Many students from St. Robert are given new opportunities during gym class to discover what they truly enjoy. The selection of sports to play at St. Robert differs from basketball to volleyball to hockey and even to badminton. Mr. Jefferson, the physical education teacher here at St. Robert, teaches and guides every student to learn how to play the sports. During this season of the year, badminton is the sport 4th-grade students and above have to play while in gym class with Mr. Jefferson.

There are multiple advantages students gain from playing badminton in gym class. Mr. Jefferson states that he “…instructs [kids on how to play] badminton because the sport teaches good sportsmanship and teamwork which is helpful in all of life.” Playing sports which involved a team working together can give important life lessons students need. Moreover, badminton can be played as a single player sport, but Mr. Jefferson combines students into teams of three to let the kids play on teams. Also, he teaches the students how to play badminton before they play in actual matches because it is not as popular of a sport for children to play in their own time (gym class may be their first experience with the game). He believes this instruction makes students comfortable using the equipment. Even though Mr. Jefferson enjoys playing basketball over playing other sports like badminton, he does love teaching the game of badminton. This sport was not chosen by Mr. Jefferson, but it is something he has to teach as one of the standards for the physical education curriculum for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

In addition to the advantages of teaching badminton, the students find much fun in this entertaining sport. 7th grader, Flannery, claims that “Badminton can be an amusing sport even when you are bad.” Working in teams is the main reason almost all students enjoy this entertaining sport. Spending more time with your friends is never something students would deny. Also, Mr. Jefferson allows the students to choose their own teams. Most students at St. Robert have little experience playing the sport of badminton outside of school. However, the middle schoolers still find ways to be entertained. Moreover, before scrimmaging begins, students warm up and practice hitting the birdie over the net. The game is played with 2 players at a time, and they continue the act of rallying the birdie over the net until one team cannot return it.

The opportunity to play this sport pleases many of the students here at St. Robert School. Between the benefits in learning badminton and the fun the students have, badminton is truly one of St. Robert’s most cherished sports in physical ed.