By Jenna Ong (20S07A), Captain, and Adhithya Raja (20S06F), Vice-Captain
Love badminton but not sure if you can make the cut for the school team? Want to exercise but not ready for the commitment in a Sports CCA? Or just looking for a new skill to pick up? Here in RI, we have the perfect balance of exercise and chill, a CCA where you can choose your own pace of learning, where you can meet up with friends and destress once a week—Recreational Badminton (RecBad).
Joining RecBad means making the most of your CCA time to take a break from hectic JC life. With an activity framework that allows you to boost your endorphins (and does not require you to work your brains!) yet is leisurely enough that you won’t have to go home fatigued, it’s no wonder that many of our members enjoy coming for CCA.
RecBad meets up once a week on Wednesdays from 2-3.30pm to train at the MPH. There are no fixed regulations and what you do during CCA is mainly up to you—you can choose to play singles, doubles, or if you are feeling adventurous, even quadruples! If you want to try something crazy, you can even practice your dual-wielding skills or funky serving styles (we won’t judge!), or attempt to synchronise your hits with the tempo of the speakers blasting pop music in the background. Being a self-directed CCA also means that there is no gruesome PT! Jokes aside, we also often share tips and tricks amongst the batch, so be ready to learn some new skills each week to put into action in your next match :))
RecBad prides itself as the largest and most diverse sports CCA: everyone is welcome regardless of skill level as our only criteria for joining is interest. From badminton gods that can leave you breathless, to newbies who have never touched a racquet before—with almost 60 people in a batch you are guaranteed to be able to find a perfect match for your skill level. Badminton being a team sport, no one has to be afraid of not knowing anyone when you enter—all you need to do is to pick up your racquet and you can immediately join a match and make friends! Furthermore, as a recreational CCA, everyone is very supportive and you would often hear “nice hit!” or “good try!” echoing throughout the hall. The friendship between batchmates extends beyond just CCA: it is a common sight for many members, strangers at first but having gotten close, gathering for lunch and hanging out outside of training hours.
Once a year, we put our skills to the test by competing against Anderson Serangoon JC in a friendly match. This is a much-anticipated event that we all look forward to each year. Regardless of the outcome, our seniors can definitely testify that it was a fun and valuable learning experience! Members of our CCA can also look forward to other events like bonding camps, games sessions, and extra (optional) badminton sessions outside school.
The ecstasy of holding a good rally, the joy from smashing shuttlecocks into the ground, the way your face lights up with glee when your friend hits the shuttlecock out of the court… indescribable. Why hesitate? All you need is a racquet and yourself for an hour and a half of fun, entertainment and gratification. Sign up now and we will see you there!