The badminton team won CCS for the fourth year in a row, winning first place for girls’ singles, first place for mixed doubles, second and fourth in girls’ singles, and third for boys’ doubles at CCS May 17, 2025, at Independence High School, according to the CCS website.
At NorCal Badminton Championships, senior Anderson Lin took the title of Boys Singles Champion, senior Ardra Mohan and junior Nihal Kadamba placed third in Mixed Doubles, and senior Philip Ngo & freshman Kehong Ng placed sixth in Boys Doubles in NorCal Championships on May 24, 2025, at Independence High School, Coach Tommy Nguyen said. Seven students went to CCS out of the usual five to eight players, Nguyen said.
“We have players that can play different events and that excel really well,” Nguyen said. “So this year, we made sure to spread it out to kind of win multiple events.”
There are currently 19 seniors on the team, when in previous years there were usually 12-16 seniors, Nguyen said. They have two to four years of experience under their belt, which they can spread to the younger players, Nguyen said.
“They have that maturity and (experience) playing these matches,” Nguyen said. “A lot of it (is from) performing consistently, and that’s mostly because the nervousness comes from the lack of experience.”
The competition at CCS gets more difficult each year, but the team felt more comfortable and confident this year, Nguyen said.
“For a lot of the players that competed, it’s their second or third, or fourth time playing,” Nguyen said. “So they’re all used to the pressure.”
One of the more difficult matches during CCS was during the semi-finals for boys’ singles against Lynbrook, where the game went up to three sets, Nguyen said.
“It was a tense back-and-forth, but our boy in singles came up and was able to finish it out,” Nguyen said. “Then he went on to finals, played another tough three sets, and was able to clinch first place.”
Badminton is typically viewed as an individual sport in the high school setting, so the team does their best to make the sport feel team-oriented, Nguyen said.
“Having teammates cheer and give praises on and off the court really helps out,” Nguyen said. “I think it helps ground a lot of the players, but also makes them feel like this sport affects everyone around them.”
Team support is especially important during singles games, since you are less motivated when no one is watching on the sidelines, senior and co-captain Arida Narayan said. The team has tried to emphasize sportsmanship throughout the season, so their players came out to leagues and CCS for support, Narayan said.
“When your teammates are cheering for you, it makes you feel good about yourself,” Narayan said. “Personally, I like putting on a show. I like doing crazy shots, running around the court, making it entertaining for everyone.”
The team has great support from their coaches, Narayan said. The head coach runs practices, and their assistant coaches, who give technical and moral support, make a strong foundation between the captain and coaches, Narayan added.
“And I know other schools see it too,” Narayan said. “The past two years, we’ve won the Sportsmanship Award for CCS.”
Going from mixed doubles for the season to playing singles for leagues and CCS needed adjustment, sophomore Misheal Shaik said. Singles requires more stamina because of the extra movement, so it is harder than playing mixed doubles, Shaik said.
“The guy covers like 60 to 70 percent of the court, while the girl just covers most of the time,” Shaik said. “If the guy is stronger, it makes sense to play that way because the guy usually smashes harder (and) moves faster.”
Many female players play the “long run,” where the player goes at a moderate pace, but she personally plays at a fast pace, Narayan said. She plays offense instead of defense, playing slices where the birdie goes fast and close to the opponent’s neck and running forward after hitting the birdie to continue attacking, Narayan said.
“When I go to CCS, they’re (opponents) not used to the playing style; it throws them off,” Narayan said. “So it gives me that advantage. That’s pretty much how I’ve won leagues and made it to CCS.”
Being in competitive badminton has taught her that discipline is not always a bad thing, but there is a balance between discipline and having fun, Narayan said.
“I took it way too seriously when I was younger,” Narayan said. “I was so obsessed with winning and following the rules. Then I came to high school, and I was like ‘Wait, this is actually really fun.'”
As a captain, she has noticed that the team has been especially responsive when she asks them to do certain things, Narayan said.
“They don’t give me attitude,” Narayan said. “They understand what I’m asking. I think it’s also (because) I show them that I’m not only their captain, I’m their peer.”