Last week, the Los Altos High School varsity badminton team faced some tough opponents in their first two games of the season: the Fremont Firebirds and the Homestead Mustangs. However, after these losses, they kept working to produce outstanding results in their game against Santa Clara High School.

In their opening game of the season against Homestead, the Eagles were up against a formidable opponent, and even with their best efforts, the Eagles ultimately fell to the Mustangs 7–23.

“After I lost my game, it was tough, it was the first game of the season, and I wanted to get off to a good start, but it motivated me to work hard,” sophomore Raymond Liu said.

The Eagles were not discouraged by these losses and instead used them as opportunities for motivation to work harder and improve for future games.

Two days later, the Eagles hosted Fremont High School in the home gym. Despite this game being another loss, the Eagles closed the score gap 13–17 compared to their previous game.

“As a team, we need to improve our sportsmanship and make sure that everyone is getting cheered by each other,” sophomore Ziana Merchant said.

The season just started, and these two first games are learning opportunities to improve for the following games.

“With more time and experience, we will improve,” Head Coach Michelle Noeth said.

“We have a good roster and coaches; we know we can and will do better as the season goes,” sophomore Oscar Johnson said, reflecting on the team’s performance at the beginning of the season.

Regardless of these setbacks, this is only the beginning of the season, and plenty of games are ahead.

“I’m an optimistic person, I like to see the half glass full,” Noeth said. “There is an opportunity to grow and develop.”

Although they faced tough opponents and challenging circumstances, they carry an ongoing potential to achieve wins in the games to come.

“If we can get a win earlier in the season, the morale will go up. We will be more confident for the rest of the season,” Ziana said.

On Thursday, March 16, the Eagles faced Santa Clara High School in a game that may serve to uplift the confidence the players once lost.

Fortunately, the Eagles shut down Santa Clara High School 30–0, a remarkable win that didn’t allow Santa Clara to score a single point. Their work and dedication paid off, and the team has gained a significant boost in confidence.

The Los Altos High School badminton team may have struggled at the start of the season, but the win against Santa Clara High School last Thursday demonstrated the team’s ability to progress dramatically. The spirit of the Los Altos Badminton team led by the captains gives hope for a continued learning curve along the season, for sure, it is visible that hard work brings results.