You might think of Badminton as a game played at picnics or the beach. For some kids, it's both serious fun and it gets the blood flowing. NY1's Roger Clark visited a place where the shuttlecock rules for this Fit Kids February report.
She got me again. Eight-year-old Kayla Wu had me running all over the badminton court. Her brother, Ryan, is pretty darn good too.
"I could play all day," Ryan says.
They play at the New York Badminton Center in Flushing. It was opened in 2010 by former Chinese National Badminton Team member Chibing Wu and his wife Veronica. There are afterschool and weekend programs for kids and teens here and at satellite locations in Manhattan and Queens.
"It gets kids running around. You get hand eye coordination, you know. It covers pretty much everything," says coach Matthew Honey.
"Every time they practice, all of the shots are different, so every time is a new stimulation, a new fresh start, and they won't get bored. So it's very nice exercise," Veronica says.
Badminton is a little bit volleyball, a little bit tennis. The racquets are light and so is the feathered shuttlecock or birdie that you hit over the net. That makes it perfect for children to join in at an early age. The sport is much bigger in Europe and Asia but it's becoming more popular in the U.S. and recently became a varsity sport in the city's Public Schools Athletic League. So don't just call it a backyard activity.
"Most people have a weird opinion that badminton is an easy sport, but I think most people when they come here, they see that it really isn't," says player Brendan Shao.
Back to my epic battle with Kayla, where I was not fairing well. Full disclosure: her dad is the guy who runs the place. Decent guy to have as a coach.
Kayla's critique of my performance on the court:
Kayla: "You're actually OK.”
Clarke: “Just OK?”
Kayla: “Okayish, good."
For more information about all of the badminton programs here at the Badminton Center and at their locations in Manhattan, just head to their website. It's nybadmintoncenter.com.