Desjardins lets racquet do talking

Muskie badminton player Simone Desjardins is pretty quiet off the court. But this year, she has made a lot of noise on it in her first season as a high school player.
The 15-year-old is the lone Muskie who qualified for the all-Ontarios in Sudbury later this week after going 3-1 in the senior girls’ division at NWOSSAA last month in Wawa.
She had gone 11-0 in Nor-WOSSA qualifier and final action.
Desjardins will begin play in the 30-player field tomorrow. Each player is guaranteed at least two games and must win to stay alive in the championship flight.
“I’m just hoping to work a little harder,” said the Grade 9 student, who bypassed the junior loop to join the seniors based on her five years of competitive tournaments with the local badminton club.
Manami Alexander, Desjardins’ club and senior Muskie head coach, said she is ready for the challenge of older players from the larger schools down south.
“She’s a good thinker on the court. She’s really learning to approach each match differently,” Alexander noted. “Because she’s a quiet person, she doesn’t get upset on the court and that’s a very important part of the game.”
Desjardins also has been working with fellow Muskies and club members Adrian Bondett and Tyson Storkson in preparation for the all-Ontarios.
“They’re a higher level than me and it should help a lot,” she said.
Fort High reps have won only two matches at OFSAA over the past 10 years—Derrick Pruys and Sabine Laser in 1995, and Siobhan Devlin and Jamie Booth last year.
“I’d be happy with a couple of wins,” said Desjardins. “I probably need to work on my serves. That’s about my main weakest point.”
“Obviously, winning is the goal for every game but we’re going to use it as a way for her to see what she can improve on for next year,” noted Alexander.
Meanwhile, other Muskies who competed in NWOSSAA last month fell just short of joining Desjardins in Sudbury.
The Grade 11 duo of Sarah Paterson and Jennifer Lawson missed a berth after going 3-2 in the senior girls’ doubles division in Wawa while Bondett and Storkson went 2-3 in senior boys’ doubles action.