Undeterred by only having five players with limited experience for a sport that requires six starting spots, San Diego City College badminton head coach Darby Duprat still finds a way to inspire her team. 

“I’m definitely looking forward to the improvement of the girls,” Duprat said after a 21-0 loss against San Diego Mesa College at Harry West Gym on Feb. 28.  

“I know these girls are very enthusiastic and they do want to get better,” she said  “Some girls that play in this sport, they’re coming from no competitive experience, or they’re (just) coming in and they’re used to playing more recreationally.”

Duprat knows what to look for in a player, as she was a star for City College’s badminton team from 2013-2014.

According to SD City Knights athletic page, Duprat was named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in 2013 and was also named to the All-PCAC team both of her years at City.

While she was successful individually, her team also thrived. She led the Knights to consecutivePCAC  championships in 2013 and 2014, as well as CCCAA state championship appearances in those same years.

During those years, Duprat got the opportunity to play teams outside of San Diego, which was an eye-opener for her. 

“When we started playing in L.A., I was just amazed at the level,” she said, “but that didn’t stop me and motivated me more.” 

Two years after her career at City finished, Duprat accepted the head coaching job in 2016 at City College. 

Duprat now faces the reality of coaching a sport that doesn’t offer scholarships to Junior College athletics, where students may be dealing with real-life dilemmas. 

Because of these issues, she is having a hard time recruiting for her team. 

“I had a girl who had a full-time job offer, so she wasn’t able to continue participating,” the coach said. “And then I had another girl who we intended to have a full roster, but she’s not sure if she’ll be able to come back due to personal issues.”

Despite a slow start to the season against more experienced opponents, Duprat is optimistic her team will continue to improve throughout the season. 

“My goal is to have a very strong team and have a lot of chemistry with one another,” she said. “I know that sometimes they’ll compete against girls that are stronger and I want to build their mentality and their physical fitness as well as become the best of their capabilities.”

To find more information on City College’s badminton team, including their remaining schedule, click here.