Welcome to Mount Allison University VARISTY BADMINTON 2022-23

Pre-season began in early September with fitness training for athletes returning to Sackville, setting the foundation for the season. Adapting to the Mount A gym renovations necessitated the team to practice at local gyms in the Sackville and Amherst area. These early practices allowed team members to experiment with new skills and refresh old ones, as well as strengthen bonds between team members and our new coaching staff. It was an essential collaborative time to develop team dynamics and court sense.

Come early October the season was underway, and after a week of tryouts, our 2022-23 team was finalized. The team consisted of 20 athletes (10 male, 10 female) and three coaches. The team had multiple practices during the week and weekends that included developing foot work skills, cardio training and hitting drills. This was supplemented with court strategy and shot selection understanding. The team persevered through limited gym space and time but was ready to show off their skills at the first tournament hosted at Université Sainte-Anne. Lessons learned from the first tournament guided subsequent practices leading up to the next tournament hosted at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, resulting in a successful first half of the season for the Mounties Badminton team.

After returning to Sackville after winter break, our players were eager to get back on the courts in preparation for our third tournament of the season hosted at the University of King's College. After a couple short weeks, we were happy to finally be back in our home gym which we were now able to start becoming familiar with before competition. At this point in the season, the Mount Allison varsity badminton team ranked sixth in the nation and were ready to keep moving up. Coaches and players continued to strategize for gameplay, work towards the finetuning of skills, as well as upping the intensity of our endurance and stamina training. After the completion of the tournament at the University of King's College, it was our turn. Mount Allison hosted the fourth and final circuit tournament of the season before championships, allowing for a final assessment of competition and the introduction of new player combinations. After leaving it all on the courts, it was finally time to prepare for championships.

Shortly after Championships and Nationals came the Mount Allison athletic banquet where we were able to celebrate our team along with others and congratulate some of our player's outstanding achievements as well as say goodbye to two of our graduating players; Emma Fung and Amber Solomon. Wilson Paluch and Brenell Enman were awarded Male & Female Rookies of the Year, as well as Jacob Lamothe and Amber Solomon being awarded Male & Female Most Valuable Players of the year. Even after a successful season such as this, goodbyes are just as, if not more difficult. However, despite bidding farewell to graduating players, the team will continue to represent Mount Allision with pride in the years to come. 

Article written by: Sophie Geis, Mounties Badminton Player