In their ten years at Skyline, the badminton program has had great success, building a good reputation for the school and players.

In its very first year, the team won their conference and finished second in state to San Diego Mesa College, the defending champions.

“That year, we didn’t know what to expect and were sort of out of our league,” said head coach Jan Fosberg.

The following year, the team was more experienced as everyone that had played on the team the previous year returned, along with some new faces. Skyline once again won the conference championship. They hosted the state championships this time, but ended up losing in the finals to Irvine Valley College. Irvine was such a tough opponent that they would go on an incredible win streak for four consecutive years.

“We have had great players,” said Jon Lee, the assistant badminton coach of eight years. “It brings notoriety to the school.”

The team would continue to do well in the next years, winning three more conference championships and featuring some star players, such as Stephanie Cheung, Maggie Ho, Nour Abudamous and Rachell Berania.

“I think [the badminton program] has done really well for itself, despite being a smaller school,” Fosberg said. “Over the years, we become stronger. There are many more badminton centers open. It is definitely growing in the Bay Area.”

If new badminton programs are becoming available, then perhaps we might see the sport really take off in popularity and scale. Joe Morello, dean of the physical education division at Skyline, believes that talented athletic abilities at the college level stem from skills developed much earlier in life.

“I think you can get a lot more competitive badminton players if more programs for young kids become available,” Morello said. “It’s got to start with USA badminton.”

“Any athletics builds a person’s character,” Fosberg said. “You become a part of a team and you meet goals and get really organized. Often times, the badminton athletes are taking 12 units, practicing every day, and working 30 hours a week.”

Not only does badminton forge friendships among players, it also sharpens an individual’s athletic skills and overall fitness levels.

“A player will run an average of three miles per match of badminton,” Lee said. “In addition, the bird will often travel speeds of up to100 miles per hour.”

This is where the many hours of demanding work and great determination come into play. Athletes need to develop muscle memory and master proper techniques because during a game, instincts must be relied upon to smack the birdie–there’s no time to consciously think.

Since its beginnings in 2001, the badminton program has been a great compliment to the college. Many people, including Morello, are impressed with what Fosberg and all of the dedicated athletes have accomplished. He is optimistic about badminton’s future at Skyline and its continued growth and success.

“It’s a sport that fits here,” Morello said. “Other schools that offer the sport are close by and it is a very low cost [to have the sport]. I think our program will continue to be a viable and comparable program.”

So be sure to support the sport that Fosberg says emphasizes friendship by attending some of the intense games. While these badminton players know how run and hit hard, a cheering crowd always helps pump things up.