While playing singles on the badminton court can be nerve-wracking, junior Jenny Lyu said it is her nerves that motivate her to pull through. Just like the tension motivates her, Lyu encourages her teammates constantly, showing the great leadership qualities she carries as a captain, badminton coach Jack Ip said.
“She motivates them,” Ip said. “People that have less experience love to watch her play and to learn. She provides a lot of coaching to the younger players.”
Lyu said getting to the upper league and making it to CCS and other big tournaments is what keeps her going, as well as her love for the game which has grown over the years from being a timid freshman on varsity to a role model to everyone being the team’s star player as a junior.
“I find badminton very enjoyable because it is a stress relief after sitting for a long day,” Lyu said. “Badminton is also a social platform for me to make new friends and build my teamwork and leadership skills.”
Lyu said she played badminton before high school. She said her parents signed her up to play for fun and she ended up really enjoying it. Her coach motivated her to be more competitive and join the school team, allowing her to gain a lot of experience and start on varsity in her freshman year and stand out amongst her teammates, she added.
Lyu’s teammate, singles player Riya Zingade, said Lyu is almost the same as a teammate as she is as a friend.
“She’s understanding,” Zingade, a junior, said. “She’s not the type of person who’s just going to rush into something and yell at you or judge you. She’s someone who’s very patient, the listener type.”
Lyu said when she is competing she wants to represent Homestead as a team of respect and good sportsmanship. After high school, she said she hopes to play for a college club team or an outside club where she can continue to show these same traits with her team.
“I’m pretty competitive,” Lyu said. “It’s not necessarily a bad trait when you’re in sports because you want to win. This is a trait that motivates you to be better and try harder.”
