Lincoln-Way Central’s Varsity Badminton team recently celebrated Senior Knight! The seniors had a big impact on the team this year, resulting in many laughs among the girls! Senior Nada Yasin explains her badminton experience over the past four years as “great!” Nada claims, “I built many friendships and had amazing memories. Over the 4 years I have always felt supported and respected by not only the coaches but by my teammates as well, making badminton a safe place to express myself.” Nada goes on to explain how badminton has shaped her as a person when she explains, “Badminton has made me appreciate little moments in life. It filled up my schedule and gave me management skills. Not only do I have practice every day with the people I have spent 3-4 years getting to know, but also bringing those friendships outside the fieldhouse [is special] and building further relationships with those people just enjoying our moments together.” Although Nada is excited to see what life will bring her next, she will miss badminton! “I will definitely miss late night bus rides back from away-games. Even though we were all exhausted from playing, we always found a way to relax and enjoy our bus rides back: jamming to music and having fun, ending the bus ride with the knight pride song, and of course the friends I have made this year.” Lastly if Nada could give her freshman self any advice it would be, “I would tell my freshman self to always put in effort because it truly does make you better. Even though some practices are exhausting, keep giving 100% to make your hard work pay off. I would also say try to make the most of the season because it is short. No matter what you do make sure you are having fun and enjoying it!”  

Nada’s doubles partner Gabby Gatsios explains her badminton experience over the past four years as challenging but rewarding. Gabby claims, “I started off unsure of my skills, but through consistent practice and support from my teammates and coaches, I grew not only as a player but as a person. I could push myself, learn discipline, and develop resilience.” Although badminton has not always come easy for Gabby, it has taught her the value of hard work, patience, and mental toughness. Gabby explains, “Badminton has shown me how to handle both wins and losses with grace, and how to stay focused under pressure. The support also helped me become more confident, and more committed- skills that carry into other parts of my life.” Gabby will miss the team environment when this season is over but is excited for what’s next to come! Gabby states, “I’ll miss the team the most. The bond we built through practices, tournaments, bus rides, and cheering each other on is something special. I’ll also miss the adrenaline of close matches and the feeling of growth after a tough game.” If Gabby were to give her freshman self one piece of advice she would say, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Every mistake is a chance to get better, and improvement takes time. Trust the process, stay consistent, and most importantly enjoy every moment because it goes by faster than you think.”