Bye, Bye Birdie: Garrison Forest Badminton Team off to a Flying Start
By Maria Beam Gray
Garrison Forest School’s badminton team has already equaled their total wins from last season as a hot 4-1 kickoff finds them perched in a three-way 2nd place tie on the IAAM leaderboard.
With challenging matches ahead, 3rd-year head coach Crystal Lee Alston is relishing in the success to date and enjoying the camaraderie and confidence her players are exuding. “The girls are definitely competitive and are fired up to ride it out the next few weeks,” she noted.
Alston, a 1996 graduate from Garrison Forest School (GFS), was an undefeated doubles co-champion during her senior campaign as she played four years of badminton under longtime GFS coach Kim Marlor. When Marlor retired a few seasons ago, Alston jumped at the opportunity to helm a sport that meant so much to her. Marlor’s retirement was short-lived however as she made a notable return this season to serve as an assistant coach for her former player.
“Coach Marlor has been a great addition getting back involved with our program,” praised Alston.
The year’s roster is a full slate of 22 girls between Varsity and JV and is comprised of returners, a mix of girls new to the sport, and some new to athletics in general. Despite the blend of novices, Alston describes this squad as the strongest team she’s coached so far.
“This is a great group of girls who genuinely like and help each other get better and they’ll frequently pull one another aside to work on specific skills like smashes or drop shots,” said Alston. “We’ve seen a lot of growth very quickly both on the court fundamentally and also seeing their level of confidence elevating.”
One such player trying badminton and making an impact is junior Gracie Kothari, a field hockey commit who turned to badminton for her spring sport as a lower risk of injury was appealing.
“I decided to play badminton because I was looking to try something new while also being able to fuel my competitive spirit,” said Kothari, whose mother also played badminton at GFS under current assistant coach Marlor. “I jumped at the opportunity to explore the same fun avenue as my mom did.”
With an annual friendly match for bragging rights set today vs Boys Latin, GFS will return to conference play on Wednesday, April 10th, hosting Maryvale Preparatory. The match will shake up the IAAM standings as currently GFS, Maryvale, and Bryn Mawr are all knotted in 2nd place with a 4-1 record apiece. St. Paul’s School for Girls, last year’s IAAM badminton champions, sits in 1st at 5-0.
“I've seen the sport of badminton evolve over the years and gain in popularity,” enthused Alston, while noting that once an athlete plays competitive badminton, it's hard to go back to playing in the backyard at laid back cookouts. “It’s just a whole different vibe where cheering is now allowed on earned points, sportsmanship is paramount, and more and more girls are trying it.”