Badminton makes us Smarter

First of all I want to clear this up before I actually start my post. Yes, Badminton is an extremely active and intense sport. This is contrary to what most people think of Badminton however this is because they have never played in a competitive game. I have played soccer, paintball, basketball, hockey and many other sports. With this said, Badminton, is one if not the most intense sports to play in. The way I can explain this is through an example. If you just pass a soccer ball around you do not receive the competitive portion of the sport. This is said for the people who just volley around the badminton birdie, you are not really playing the game. Once you actually practice and then play a game you will discover why Badminton is so popular in other countries.

The prior paragraph allows for a better understanding of my post. I attended the first Badminton Club meeting of this semester which indeed made me smarter. Similar to what Johnson talks about in his Reality TV section Badminton does the same. Well reality TV causes viewers to comprehend the complex relationships of the people on the show. According to, “Everything Bad is Good for you,” reality TV also forces viewers to interpret subtle reactions of the people in the show. This is similar to what I experienced on the Badminton court. One of the first problems one faces when they go to play is trying to get onto one of the two courts themselves. There is a surplus of players trying to get on the courts therefore you must jockey for position. This jockeying of position forces you to communicate and deal with others. Jockeying for position makes us smarter because it exercises your Cerebral Cortex. When you force your way onto a court one has to read the other persons reactions to your butting in line. Your mind has to weigh out the pros and cons, you get the court and get to play but then multiple people dislike you. This simple exercise exists all throughout life. Humans are constantly weighing out the pros and cons just like you would do at Badminton club.

In a Badminton match each player is always trying to anticipate their opponent’s next move. This makes us smarter because in the professional business world it is necessary for the CEO’s to anticipate their competitor’s actions. Emerson is a huge company completely set up on, “Anticipating our Customers Needs,” which is their slogan. So since Badminton matches for you to anticipate you are actually building necessary brain muscle for the future.