LAC LA BICHE - Hundreds of young badminton players from school teams across the Lakeland and other parts of northern Alberta will be on Lac La Biche's Bold Center courts this week as the high school and junior high school season's wind down.
This week's action around the nets comes just a week after teams from across the region spent two days on the Bold Center courts, battling it out for a chance to advance to the next rounds of play.
High school-age players took over the Bold Center courts last Wednesday for the District playdowns. Teams from Lac La Biche, Plamondon, Cold Lake, Bonnyville and Ardmore were represented among more than 100 players .
The following day, the junior high school teams hosted the West Ward playdowns with teams from Lac La Biche, Plamondon and Bonnyville battling it out.
This week, the senior Zones will be hosted at the Bold Center by the home-team JAWS Sharks on Wednesday. The students will be competing in the boys and girls singles category, as well as boys doubles, girls doubles and mixed doubles. The top two team in each division will advance to senior provincials in Edmonton in My.
JAWS' Athletics Director and badminton coach Andrew Pryzybylski says the home team has several players who made it through last week's Districts. He's hopeful the Sharks will take a bit out of this next level of competition that will send the top two finishers in each division to Provincials. This week's games will be bringing a wider range of challenger, however, says Pryzybylski.
"The Zones will bring in the best teams and players from Fort McMurray all the way to Lloyd. There's going to be some really good players coming here," he said, explaining that as many as 200 high school athletes will be on the courts over the long day of badminton.
The local high school contingent has a few standouts as well. One of the JAWS solo boys players beat an opponent 21-0 in the District event. Those kinds of results show just how strong the team can be, says Pryzybylsk.
A few days after the Zones, the courts will again be busy with the District championships for the junior high school (Grades 6-8) players. The junior high school season wraps up after the District event. Teams from Aurora Middle School, Light of Christ and Plamondon's schools will be represented at the junior Districts.