Although Senior Kelly Diep has only played badminton for three years, starting in her sophomore year, she has accomplished much and built valuable experience, making her an outstanding player.
When her dad first introduced her to the sport, she immediately fell in love. Diep said she was heavily influenced by her family, since her dad used to play when he was younger and her older sister played on the school team at Patrick Henry High School.
Diep has become a vital asset to the Badminton Team here at UC High. Senior Tayler Nguyen said, “The team without Kelly is like peanut butter without jelly, like a sandwich without a deli. Kelly glues the team together with her tireless work ethic and amazing leadership skills.” Senior Ash Warren added, “Without Kelly our team would not be as strong as it is. Her Determination is definitely the reason for so many of our wins.”
Since starting only a couple of years back, Diep has put in many hours to achieve significant improvement. Nguyen added, “On the team, Kelly provides unmatched athleticism paired with supportive leadership.” As the team’s captain, she has set some personal goals for herself to become the best that she can be. She said, “I want to show more leadership and take more responsibility.”
Just last year she was a finalist for the Sue Minnock and Cerritos tournaments, where she played alongside Alumnus Ashton Prieto at both. Diep said one of the most memorable tournaments she played was the Cerritos in Los Angeles, where she had to play with shin splints. She added, “Although it pushed me way past my limit, I learned to keep a balance between my own physical health and what I want to achieve in badminton.”
One of Diep’s most significant strengths in badminton is motivating others. She said, “Badminton takes a lot of energy and it is harder than people think, so a lot of people can get discouraged. I’m good at keeping them motivated and making them still love the sport even though it’s so enduring.” Nguyen added, “She is our team’s number one motivator and does her best to keep the team spirits high.”
Although Diep has many strengths, she also recognizes her weaknesses. This season, Diep is hoping to improve on being vocal. “I’m a pretty quiet person, so you wouldn’t expect me to be a leader of 40 people. I definitely need to work on being louder and standing my ground.”
Diep added that she aims to keep the team together and work as a unit. She said, “We are a very close-knit team, but with more people joining this season, I think we need to work on including them and becoming one big family together.” Another goal Diep has for the team is to win the CIF title. She added, “Last year we came very close so this year we definitely have a fighting chance. That is one of the main motivations that’s keeping all of us going.”
Diep’s teammates have touched on some of her outstanding characteristics. Ngyuen said, “Kelly is kindhearted and extremely intelligent.” When it comes to school, Diep is always performing her best. One of her highest GPA was 4.79. Warren added, “She is one of the most studious and organized people I know and it really shows as a captain and teammate.”
Ngyuen added, “Whether it comes to working strategically as a captain or emotionally supportive as a friend, she always knows what to do and when to execute something.” Warren added, “Kelly is a fun person to be around not just as a captain but also as a person.”
Diep’s love of the sport comes from the community within it. She said, “I love that we all get to hang out and collaborate together even though we play our own matches. At the end of the day, we all come together and celebrate our wins or console each other when we lose.”
Although Diep’s time playing for the Badminton Team may be coming to an end, she hopes to finish out this last season determined to lead her team to victory and win the CIF title.