Not every Amherst student can make the varsity women’s soccer team or run a sub-five-minute mile. Thankfully, Amherst offers other options for athletically-inclined students at the College. An option that has been on campus for a number of years, but recently caught fire, is the Amherst College Badmitton Team. Currently under the leadership of junior Nate Olson (above) and sophomore Corey Clapp, the badmitton team’s membership has more than tripled in the past year. According to Olson, the team attracts upwards of 12 people each practice, compared to three to four last year.

The team welcomes players of all levels, but, as Olson puts it, is “fortunate to benefit from the expertise of the already infamous Aftaab Dewan ’12, a seasoned player who’s smashes are the stuff of nightmares” in lieu of an official coach.

While the team currently lacks enough gear to accommodate all interested parties, Olson and Clapp are working on changing that. “This year, I plan on getting recognition and funding from the AAS, establishing a weekly tournament to foster a healthy spirit of competition, and possibly taking a team to play in a regional tournament,” explained Olson.