The Skyline View: How long have you been playing for Skyline?

Kaide Leviste: This is my second year playing for Skyline, but I’ve been playing badminton for six or seven years now.

TSV: What initially drew you to that sport?

KL: Actually, I had no interest in badminton before; it was sort of my friends who drew me in. They said “Hey, we need an extra person on the team, do you want to join?” And I (said) “Well, I have no experience, but if you can teach me, I’d be happy to play.” So they did, and I started going to practice. And I started doing it every year after that.

TSV: Tell me a little bit about the setup during games.

KL: Since this is a women’s team, we only have singles and doubles; we don’t have mixed male and female teams. For singles you have one player on the court at a time playing against the other person. And for doubles… it’s two versus two. It’s a lot like tennis.

TSV: What do you like about being on the Skyline team?

KL: I love it because we have some of the best coaches, I think, and it’s a really small team, so it’s rather intimate compared to some of the larger teams. You really get to know everybody, and there’s a lot of coaching available.

TSV: Do you feel as a second-year player you’re put in a leadership position for the younger girls?

KL: I feel like I have big shoes to fill. We’ve had some really good players in the past who were in my position now, and I was in (the younger girls’) shoes before too. You just kind of show them the ropes, and just play with them the way you would play with any player of any level. Show them respect, teach them the rules, etc.

TSV: Does the team have any rivals this year?

KL: We have really strong teams that we’re playing against this year, and since this is the first time this particular team is getting together, we’re kind of a mixed bag. We have some more seasoned player like Adrian (Tomimbang), who played last year, and I played the year before that. We have a couple rookies this year who are doing pretty well. We’re just getting a feel for what’s out there and playing our best.

TSV: What are your plans for next year?

KL: This is my last year here, because I’m transferring soon. I’m thinking I might continue it on the university level, but this is my final year (at Skyline) so it’s kind of bittersweet. I really learned a lot from the coaches here and my teammates, and it’s a really great sport. I enjoy it a lot. So, I might go into coaching later on or continue playing. We’ll see.

TSV: What’s your planned major?

KL: I’m thinking of majoring in neuroscience or behavior.

TSV: Anything else?

KL: It’s a pretty cool sport, and I never expected to get this far into it. Back in high school it was just me and a racket, and I was just playing around with my friends, and I never knew that it would take me this far. You never know where you might end up, so keep an open mind.

Badminton’s next homegame is April 28 against De Anza. They will play two more games this season before the Coast Conference Championships.