Roberto Astorga is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain Ridge High School for AZPreps365.com.

Good coaching goes a long way in sports.

This is no exception for the 2023 Mountain Ridge badminton team. 

The Mountain Lions were under the direction of first-year head coach Adam Korman, who was previously an assistant coach.

“Being around the program helped me develop an understanding of the game and gain skills in how to help the girls,” Korman said.

Last year, the Mountain Lions finished 7-7 losing in the first round of the state championship. They were the No. 12 ranked team in Division 1. 

In recent memory, Mountain Ridge has always had good badminton teams year in and year out, finishing at or above .500 each of their last four seasons. Even with different players, the Mountain Lions have found ways to stay consistent. 

This year, they were better than all four of those seasons. 

They finished third-ranked with an 11-3 record.

On their way to the semifinals, they came away with impressive wins against  No. 4 Desert Vista, No. 5 Perry, and No. 6 Pinnacle. 

Even with all the talent on the team, the players gave much credit to Korman for their success.

Mountain Ridge’s best player, senior Lilah Zafar, had her best season of her high school career. She was the third-ranked player in Division 1 badminton and finished fourth in the singles tournament. 

“He is really encouraging,” said Zafar. “He reminds us to stay focused and stay calm because getting angry does not help anyone.”

Badminton is a sport where players go one on one against each other. With all the spotlight on one player, tensions and emotions rise. 

During games, Korman is seen cheering for his players, calming them down, and showing them where they can improve to win matches. Before matchups, he loosens his players up with jokes. 

Zafar’s doubles-teammate junior Shresta Narayanan was also in the singles state tournament. She made it to the second round and had a good season for the Mountain Lions, looking to improve on it next year for her senior year. 

“He motivates us a lot,” said Narayanan. “He pushes us to be mentally prepared and overall he is such a good supporter and that helps us on the court.”

The players benefited from having someone on the court that could motivate them and enable them to play their best game.

To contrast the players, Korman gave much of the credit to them.

“As the season went on, they became more comfortable,” Korman said. “They refine their skills to a point that they are playing at a higher level.”

With the badminton season coming to an end, Korman’s first year as a head coach was a success as Mountain Ridge reached the semifinals, its first appearance since 2017.

For next season, Mountain Ridge will be tested. With four of their varsity players graduating, Korman will have to fill spots in his team.

If Korman's coaching and their past seasons are something to go by, the Mountain Lions will find a way to stay competitive.