By Kelsey Dubinsky
Staff Writer
In badminton, the birdie flies over the court, but this summer, two Costa students will be the ones flying all the way to Berlin.
Sophomore Sam Schwartz and junior Yoshi Cohn will be representing the United States as badminton doubles partners in the European Maccabi Games this July.
“Playing badminton has been a good experience and has opened a lot of new doors for me,” Schwartz said.
Even though Schwartz and Cohn started playing badminton only a couple years ago, they are already ranked as 27th in the nation for mixed doubles. In 2011, Schwartz competed in the previous European Maccabi Games, in Austria, as a first time player. His dad coached and trained him for this match.
“Once I started playing badminton, I knew I would want to continue it,” Schwartz said. “Its a big commitment, but I enjoy it.”
Cohn took after her mom, who also played badminton, and has been playing for 2 years. Schwartz and Cohn have known each other for a year and a half, but have grown to not only be doubles partners, but close friends.
“I just fell in love with the sport after playing it and getting the hang of it,” said Cohn. “I think it has been a great opportunity for me to do something I like and make new friends.”
Every four years, the European Maccabi Games are held in Europe. Forty nations send their best Jewish athletes to compete in a variety of sporting events. Cohn and Schwartz were chosen to compete by Sasha Boyarin, the coach of this USA national team, based on their USA badminton ranking.
“They practice a lot and are very serious,” badminton coach Dean Shoppe said. “Both Sam and Yoshi train hard and work hard for their goals and achievements.”
Both Schwartz and Cohn practice 6 days a week for 2 hours, play for Costa’s badminton team, and meet everyday to train for the European Maccabi Games. They practice at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club and train together for mixed doubles, and alone for singles.
“I’ve coached Yoshi and Sam since their first day of badminton and they’re both intense, work hard, and are very personable,” Shoppe said. “They both get along really well, not only with each other, but also other players, coaches, and teammates.”
Schwartz and Cohn do not plan on making a career out of badminton. However, both hope to play in a badminton intramurals program, a recreational program, during college.
“I think it would be fun to continue playing badminton outside of school because it has gotten me this far and I don’t want to give it up,” Cohn said. “I enjoy playing and would like to continue it as long as possible.”
According to Cohn and Schwartz, this next European Maccabi Games is their chance to leave their mark internationally in their badminton careers. They also hope to leave the match with a medal.
“My hope is to be standing atop the podium with a shining medal around my neck and knowing that I made my country and myself proud,” Schwartz said.
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