The Fort Frances Badminton Club’s season wind-down last week was a chance for players and parents alike to test their skills in an evening of friendly competition.
The bevy of parent-child doubles matches at the high school gym was taken with both a fun and evaluating approach.
“It’s a chance for family to play with their children and see how much they’ve improved,” said club coach Manami Alexander.
Dawn Jolicoeur donned a pair of sneakers to hit a few birdies with her son, Matt, a first-year club member.
“We haven’t done anything like this before,” said Jolicoeur, who added her daughter will be joining the club next year. “It was great.”
While she played high school badminton in her younger days, Jolicoeur didn’t want to disclose in detail how she fared out on the court, simply laughing, “I enjoyed it.”
Even though players constantly were offering guidance on where their parents should stand and who gets to serve at which point of the game, Alexander said both sides came away pleased with the wind-down.
“I think it’s important to get together and give them recognition on a hard-working season,” she said.
The club has made great strides since Alexander started it in 1994, having grown by almost 35 members over the past seven years.
There were two major tournaments in Winnipeg this past season and the club played strongly throughout, garnering impressive consolation titles. The highlight was Natalie Desjardins’ second-place finish in the under 14 girls’ singles division at the Winnipeg City Junior Open last October.
Along with assistant coach Ken Allan, Alexander had to name senior players Adrian Bondett and Tyson Storkson as advisors during this past tournament season due to the high number of new juniors.
While no more club practices are scheduled until September, Alexander is hoping to start a summer fitness trainign program for current members. “It’s good to just keep in touch and stay sharp with their skills,” she said.
For more info, contact Alexander at 274-3991.
In addition to the games (and pizza) last Wednesday, the club gave out the following year-end awards:
– Most Sportsmanlike Player (voted by players and coaches) – Tara Svoboda(senior) and Natalie Desjardin (junior).
– Junior “Challenge Ladder” season leaders – 1. Natalie Desjardins 2. Cole Derkson 3. Jana Kennedy.
– Top Attendance – 1. Matt Jolicoeur 2. Mila Drazenovich 3. Sonnie Martin/ Kim Desjardin (tie).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
