By Joe O'Connell
MARBLEHEAD — The best of the best in junior badminton will descend on Marblehead High School this weekend in hope of capturing the gold at the 2008 U.S. Junior Badminton Championships.
An expected 195 athletes from across the country will compete in the five-day tournament that kicks off tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. and concludes Wednesday with the finals.
This is the second time the Junior Nationals have been held in Marblehead; the last time was 2004. It is again hosted by Marblehead Youth Badminton.
"It was a huge success in 2004," said Melinda Keszthelyi, one of the tournament directors and head coach of Marblehead Youth Badminton. "Marblehead is such a unique town. We try to make sure it's like a family vacation."
The badminton organization will have 24 members competing this year in five different events, including boys and girls singles, boys and girls doubles, and mixed doubles. Competitors range from 7 to 21 years old.
"I'm very hopeful our kids will win a lot of medals," Keszthelyi said.
The event is free to all spectators, and matches are slated to start at 8:30 a.m. every day and last until late in the evening.
Those competing are playing not only for a medal, given to the top five in each division, but also a spot on the national team, which competes at the Junior World Games.
Just because someone dominates at Nationals doesn't mean they're guaranteed a spot on the team. The selection committee takes into account play throughout the year.
"It's based on overall performance," Keszthelyi said. "Just because you win one gold doesn't mean you make the team."
Badminton has risen in popularity in recent years, especially on the North Shore. Marblehead Youth Badminton has about 90 members, up from the original six members who signed up for the organization back when it was known as the North Shore Junior Badminton Association. Keszthelyi attributes the increase to top performances on the national level by the United States.
Rules of the game
Here are some rules of badminton to avoid confusion at the tournament:
r Matches are best of three games.
r In doubles and men's singles, first to 15 wins. In women's singles, first to 11 wins.
r Only the server can score.
r Opponents change ends after the first game. If a third game is played, end changes occur when the leader reaches six points (women's) or eight points (men's/doubles)
r "Let" acts just like a time-out. It's called after an unforeseen or accidental occurrence.
