At the beginning of the year, I had decided to join a number of private training sessions for Badminton after realizing that I needed some exercise as I was not doing any SAISA sports at that time. The other reason was that I felt that I needed to improve on my footwork as my friends had commented that I am too lazy to move around the court because of my height advantage and thus I did not require to move around that much. As I have been playing badminton for more than 8 years I already had a good skill set so I needed to focus more on the mental aspect of the game. During the practices, I practiced not only on my footwork but strategies I could use in-game to defeat my opponents,  the placement of shots, and maximizing my power and becoming efficient with it to help me win games easily. With all this in mind, I felt that I was competent enough and had the confidence that I can gain a spot in the SAISA badminton team.

For SAISA season 3,I attended football and badminton practices in the beginning because I was not sure which SAISA I wanted to attend, after realizing I was way better at Badminton than Football I decided to quit football and commit to Badminton. I felt that I could contribute more to the team and become the champions once again. This goal was shortlived after hearing the news that SIASA is canceled due to the unprecedented coronavirus and it spreading globally at a rapid rate. It would be a great experience if it wasn’t canceled but it is what it is.

Learning Outcomes:
Through this process, I have learned that commitment is key to achieve a goal whether it be a physical or mental goal and that being motivated speeds up the process. I can use this not only in Sports but in other areas in school and life. Playing badminton has certainly changed me as a person physically as well as mentally. I have identified my strengths and developed areas of personal growth and shown perseverance and commitment through attending private practices whenever possible and managing school work at the same. I have also undertaken challenges and develop new skills in the process which are footwork and strategies to tire out my opponent and win points.