Badminton Reigns over Other Kindsa Sports

By C. Brooks Brenneis

 

This year’s Brooks Badminton Bash, held at the University of Wisconsin on 15 February 1992, was forced to go incognito after the University powers decided that personal names were not acceptable for events held on University property.  Necessity, or more aptly censorship, being the mother of invention, the 7th annual went under the title of Badminton Reigns Over Other Kindsa Sports (or B.R.O.O.K.S.).  Once again well attended by those who rally to the tournament’s motto “a chance to pick on someone your own size for a change,” the tournament was a gathering site for badminton’s perpetual underclass.  While spirited competitors, this group of badminton players knows only too well, as Tim McCarver said on CBS’ Olympic wrapup, that “losing is the next best thing to winning.”  These people play, not to win, but because they love the sport.  If good play was not always the order of the day, enthusiasm, mutual support, and solid sportsmanship were.  This is a ‘peoples’ tournament, and it gave me great pleasure (to be shared with many who make an event run well) to have one seasoned participant tell me “This is my favorite tournament.”

 

Things have to be done right however.  Last year we experimented with a different award system: a very small number of gold pens were awarded randomly among winners and runners up in all classes.  The experiment was a dismal failure.  These competitors want something to show for their success.  For the teacher, a trophy to show their students.  For the parents of small children, a trophy to show the kids.  And for the office worker, a trophy to display on their desk to impress their coworkers.  Those who started piling up trophies and titles at 7 probably can not imagine how much if means to these solid citizens when they win –WIN – a plastic trophy.  One competitor announced with the most sincere pride that “This is the first trophy I have ever won!”

 

Badminton would gain immeasurably were there more opportunities for this level player.  We ought not neglect the bottom in our eagerness to promote the top: after all, the more of us there are on the bottom, the higher the top will stand!

This year’s results:

Mens Singles

A         Hepworth def. Harvey (11,14)

B          Kuswatno def. Chin (6-15, 4, 6)

C         knight def Coleman (1,5)

D         Bauer def. Larson (3,0)

 

Womens Singles: Round Robin

1st        Lubeck (3-0)

2nd        Blandino (2-1)

3rd        Whitall (1-2)

 

Mens Doubles

A         Rousse/Harvey def. Kuswatno/Setia-Atmaja (8, 17-14)

B          Brenneis/Coleman def. Adkins/Melendrez (3, 12)

C         Ferber/Larson def. Jimenez/Butch (13-15, 5, 8)

D         Powell/McNulty def. Zimmerman/Zeimat (6, 11)

 

Womens Doubles: Round Robin

1st        Lubeck/Whitall (3-0)

2nd        Divan/Saecker (2-1)

3rd        Gage/Blandino (1-2)

 

Mixed Doubles

A         Saecker/Kookasemkit def. Divan/Malischke (2-15, 11,12)

B          Lubeck/Engle def. Jorgenson/Melendrez (8, 17-14)

C         Blandino/Powell def Unat/Ehrhorn (8, 12)

D         M. Coleman/F. Coleman def J. Coleman/Zimmerman (11,6)