Questions have arisen between student athletes and parents concerning open nets and weight training. Some worry how these possible changes may factor into their athlete’s schedule. Others questioned the frequency, the timing, and in which ways adding weight training could affect the athlete’s grades due to the added time spent at practices.
The coaches of all three levels for the sport assure that weight training will not be every practice, but they are likely to extend the amount of time athletes spend at practices.
Katie Masson, 2025 JV Conference Champion, expresses her concerns on weight training being implemented into the season. She says the team’s varsity coach mentioned weight training would fall after a regular practice but the team would end up staying longer than usual, typically until around 5 p.m.
Masson hopes to still be able to balance her homework with weight training being added into practices. Though, she does add that if weight training ends up being optional, she will attend them most of the time, which is dependent on school work.
Masson is extremely devoted to her sport. She states that she attends these training sessions when they come available to her for her own benefit, and not just for getting better at badminton but also because she truly enjoys being able to improve her performance.
Currently, there are open nets available most Mondays along with weight lifting on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Neither open nets or weight lifting are mandatory for making the team, though both the JV and Varsity coaches speak highly of athletes taking advantage of these opportunities for improvement.
Varsity Coach, Mike Shubert, says the number of people who have already attended the two open nets averaged at about 30 to 35, and that it was about the same for both. He expects it to stay about the same or even increase within the next few weeks. Shubert adds that about 20 to 25 who attended the open nets were previous badminton players. Coach Shubert and Scott Nelson, JV Badminton Coach, both said that around 5 to 10 freshmen show up to open nets, along with a few non badminton players.
With both coaches praising the weight training consistently, students feel encouraged to attend them so that they can also experience the benefits of this provided time for improvement.
“I think there are going to be a number of benefits; I think it is going to increase their athleticism, their power, and reduce the risk of injury,” Shubert said.
There have been many positive responses from those who have attended the open nets and weight training. Many speak about how it helps them with improving their performance and that they appreciate the extra time given to practice during the sports off season.
Masson says it not only improves her gameplay, but it also improves her personal growth. She adds she is not really able to head to the gym, but she is “able to do [those] things at school, which is helpful.”
Ashley Samayoa, junior, says that it gives the athletes extra time to practice their shots along with footwork which helps them feel more prepared once it comes time for tryouts.
Olivia Gawlik, an incoming freshman player, says that the weight training makes her stronger along with builds stamina, which she says is important for badminton players. She says that the open nets help with practicing, especially since there is the opportunity to play against the Varsity girls, which give the right tips while playing together.
Gawlik believes that the athletes who are truly dedicated to the sport would agree that they benefit from these training sessions, because they also see how it helps them improve.
The athletes express their appreciation towards these opportunities. Both Masson and Gawlik both express that these training sessions are enjoyable and allow them to connect with their peers, even ones they might have not known beforehand.
Nelson says that the athletes spending more time together and sharing experiences establishes their relationships, “[which] then will add even more confidence in each other and they will be able to build each other up through their matches and practices.”
“I think that the more conditioned, quicker, and more athletic our athletes are, the better team we’re going to be,” Shubert says. He informs any freshman who are interested in trying out for the team to be on the lookout in the announcements, as there will be more information forthcoming on tryouts, open nets, weight training, etc.
