Anshina Verma, 8/26 Week 1 - Forty-Four by Twenty Feet of Freedom
I step into Synergy Badminton Academy’s large gym, my eyes graced with the relaxing symmetry of twenty dark green courts, all forty-four by twenty feet. The familiar scent of sweat and plastic from shuttles wafts into my nose, and I don my Yonex Power Cushions. They squeak across the floor as I fumble with the red rubber grip of my Yonex 5 FX racket, which my father had to drag me kicking and screaming from when I saw it in a shop in Beijing. As I step onto the court, I hear the chaos, players groaning in anguish as a point is lost, or smiling as they win on match point.
From Monday through Saturday, six to ten in the evening every day, I experience the controlled chaos of seven games, with three sets of twenty-one points each. Badminton, were I to describe it in its purest form, is chess at a hundred miles an hour. I put my pawn on the chessboard as I stepped onto the badminton court, racket in hand, at the age of twelve, and upon internal analysis, I've concluded that Badminton is a form of expression. I express myself with my playing style, the subtle signatures the human body carries in the singularity of its movement. I'm my purest self when I'm on the court. When I'm attempting to anticipate a shot or waiting for my partner to serve, I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm free to move as I please for my benefit alone. Emotionally, I'm stripped bare when I step onto the court, but the thought doesn’t scare me.
To further explain my love for badminton as a key aspect of my identity background is needed. My favorite overhead shot in badminton is a smash. A smash is a fast shot backed by power to send the shuttle hurtling towards the floor. It is used to maintain offense. In many ways, my smash reflects who I am beyond the court, embodying my unapologetic intensity.
I’ve always been rather rambunctious. My outgoing and sometimes rowdy nature is a quality that can be seen at first glance. One thing I can appreciate about myself is that I put myself out there. I display my vulnerabilities and flaws and don't worry about the repercussions. My bold and blunt nature has certainly gotten me into trouble, but it's also contributed to my individuality. A smash is similar in a way. It requires strength and full unashamed commitment, as it comes crashing down at full speed. In its wake, however, it also leaves a sense of vulnerability. After a player uses all their strength in a smash, they do not have much time to recover. They unabashedly leave it all on the court, despite the flaws that are displayed after. My smash is my loudest voice, and it is the most unfiltered declaration of my identity.
I enjoyed your explanation of smash. I have always seen badminton as a very interesting sport but I never got into the sport as I am not very athletic. Your love for badminton shows in your writing and your dedication to badminton is remarkable.
ReplyDeleteI loved how your detailed descriptions of Badminton really highlight the love you have for the sport. Your beautiful descriptions of badminton make it feel like I’m watching a sports movie and immersed in one of those monologues. Your description of the smash’s connection to you is very interesting, too. Rather than just saying it allows you to express your power like I expected you to when you first mentioned it, you constructed a complex connection between it and your identity, while simultaneously maintaining that sports-movie monologue feel of your blog.
ReplyDeleteAnshina, Badminton has always been one of the coolest sports in my opinion, although I run cross country and play basketball, that idea of “controlled chaos” is one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. If I’m being completely honest, I was and am still a little afraid of you, and I one hundred percent attribute that to your smash shot personality. That’s not a bad thing! I admire people who are unapologetically themselves even if it may not fit the societal expectation. Also, when did you buy your Badminton racket, is it still standing today? I’m curious if products bought from other countries last longer than ones bought in the United States.
ReplyDeleteAnshina, it is amazing how passionate you are about badminton, and I love that you’re able to be vulnerable in life: it’s something that I’m really happy to be able to do and I can tell you that it is way easier for someone to do it if others also do it, so I appreciate your clearly displayed vulnerability! As someone who plays both chess and badminton (at least I used to) badminton is definitely chess at a very high speed, as I still believe that it is a game requiring more brains than brawn (if that makes any sense). I wish you luck in your future badminton games!
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