Tough loss

Eden Prairie 4, Central 3

For some reason we seem to hit more traffic on the drive home from Eden Prairie when we lose. It was a shame, because there was a lot to like about the trip out west. Mai Kou Lor played a very smart game to win in three. Melissa and Nitsan kept their cool and won in a very tense match. (not just because the scores were close). Doua and Da did not play their best but made some strategy adjustments to remain undefeated. Junior Varsity won 6 to 1 even though Sue Lee lost her first badminton match EVER. (She is still undefeated in conference).

So what happened?

As a coach you are never sure. Especially when a match is so close. There are many things I can't possibly see with 7 matches going on at once. Here are a couple of items I noticed:

• a good short serve in doubles ALWAYS gives your team an advantage
• playing aggressively will counteract shots not falling
• if you have time to set-up for a shot - do something with it

Finally, you need to use the shots you work on in practice in matches. If you are worried about using a particular shot during a game, it better be your focus at practice every day. Your mind can do wonders for you - at practice convince yourself you are in a close game while you work on the shot that "worries" you. And finally, Eden Prairie scored the point that won the meet on a missed serve. Ouch!

Challenges on Wednesday - Arlington at home on Thursday.