December 4, 2002
Players learn to watch the birdies
Area residents get into the swing of badminton
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Name an Olympic sport that is wildly popular in Asian and Scandinavian countries but usually relegated to backyard obscurity in the United States?
Stumped? Try badminton, the game of birdies, nets and rackets.
Many people may not realize that the game features complex rules and, at elite levels, rallies that are a blur of action where the birdie can travel up to 200 mph.
Hoping to bring a little local respect to an ancient sport, Larry Fatt of Empire organized a series of biweekly badminton gatherings this fall in Traverse City. Held at the Eastern Elementary School gym, the events draw between 16-22 players. For three hours, players rotate among three nets, using equipment provided by Fatt, to play doubles or singles games.
Having fun while getting some exercise drew Harold Carlton of Traverse City. Carlton has attended for the past three sessions with his wife and last week they brought their daughter, who was home from college for Thanksgiving break.
"It's good exercise and the impact is pretty low, not too hard on my knees," said Carlton. "It is a nice winter indoor sport."
Fatt began playing badminton three years ago and has traveled to tournaments around the state for two years. Calling himself the guy other players liked to see because of his relative inexperience, he has grown to love the sport.
Fatt believed there were others out there who also want to play regularly and increase their skills, so he contacted the Traverse City Parks and Recreation Department over the summer to set up a regular playing schedule.
Noting that many communities have badminton clubs - a player in Ann Arbor, for example, could play seven days a week if desired - Fatt wanted to give local residents a chance to enjoy the game even in the winter.
"I like everything about badminton: it is easy to learn, good exercise, just about anybody can play - either sex, kids, old people," Fatt said. "Your eye-hand coordination and reflexes have to be really good so that if you don't practice, you are not as sharp."
Since Fatt began sponsoring the badminton nights, including a weekly event in Honor, he has had to bring players up to speed on the game's rules. These rules are surprisingly complex to many novices, with strict positioning, boundaries, scoring and service requirements. Fatt has taped off three courts on the gym floor at Eastern, with lines for both doubles and singles play.
"I think with most people, they've only played in their backyard and never learned the rules," he said.
Carlton agreed that following rules created a different experience from his memories of previous badminton games, where anything went.
"We always played with the net 15 feet high when I was a kid, at volleyball height," he said. "I had to learn the rules here."
Shanti Bhuyan of Kingsley is an experienced player with tournament experience. His version of family badminton was always the serious kind: his father is a veteran of many championship games, including Senior Nationals and Midwestern Championships
"Tournament level play is very intense," Bhuyan said. "The hotbed is California; with the Asian student population a lot of the colleges have programs; at Arizona State and Wisconsin, it is a scholarship sport."
A vigorous and enthusiastic player, Bhuyan also helps explain the rules and provides tips on racket angles, positioning for doubles players and strategy.
"With badminton, it is technique," he said. "You have a lot of control where the shuttle goes so it becomes, in addition to being a very fast and very physical game, a game of strategy. When you get to a certain level, it becomes very strategic."
The final badminton event of this year will be held on Tuesday, December 10, from 7-10 p.m. Rackets, birdies and nets are provided. Beginning January 7, badminton will be played weekly through April. For more information, call Larry Fatt at 326-6666.