Badminton and table tennis on Thursday became the latest additions to the city's roster of public high school varsity teams.
The announcement arrived in a press release replete with overwrought sports metaphors: "The new sports generated quite a racket among students eager to compete, and schools officials expect the sports to net significant interest and participation in the PSAL league among high school students."
“We are thrilled to serve students’ interests in table tennis and badminton, which will complement the traditional sports offered in city’s schools, such as basketball and football, and other more recent additions like cricket,” Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said. “These exciting athletics are a smash hit among students and will expand their skills and opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.”
Actress and ping-pong enthusiast Susan Sarandon applauded the move.
“Table tennis improves the mind and the body with little physical risk or expense - and you can play for the rest of your life unlike other sports,” Sarandon said in the release. Both sports started in March and will run through early June.
“We want students to enjoy a variety of different sports while in high school and these two spark the interest of many of our students," said Donald Douglas, the executive director of the Public School Athletic League. Below is a list of high schools with table tennis or badminton teams:
The debut season for table tennis includes the following schools:
Boys Division
Bronx Science High School
Lehman Educational Campus
Millennium High School
Cardozo High School
Flushing High School
Townsend Harris High School
Stuyvesant High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
FDR High School Campus
Acorn Community High School
McKee/Staten Island Technical High Schools
Tottenville High School
Girls Division
Bronx Science High School
Lehman High School Campus
Millennium High School
Cardozo High School
Flushing High School
Townsend Harris High School
Stuyvesant High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
FDR High School Campus
James Madison High School
McKee/Staten Island Technical High Schools
Tottenville High School
The debut season for badminton includes the following schools:
Boys Division
Bronx Science
Martin Luther King Jr. High School Campus
Flushing International
Townsend Harris
Stuyvesant High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
FDR High School Campus
Seward Park Educational Campus
John Dewey High School Campus
James Madison High School
Flushing High School
Girls Division
Bronx Science
Martin Luther King Jr. High School Campus
Flushing International
Flushing High School
Townsend Harris High School
Stuyvesant High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
FDR High School Campus
John Dewey High School Campus
Seward Park Educational Campus
Tottenville High School