Strange as It May Sound, Badminton Players Are Athletes, Too : And Pacifica High School’s Ferdinand Rivera May Just Be No. 1 in Southern California on the Prep Level

To the barbecue set, badminton is the form of recreation--a shade more strenuous than repose--which one engages in while waiting for the coals to get hot.

Indeed, badminton’s current niche in the sports firmament is somewhere below Double-Dutch jump rope and some place above tiddlywinks.

“I don’t think Americans are attracted to it because they think it’s a sissy sport,” said Robin Clair, a senior member of the badminton team at Pacifica High School. “They don’t think it demands much. But they’re wrong because if they take the time to come out and watch, they’ll change their minds.”

Earl Broderick, the team’s faculty adviser, agrees.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about this,” he said. “But it is truly an outstanding sport, it really is. There’s strategy, skill, agility. You have to be an athlete.”

The choice of the word athlete seems ludicrous when one meets Pacifica’s Ferdinand Rivera, the best prep badminton player in Southern California. After all, the diminutive senior from the Philippine Islands, stands 5-3 and weighs less than 120 pounds. Could this slender 17-year-old boy be the whirlwind who has compiled a 32-1 record this season and is the odds-on favorite to capture his third straight Soutern Section individual championship in May?

“Size isn’t that important in this sport,” said Garden Grove Coach Vicki Toutz, who is also a member of the U.S. National team. “That’s why the Asians have had such an impact. They are very proficient in racket sports and have grown up playing them. Quickness is everything.”

When Rivera takes the court, all doubts about athleticism are instantly dispelled. He is as quick as a firefly, darting from side to side or zipping up to and back from the net, retrieving birds, which appear hopelessly out of reach. The spring in his legs is breathtaking and his hang time would make NFL punters envious.

“He’s quick, and you have to be because the birds can travel up to 100 miles per hour, but his greatest strength is the mental part of his game,” Pacifica Coach Sharon Luckey said. “He plays with such finesse and his placement is excellent. He is able to calculate every shot and move his opponent all the way around the court. He doesn’t have to smash all that much because he has his opponents off balance.

“Of course, Ding’s (a nickname from his father) speed is a definite advantage and although he’s not tall, he can jump at least two feet off the ground to get up to the bird. He doesn’t miss many birds.”

Rivera credits his father, Ben, a talented player in his own right, for getting him started.

“When I was young, I would go with my dad and would watch him play doubles and sometimes I would play, too,” said Rivera, who, along with Clair, recently won the Estancia Tournament’s mixed doubles title. “But the game was too quick. I just couldn’t get the rhythm.

“One time, though, it was just me and my dad and he was running me around the court and although it was hard work, it was fun, too. I loved running after the bird. That’s how I got quick, I think.”

Although he has dominated the sport for two years, Rivera is very modest about his ability and is concerned about the upcoming playoffs.

“Pressure? No, not that much,” said Rivera, whose only loss was at the hands of Buena Park’s Mike Mallars earlier this season. “It’s more a fear of the unexpected. I want to win again and I think I can, but it’s going to be tough because there are always unexpected people that are out there waiting for me. If I make a mistake, they’ll be waiting. I have to be careful. I just have to remind myself to be patient and hit smart shots.

“When I lost to Mike I was sick, but I beat him at Estancia. However, Joey Mercado of Pasadena, who is also from country, is very good. He is my friend and I told him I would help him, but not too much.”

Understandably, scholarships are few and far between for athletes who traditionally play in front of crowds that could fit comfortably in elevators.

But junior Mireille Corcoran, who along with Garden Grove’s Tracy Hudson and Thuy Nguyen, are three of the top girls’ singles players thinks people are missing an opportunity for excitement.

“All people have to do is watch to appreciate how difficult it is,” she said. “It’s fun to watch. Look at Ding. He’s so graceful and he glides so effortlessly. And he’s always in the right place. Everybody thinks it’s not a sport. Did you know this is the fastest racket sport in the world? Believe me, this is hard work. After I finish a match, I’m tired.’