A swarm of red and white huddled around assistant coach Chris Do as he began to give his customary pep talk before the game against long time rival Lynbrook on April 19. In every match since 2012, the Vikings managed to squeeze past the Falcons by a narrow margin.
“I told [the players] my high school memory of never being able to beat our school rival and how it has haunted me ever since,” said Do. “That’s the last I would want for my team, and I told them to win not just for me, but for their partners and for the team.”
In the end, the Falcons were able to achieve a momentous 16-14 victory against the Vikings.
Unfortunately for the team, Do has decided to leave after this year; he has signed a contract with Yonex as an international sports photographer for tennis, golf and badminton.
“I’m sad that he is leaving, but I know that he’s got bigger things ahead of him,” boys’ doubles player Josh Li said. “His famous line is ‘how bad do you want it,’ and he really helped me to get energy during games by hyping the players up. ”
After 2013 alumnus Cody Cai brought Do to a SHS open gym practice four years ago, Do was recruited by former head coach Alex Chan to be an assistant coach.
“[Chan] thought that I would be a great fit to the team if I could demonstrate my technique and footwork,” said Do. “He found my form very unique as if I learned how to play from five different players put into one, and I accepted his offer in 2013.”
Do first started playing badminton when he was 16, playing on his high school’s team at Piedmont High. He was inspired by the time and effort his coaches dedicated to his training and decided to become a coach.
“They gave skills and knowledge to help out aspiring athletes, and I wanted to give back by returning the favor down to someone else who is driven and also has goals,” Do said.
As assistant coach, Do said he enjoys providing helpful strategies and advice to players in all types of events. This had been a major improvement for him, as he was only able to help players playing the doubles events in the beginning.
Do said that being a doubles player himself made it easy to give feedback to those playing the event whereas events such as singles and mixed doubles were unfamiliar. Nonetheless, Do said he has gotten better at reading games so that he can now help players in different events.
Because many of the athletes come in with extensive training from local clubs and have a good background in badminton, Do said that he is still able to help them identify areas for improvement.
Do said that his bonds and relationships with Saratoga players has been his biggest reason for returning each year to coach.
“I like to treat everyone as a friend but set my foot down at times to make my points clear and keep the program organized,” Do said. “I’m also a lot closer to the kids’ ages, which makes it easier for me to relate to things, and it’s not difficult for me to understand what’s going on in their minds and how they feel.”
After the season ends, Do plans to continue helping the players by practicing with them or having open gym in his free time.
“I’ll take every moment I can have with them, and I will cherish the memories I made with the players for anything else in the world,” Do said. “I wouldn’t have chosen any other school than Saratoga. It’s great to be a Falcon!”
