An Editorial Disguised as Tournament Results

Why should the USBA and its members much care about the results of an obscure tournament in the frozen badminton back-waters of Madison, Wisconsin? None of its participants have won or will ever win an Olympic medal. None will ever be an Olympian, nor will ever play on a National team. None has ever made a splash at a regional tournament. Most are recreational players more comfortable with plastic than feather shuttles. In fact one could make the case that their often random thrashing about bore only a slightly comic resemblance to the terpsichorean elegance we expect in quality badminton.

So why? Answer a question with a question. Quickly, name a country whose National teams excel at a sport which is not, for them, a recreational sport. Just as quickly, think of a sport which enjoys great popularity in a country whose National teams in that sport fail to be competitive. To the degree you struggled to answer those questions, a general principle is suggested: recreational popularity is a necessary and sufficient condition for producing elite athletes.

But, no, no, you cry: elite athletes require coaches, training, and training facilities. No one ever learned how to excel at a sport without coaching. No argument there. However it should be pointed out that the most inspirational coach can not find many elite athletes to train if no one plays his sport. If Bobby Knight coached badminton, either we would never have heard of Mr. Knight, or Mr. Knight would have gone to China to coach. Elite athletes draw coaches, not the other way around. And, taking the argument one step further, elite athletes emerge from recreational athletes; that is, they rise to the top rather than spring full-blown, like Athene from the head of Zeus. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson do not appear out of nowhere, nor are they formed by coaches. They ascend from a million recreational players: they stand atop a pile of gym rats playing their hearts out on thousands of dusty playgrounds with rickety hoops.

And where are these sweaty recreational enthusiasts for badminton? On 10 March 1990, they were toiling away, more than inspired than instructed, at the University of Wisconsin at Brooks’ Bash! The message is brief: when we have a thousand such tournaments for fun, we will have an outstanding Olympic team. And not before – regardless of how many coaches try to coach, no matter how many sparkling gyms are available to drill a handful of elite athletes.

This year’s tournament wrote another page in the book “The Legends of George Bauer.” At 70, George was, be far, the elder statesman of the 60 entrants. Accompanied by his wife Jan, whom he always seats courtside, George played into the semis in the Mens’ Singles, defeating players a third his age. One, as he left the field of battle on his shield was heard to threaten: “In 20 years, I’ll beat you!” Given George’s vitality, in 20 years this may be simply an idle threat. Was it any surprise when George and partner Roland Chin acquitted themselves with style, winning the B Doubles impressively?

The Rockford contingent went home laden with metal. A graceful player, and a gracious sportsman, Mark Hepworth ended singles play undefeated while a familiar younger competitor Jon Cartledge won the in the B Singles. Another relative youngster from Rockford, Paul Collier, was very impressive in his shots, energy, and stamina. In the hunt for an A finals match in Singles and Doubles, he finally succeeded, with partner Danita Erickson, in the Mixed. Against Anu and Depak Divan, in the last match of the day, they held on in a very even, long-rallied 3-game match. The A finals in 3 events went to 3 games.

Losers as well as winners left with smiles. Next year it will only be 19 years until my challenge match with George!

The results: Brooks’ Bash – 1990

Mens’ Singles

A Hepworth over Kuswatno

B Cartledge over Thao

C Dingman over Zimmerman

D Ferrin over Thiede

Womens’/Jrs Singles

A Saecker over Divan

B Matzner over D. Hayes

C Gozdowiak over J. Hayes

D Shallcross over Bloch

Mens’ doubles

A Hau / Thackeray over Talib / Amar

B Bauer / Chin over Wingrove / Ehrhorn

C Russell / Bartolameolli over Poon / Kuswatno

D Bamberger / Jaekels over Jimenez / Zimmerman

Womens' Doubles

A Matzner / Divan over Woodruff / Unat

Consolation Slaughter / Erickson over Cartledge / Shallcross

Mixed Doubles

A Erickson / Collier over Divan / Divan

B Slaughter / Hepworth over Beale / Kookasemkit

C Wojciak / Russell over Unat / Zimmerman

D Sibul / Theide over Beckman / Beckman