The best year of my life so far.

 So today, June 25, marks the one year anniversary of my leaving home and pursuing badminton in Richmond. I have learned so much, and met countless amazing people. I have learned lessons on and off the badminton court, lessons that will not only be useful in badminton but also in my day to day life. I would just like to highlight some of the major things I have learned that I believe are extremely important.
 Respect every player's abilities. It doesn't matter if you are slaughtering them on court. You must realize that no matter how bad you think they are, they are probably doing something better than you. For example, I can beat a lot of players that have WAY better technique than me. Take these players' strengths and learn from them. This is exactly the way I have managed to learn to play defense in singles/doubles.
Every player has a weakness. But so do you. Learn to play to your opponent's weakness while shutting down their attempts to play to yours.
Every player is beatable. Especially in the rally point system. A game can be over before you know what has happened. It doesn't matter what ranking/seeding/age you are when you walk on the court. It's just you and the opponent. Someone will win and someone will lose. Try to win, no matter how hopeless it seems.
If you worry about losing, you probably will lose. This was my biggest fault. And sometimes still is. I worry too much about losing, instead of being fearless and just playing my best. A lot of times I panic when my opponent starts to outplay me, which makes me get stressed and overplay. And when I overplay, I lose.
Listen to everyone. Everyone has something to teach. Some of the most helpful things I have learned about badminton have come from the most unexpected players.
There is many different ways to do many different shots. Everyone's technique is a little bit different. Everyone has their own style. You will be told about a hundred different techniques in your time, sometimes for just one shot. You have to be confident in choosing what is not only correct, but what works best for you. Just because you hit like Lin Dan, doesn't mean you will be as good as him...
If you stop enjoying badminton, you won't learn anything. If it becomes like a job to you, and you only care about the results, you will be less likely to get those results. Have fun every time you play or train. I find the times I have learned the most, are the times I have had the most fun.
 I would like to thank all you for your support. I really hope that you have enjoyed reading my posts, and found some value in what I try to say. I will continue to do my best to make this blog amazing.