Senior Elis Miller is one of the two captains on the Varsity Girls Badminton Team. She has been a member of the varsity team since freshman year, and her talent and dedication have majorly contributed to the team’s success. Miller plays both singles and doubles in badminton and she has also run for the Girls Varsity Cross Country team since freshman year. She will be attending Boston College next year and plans to major in neuroscience on the pre-med track. 

How is the season looking for the team?

“We lost a lot of seniors from last year but we do have Isabella, Valarie, and myself who were all one game away from the state last year. We also have six new people on varsity so I think we have a lot of potential this season.”

What drew you to badminton?

“In middle school, I played badminton, which was super fun and then I started taking lessons just for fun with my sister. We both wanted to try out for the team so when I got to high school I tried out for the team.”

What do you like most about badminton?

“I like how it’s stressful enough that it makes you work harder but it doesn’t completely drain you. You can have a lot of fun playing the sport. It’s very strategic. It’s not only about how good you are and how physically strong you are. It’s not just about your physical capabilities but it’s also about how you play the game, outsmart your opponents, and work on your precision and strategy. Badminton is also very fast-paced which I like. It happens really fast which is really thrilling.”

Do you have any favorite moments from badminton?

“We always play silly games and we have silly drills which are really fun. Team bonding is really fun we always have dinners at teammates’ houses and the team breakfast and banquet are always memorable. Practices are really fun because we get to play the music we like and practice in general is not very stressful.”

What are the biggest challenges of playing badminton?

“It’s really easy to get discouraged when you’re losing by a lot and it’s very mental sometimes. If you are playing with a partner it’s hard not to blame yourself when you mess up or blame your partner when they’re not having a good day. There’s a lot you can learn from those challenges though like teamwork and good communication.”

Do you have any hobbies?

“I like going to the gym, and I play piano for fun. I love to do ceramics, and I also run for the Cross Country team.”