratt calls ‘Only Quality People’ (OQP). “They’re great students, they’ve got positive personalities,” he said. “One of our mantras is ‘Positive Mental Attitudes’ (PMA). They display that every day, not just in practice, but in their regular lives outside of badminton.”
Orozco has been on the team for three years. “The season consists of many matches as well as tournaments and practices that focus on drilling and match plays,” said Orozco. Her goals this season are to continue improving her skills and to enjoy her final year with her teammates.
Junior Laila Blakey played on the team for two years but decided to serve as a team manager this year after experiencing asthma-related issues as an athlete.
“I didn’t want to completely leave the team, I still love the girls and I love the coaches,” said Blakey. “It’s more than just a team; it’s a sisterhood. It’s more than just friendship, it’s like a family.”
As a manager, Blakey sets up the courts, keeps score, plugs in the stereo and emotionally supports the girls.
Pratt emphasized the importance of well-rounded student athletes, encouraging a “study table” where the girls get time to study and complete homework before practice. “All these girls work extremely hard; they’re great students,” Pratt said.
The players heavily prioritize girlhood and team bonding, utilizing a program called “Big Sister, Little Sister,” that encourages older players to work with and check up on younger players. “I’ve always genuinely enjoyed playing and being with my teammates,” said senior Faith Thompson, who has been on the team for four years. “We always have each other’s backs.”
While the team is excited to showcase their improvements in the sport, they believe skill should never be at the cost of enjoyment. “I think because of the quality of individuals we have, they attract like-minded people, and their positivity attracts more positivity into the program. It’s very upbeat. We eat a lot of food, our grades are great and we have a lot of fun,” Pratt said.
