A bird of a different feather

Mike Sciacca

It was the sport of Dukes in its day, some 129 years ago, and played

by British Army officers in India, the country where it is said to have

its origin.

Its first championship tournament was held near the turn of the 20th

century and the sport migrated to America in the 1930s, a time when it

enjoyed genuine popularity. It later became a demonstration sport at the

1972 Olympics and finally was added to the Olympic program in 1992.

Although it continues to be played nationwide, badminton is a game

that normally does not bask in the spotlight.

For some, the sport is a long-forgotten lawn game from childhood, a

game played on holidays, or once in a blue moon, with no rules and just

for fun.

Many are unaware that it is a recognized sport at some high schools,

and taken seriously, as players at Huntington Beach, Marina and Ocean

View high schools will show you.

“It is a lot of fun but it does take a lot of skill,” said Huntington

Beach player Zack Pham.

Badminton does not receive the recognition of football, basketball,

baseball, softball, tennis or soccer. Nor does it attract the crowds that

its more popular brethren do. But the process of building a competitive

badminton team is the same as the more popular sports.

“Although it’s not generally in the limelight, badminton is a very

popular sport at Ocean View,” said Tim Mennealy, Ocean View athletic

director. “We have as many as 50 kids try out and we carry 25 to 30 kids

who comprise our varsity and junior varsity teams.”

Doug Muneno, head coach at Huntington Beach High, said that the

interest in the sport surprises him.

Muneno himself did not give badminton a try until his junior year in

school.

“We had 65 people come out at tryouts this year -- that surprised me

because, normally, we have about 40 tryout out, max,” he said.

The number of aspiring players trying out at Marina is also high, said

Vikings coach Dave Penn. A coach at the school for 23 years, Penn said

that more than 75 students tryout annually.

Muneno and Ocean View coach Kim Pham are both walk-on coaches who

recently played for their alma mater.

“A lot of people see the other big sports played but they really

haven’t seen competitive, indoor badminton,” Penn said. “Often, we have

kids pop in the gym and, out of curiosity, stay and watch. Once they do

see it, they tend to have a different take on the game.”

Like other sports, badminton has its own terminology. There’s the

“bat,” a common name for the racket, and the “bird,” the common name for

the shuttlecock. Then there’s the “carry,” also known as the “sling” or

“throw,” which is an illegal act of catching the shuttlecock on the

racket and then slinging, rather than striking it.

Oh, and a “smash” is a good thing: it’s a shot where the bird is hit

fast and forcefully.

The badminton court is 17 by 44 feet for singles, 20 by 44 feet for

doubles. There is a short service line, 6-feet and 6-inches from the net,

on each side of the court, that marks the beginning of the service court.

A long service line, 2-feet and 6-inches from each back line, marks the

end of the court.

Rarely a word is spoken during badminton play.

“We’re not actually allowed to coach during a match,” Muneno said.

“Only when it is complete do we coach our players. It’s considered a

gentleman’s game -- you’re not really supposed to talk during a match.”

For Pham, a Huntington Beach sophomore playing on the Oilers’ varsity

team, the mandated silence fits right into his world.

The 15-year-old is deaf.

Pham is partnered in doubles with fellow sophomore John Opfer who has

learned some sign language and signs his partner the score on the court.

On this particular day, during a home match with Santa Ana Valley,

Pham also was aided by Margaret Fahs, one of three interpreters at

Huntington Beach High.

Pham, who said that his only other involvement with sports at school

is playing pickup basketball with some fellow deaf classmates, said he

has a lot of fun with badminton.

“The best part is hitting that bird over the net,” he said through

Fahs. “I like the fact that it takes a lot of concentration. It’s also a

great way to meet new friends.”

Muneno said that Pham has natural talent.

“Sometimes it’s hard to coach him, due to communication barriers, but

he’s a good player who knows how to place the birdie and has great

shots,” Muneno said.

* MIKE SCIACCA is a Times Community News reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.