Annual BadMANton Tournament was a Smashing Success

Wednesday, Dec. 8 marked the occurrence of the annual BadMANton tournament. The tournament offered an opportunity for boys of all grades to play badminton for a chance to win a Portillo’s gift card. The event occurred at 6:30 p.m. in the South Gym. 

The tournament was created in 2016, due to the lack of a boy’s badminton team. Organized by the student council every year, the event stands to raise school spirit and provide a break before finals week.

“With so many tests coming up before winter break, we wanted to have a fun opportunity for both players and spectators alike to de-stress and have fun in this energetic tournament, “ Student Body President Erin Lindgren said.

The event has grown exponentially since its start. The original tournament had about a dozen players and the girls badminton team coaching the players from the sidelines. Now, the competition has grown so big that there is not enough room in the gym to support the whole team.

“It is great to see how much the tournament has grown in the past five years,” Lindgren said. “We look forward to many more competitions in the future.”

BadMANton plays in a standard tournament style with a bracket of teams playing games to 21 points. This arrangement offers many different player combinations within the tournament which ultimately creates the great energy the tournament is known for.

“BadMANton was great because there were a bunch participants just there to have fun,” sophomore Adam Fennell said. “The guys were never negative and even the opponents congratulated each other on good shots.”

This energy also transferred to the spectators. Student council members and staff were able to feel the excitement of the tournament from the sidelines.

“It’s so cool to see that everyone playing or cheering is as excited as Student Council is for the event,“ said Lindgren. “The guys got really invested and competitive which was super fun.”