BADMINTON

Today I decided to return to the same place that I had played table tennis to try another net game called Badminton.  It was definitely hard to walk back into the Hawthorne Rec Center after embarrassing myself last week on "the table" but I thought surely this might be better.  After all, the birdie is a little slower and easier to track, right??  Well, I was again met by some great individuals who introduced me to the game.  I watched for a few minutes and then got the honor of playing doubles with a gentleman who has been playing since the 70's.  We started a little rallying back and forth and I was feeling pretty good.  I was able to keep it going much longer than that ping pong ball last week.  And then I was asked to play in a real game!  YES!  I was excited until......they started picking on me.  I served the shuttlecock (official name for birdie) across the net and was quite proud that it went over.  Then it came back.....and landed on the floor!  I was told that I was admiring my serve and that I should have been getting in better position.  I knew that but apparently my body did not, so I just stood there!  With a little gentle yelling from my teammate with his accent from England, I began to move around more.  It was great to be coached by him especially since the game came from England.  I have tough skin and besides, that is the whole point of my challenge to be thrown into a game.  We lost the game 21-13 and then my teammate told me to come into the side room.  I thought he was going to yell at me and I prepared myself by walking slow but in fact he took the time to show me the correct striking techniques.  He spent a few minutes helping me out and then told me that basically "no offense but I was not ready for a game".  And he was correct.  I stood around and watched the other games being played and was again in awe of the POWER and speed of the game.  What a great feeling it must be to just slam the shuttlecock with control back and forth across the net.  And it too makes a great sound as it comes off the racket whiffing through the air.  Thanks to Jim and everyone else at the Charlotte Badminton Club for allowing me to try yet another sport in this great city of Charlotte.  What a cool thing they have going at the rec center and I will be back one day after some well deserved practice!