Hello, California.

Little bit behind-- it's been more than a month, but I've finally settled down and gotten back into my routine of badminton. (A month off badminton isn't good for the gut. Time to burn off some of that delicious California food.)

I've been playing at Irvine Valley College (http://www.ivc.edu/). They have plenty of banners flaunting their badminton spirit, having won many Women's Badminton Championships over the years.

If you're a student, you can try out for their team for this coming Spring and be a part of their history! Some people have been known to sign up for one online class just so they could join the team, so it's highly recommended! You get to meet some nice people and play competitively-- that's the dream!

I just play weekly-- every Saturday at 6PM. It's an $8 honor-code drop-in fee, and you can play all the way until 10PM. The courts go by a typical two-court rotation rule. Birds aren't provided, but you can buy them at the front desk.

They also have drop in on Sunday from 1PM, and social events Thursday nights, so you have plenty of opportunities to get to know the badminton community around here.

The level is, on average, a B- to C+ (for Washingtonians). You can get a few good games to work up a sweat and get some friendly competition going, but if you're looking for some hardcore rigorous training, I'd recommend driving 10-15 minutes to OCBC.

I'm not too familiar with the badminton scene here, though, but I've heard rumors that OCBC is pretty empty ever since LABC opened up. Guess it's time for me to check them out!

Come visit IVC sometime and say hi! :)

Get nervous before a game?

No fret!

The American Psychological Association recently published an article called "Simple Routine Could Help Athletes Avoid Choking Under Pressure"

Even better?

The study included Badminton players!

The study was done in Germany, and participants included soccer players, judo experts and BADMINTON PLAYERS! So proud!

According to the article, "Right-handed athletes who squeezed a ball in their left hand before competing were less likely to choke under pressure than right-handed players who squeezed a ball in their right hand."

TL;DR? (Too Long; Didn't Read)?

I cut out the badminton portion for you here:

"The final experiment featured 18 experienced badminton players (12 men and six women) who completed a series of practice serves. Then, they were divided into teams and competed against each other while being videotaped for evaluation by their coaches. Athletes who squeezed a ball in their left hand didn’t choke under pressure, unlike the control group players who squeezed a ball in their right hand. A final phase of the experiment had the athletes just clench their left or right hand without a ball before competition, and players who clenched their left hand performed better than players who squeezed their right hand."

Next time you're on the court, remember this tip and see if you play well! Post a comment below if you felt a difference!

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/09/choking-pressure.aspx

Anyone in California?

I've been taking the last month to relocate to California.

Any good places to play badminton? :)

California is famous in the US for having a HUGE amount of places to play for badminton, but I'd love first person account on where the best places to play are!

Leave me a comment and I'll come check it out soon!

Badminton trouble at the Olympics

What the heck happened?

Following #badminton on twitter?

In the women's doubles game, China vs. Korea, both teams were booed for not trying as hard, hoping they would lose to get an easier draw.

Is that cheating, or that strategy?

In my opinion, I think in an honorable event like the Olympics, you give it your all, no matter who you're up against. To think that Chinese and Korean fans, both of whom are incredibly proud of their athletes, were all boo'ing their own players.

Badminton is an honor sport. As an athlete, your sportsmanship is paying both respect for your sport, and to your opponents. Playing well during a game, no matter how difficult or easy it is, proves that you are trying your hardest to be the best you can be. It's showing the world that you've worked hard to be the tough athlete that you are, and you're not willing to go down without a fight.

I've always wanted badminton to get press coverage, but not like this.

Let's hope the rest of the Olympics are a little better than what we've witnessed today.

Read more about it here:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/story/2012-07-31/Badminton-players-charged-with-throwing-matches/56630488/1

Ever want to be in the Olympics?

Have you ever wanted to be a professional athlete? What are you chances?

A reader of BadmintonSquare, Sam, sent me this snazzy infographic of your chances:




Looks like guys have a greater chances in badminton: 1 in 1,564. You might think this still isn't that great...but just think....how many people out there play badminton!? There are plenty of us! But if you play basketball, soccer or tennis...you better work really hard, or have a back up plan!

The Olympics are right around the corner...who are you rooting for? :)

Injuries? What injuries?

I was playing badminton last night when a few of my friends and I started a discussion about injuries on the court.

We were all bandaged up in someway-- ankles, wrists, knees. Occasionally we'll ask each other for advice on what we should do to fix ourselves up. We get the same usual answers: ice it, wrap it up, warm-up for a longer period of time, stretch it out...but it all boils down to the same conclusion:

You have to let it rest. For at least a few weeks...maybe even a few months.

We sat in silence for a few seconds...then burst out laughing.  No way in HELL are we going to stop playing--it just doesn't happen. I've known people who are bandaged on every joint on their body, but they refuse to stop playing!

Injuries seem to bond players like war-stories...we've all gone through rigorous training, played the wrong way, played so much to the point that we should really stop but we don't... and somehow those stories bring us together. It's endearing, really, but you have to remember that taking care of your body is the most important part to being an athlete. Sure, it feels fine now, but if you keep injuring yourself and don't allow your body time to heal, then you could be looking at more permanent injuries that could hurt your badminton career long-term.

My brother had injured both of his knees a little while back, and chose to continue playing. It got to a point where he could barely walk without pain, and he ended up having to rest for 6 months to let his knees heal properly.

So remember next time when you're on the court and you start wincing in pain: Take the time to warm-up properly and cool down properly. Bring a proper brace, and make sure you ice that area as soon as you get home. If your injury gets worse, make sure you consult a doctor and give your body a little break to heal before you get back on the court.

Happy playing!

Richmond Night Market

Have you been to the Richmond Night Market?

I went for a short road trip this past weekend, and ran into this little shop:

Badminton Pro Shop? Yonex, Li-Ning and Victor shirts....1 for $15, 2 for $25. Too good to be true? You tell me. 

They don't have a huge selection for girls, unfortunately, but they carry a few designs that I've only seen online for men. My brother walked away with two pairs of shorts (Yonex), but I can't help but be a little skeptical...

Any Canadian readers want to enlighten me? 

(PS: The nightmarket is amazing. Go check it out!)