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Dallas Badminton Club - 2008 Video Highlights

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2008 Dallas Badminton Club End-of-the-year wrap-up article.

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Featured article on Lakewood-Now.net on line community newspaper, January 22, 2009 by Kate Mackley

http://lakewood-now.net/view/article/7686

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Featured article on Star Telegram, August, 8, 2008

Olympian pursuits: You, too, can take up a sanctioned sport

By HEATHER SVOKOS

Every four years, they grace our TV screens — swimmers, gymnasts, track and field athletes. They are the stars, always bright and visible in the Summer Olympics lineup. But what about some of the Olympic sports that don’t get such a mainstream audience? Badminton, anyone?

Or what about those sports that make some people sit back, scratch their heads and say: "Table tennis is an Olympic sport? Really?" Of course, this thought might lead you to ask, "How can I get to the Olympics doing synchronized swimming?"

Well, we can’t promise you a medal, but we are here to let you know a few places where you can practice some of these unusual sports. And we’d like to tip our sweat bands to those Olympic sports that don’t always shine in the prime-time limelight.

Badminton

People always think of it as a backyard sport, says Allysa Khor, vice president of the Dallas Badminton Club. "Just a plastic shuttlecock you hit in the back yard," she says. "But it’s a lot more competitive." It’s a lot faster and more powerful than people might think, too: the Guinness world record for shuttlecock speed is 206 mph.

Not only does it have the backyard stigma, but it also has the problem of many international sports: It’s comparable to tennis, but, much like soccer, badminton hasn’t caught on in the states. It’s more popular in Asia and Europe. "It’s like football vs. soccer," Khor says. "Tennis is a lot more commercial and has much more funding. But badminton is gaining popularity," she says, adding that 1.7 million people play the sport.

Became an Olympic sport in: 1992 (Barcelona)

It helps to: Have good hand-eye coordination, agility and quickness. "The good thing with badminton," Khor says, "is that you can play with any skill level." For instance, if a beginner or a marginal player is playing with a really good player, the good player can more easily control how fast the shuttlecock moves toward the weaker player.

Where: The Dallas Badminton Club meets and plays in several locations throughout Dallas, Irving, Richardson and Plano, but its most regular spot is the Reverchon Recreation Center (3505 Maple Ave., Dallas; 214-670-7720). For a complete play schedule, see www.dallasbadmintonclub.com. The club will play host to the Dallas Open Badminton Tournament, Aug. 30-31, at UT-Arlington’s new Maverick Activity Center.

Lessons? Yes; beginners instruction.

Cost: For children of members, $5 per session or $50 for three months. Same fee for adult beginners, plus an additional $25 for a Dallas recreational ID and $25 for a yearly membership to the Dallas Badminton Club.

Online: www.dallasbadmintonclub.com

Detailed article can be found at:

http://www.star-telegram.com/147/story/814063.html