An athlete’s first appearance at an OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) championship can prove to be more than a little unsettling.
And for as much as St Charles College multi-sport star Nyah Robinson was a key member of the Cardinals' volleyball team that participated in an all-Ontario tournament in March, there is a distinctly different feeling when it comes to taking that first step at the OFSAA Badminton playdowns - especially in the ladies singles event.
To her credit, the 16 year-old who steamrolled the competition at the city meet before being put to the challenge – and prevailing – against North Bay club standout Alexie Carré attempted to pre-emptively prepare for what lie ahead.
A new racquet was purchased, prior to OFSAA, one she was assured would better suit her particular style of game.
Losses to Nadine Buchanen (Franco Cité – Ottawa) and Chantal Li (St Robert CHS – Thornhill) on day one would send Robinson and her entourage scrambling for answers.
“I switched my racquet, went back to my original racquet from cities and NOSSA and changed my technique on the court to get back in the game,” said the daughter of former Laurentian Voyageurs' soccer star Gervase Robinson. “We were analyzing my play. My opponents were hitting back most everything I was hitting their way.”
“I started to move towards more play at the net instead of playing a power game – and added a few more drops (drop shots).”
The results went well beyond her wildest dreams.
With consecutive day two victories over Olivia McBean (Kirkland Lake), Stuti Ohri (Burlington Central), Shiffonee Kingston (Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Mississauga), Mika Lacroix (E.S.C. l’Escale – Rockland) and Anoushka Rane (GHAC), Robinson would return from Milton / Burlington with a bronze medal (Division C) in hand.
“Going to OFSAA has motivated me to keep training harder and harder for next year,” said Robinson. “This year was super tough.”
Especially for a multi-sport athlete who likely had made more of a name for herself as a member of the Northern Chill Volleyball Club family to this point in her sporting career – but has also excelled in both flag football and track and field during her time at St Charles College.
While Robinson has tinkered with badminton club play a bit in her past, the fact is that OFSAA is a huge eye opener with most of the top end talent in Ontario on hand. “It was great to see how good some of the girls are, how they move on the court,” she said.
“You learn a lot from them. This was good to see how much more I still have to learn.”
While her spectrum of sporting pursuits could help a little, real growth will come from Robinson deciding that badminton is the sport for her.
“Because I play so many other sports, they kind of all complement each other,” she explained. “Volleyball and badminton are all arms and a lot of quick movements. In badminton, it was the flow of the game that really attracted me to the sport, the stamina you need – and power and quickness.”
“Over and above all of the other sports that I do, I also do a lot of training with my dad, with weights and running. I am still working on getting better day after day after day to be the best version of myself.”
Glimpses of that best version have shone on the volleyball court, at the track and on the turf of flag football. But these days, badminton is emerging supreme when it comes to the athletic pursuits of Nyah Robinson.
“It was such a great feeling stepping out on a court at the all-Ontario championship,” she said. “It was just so much fun.”
