Badminton has always been a sport I enjoy. My family even bought a badminton net to put in our backyard! Knights, as our school grows, so do our sports programs. ACP introduced Badminton as an AIA sport this 2018-2019 school year. With about 12 players, 5 being seniors, our badminton team fought for their place as an official AIA sport, and they earned great success!

ACP’s badminton team had an extraordinary first season! One fantastic accomplishment was Candy Gao and Sophia Lee making the All CUSD Team, which allows the top six individual players to  compete, and the honorable mentions for this team, respectively. Along with their seasonal growth, their coach, Mrs. Underwood (pictured left), also explained how she had a lot of growing to do as a coach. Although this was badminton’s first season as an AIA sport with ACP, Mrs. Underwood was prepared for the season, but still open to learning more. In an interview, she highlighted that she needed her students to grow with her, which would allow for a deeper understanding of the sport as a whole and each individual on the team.

Mrs. Underwood also expressed how the season went: fantastic! In an interview, she exclaimed that although this season came with bumps, like all first year sports do, the season was outstanding, with the JV team competing with the Varsity team, along with many personal achievements, such as Candy and Sophia.

Along with team achievements, coaches also receive awards at the end of the year to highlight those who showed true dedication to their sport. One of these receiving coaches is our very own Mrs. Underwood! She explained how she did not expect to receive this award, but is very grateful for it. For clarification, this award is recognized by coaches, for coaches. Mrs. Underwood expressed how she had no idea she would be the recipient of this award, but is ecstatic.

Knights, this is a fantastic accomplishment for our very own Badminton team! If you see Mrs. Underwood, Candy Gao, or Sophia Lee, make sure to congratulate them on a job well done.