It was a long road to fruition, but varsity badminton has finally come to Deer Park High School. A boys team, coached by Keri Zuk, and a girls team, coached by Ashley Maune, began their first ever badminton seasons on March 26.

The concept of the badminton team emerged from the pressure and demand of the high school student community. One student, Abbas Meersyed, gathered over 200 signatures in a petition to begin a team, and Principal Charlie Cobb and Athletic Director Dominick Fontana held an interest meeting with over 50 students in attendance. Zuk had been passionate about starting a varsity badminton program at Deer Park since she began working in the district in 2004, and was prepared when Superintendent James Cummings made the call.

“When Mr. Cummings approached me about starting a team, I was more than ready to offer my expertise and lend my knowledge as a longtime badminton player and coach,” Zuk said.

Tryouts for the teams began on March 17, with over 60 players wanting to join. After four days of evaluating skills, footwork, fitness, attitude and game strategy, Maune and Zuk accepted 20 players for each team.

“The goal of our program is player development as well as character development,” Zuk said, “We want our student athletes to develop technical skills, fitness, mental toughness and game strategy for singles and doubles. We also want to build a team culture where our players form long lasting relationships and learn valuable life skills that will carry them into adulthood and in their professional lives. We hope our badminton players grow both as athletes and individuals, developing skills and values that will serve them well on and off the court.”

Date Added: 3/27/2025