Ever since Ms. Kathy Colclasure took over the BBCHS badminton team as the head coach, the talented girls from over the years have been building a dynasty for the team. Now with Colclasure stepping down to coach the freshman level, Ms. Sarah Lenfield is taking on the role of head coach, with her varsity assistant, Mrs. Jess Jaenicke, and Ms. Sarah Youssef at the sophomore level. Leading the team this year is the ten returning seniors, with five juniors, and one sophomore.

After going undefeated their freshman and sophomore years and winning conference three years in a row, the seniors are excited about returning and finishing their badminton careers with another strong season. After their one loss last season against Andrew High School, the team is ready to get back out and hopefully score a victory against them this year. Another tough match-up is one of the team’s biggest rivals, Lockport.

Elana Ferris, a senior who has played all four years, shared the team’s goals for this season, saying, “We really want to win conference for our fourth year, and we really want to send six girls to State.” BBCHS badminton has a great record of sending girls to the state tournament that goes back to the beginning of Colclasure’s time with the team. Now under the coaching of Lenfield, the team is looking to keep that tradition alive.

Another important goal of the team is receiving the recognition they deserve and taking their place as an appreciated sport in the school. Isra Ansari, another senior on the team, states, “It’s frustrating when I hear people say badminton isn’t a sport. We condition and work just as hard as every other team in the school.” This has been an ongoing battle for the badminton team as they struggle to leave their mark on the school. After countless victories and accomplishments the team has made, they still fight against the negative views of the sport.

With the season just getting started, the team is excited about the coming matches and tournaments. The seniors are ready to finish their last season strong and continue their almost flawless record. Good luck to the team as they continue throughout their season.