The girls’ badminton team celebrates its 14th season. They are two-time state championship winners, an achievement that is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of the Henkes, Jed Koo and Thumilan Siva. Photo: Edina Girls’ Badminton
Local duo leads girls’ badminton team to two state championships.
Hosting a cocktail party is one way to welcome the neighbors or please a crowd of thirsty friends. For Margo and Steve Henke, however, cocktail parties consisted of more than just delicious drinks and good company. Painted court lines in the grass led to hours of front yard doubles badminton tournaments, but regardless of how many couples the Henkes took on, they always ended up winning. What could have been explained away as luck was actually the birth of their badminton legacy.
The Henkes daughters, Adele and Celine, both played tennis at Edina High School (EHS), but when Celine decided she wanted to switch to badminton, a new path needed to be forged. Without a team in place at the high school, she presented her case to the EHS school board, athletic director and others who agreed to the team but without funding or coaches. The Henkes stepped in, unknowingly starting a tradition which would continue for 14 years. The team started with 25 players and grew each year. With their no-cut policy, the Henkes have coached more than 700 girls throughout their tenure.
Margo and Steve Henke started the girls’ badminton team at Edina High School in 2011. Photos: Chris Emeott
“Most people don’t know how to play badminton,” Margo says. “A few athletes pick it up quickly, but we have to teach them all how to play from scratch.”
While badminton requires endurance and athleticism to some degree, there is a mental aspect that can often be more challenging than the physical. With so many talented opposing teams, the Henkes have to train players in the game but also strengthen their mindsets. In the last few years, they’ve enlisted the help of a former player who is now their skills coach, Jed Koo. They also have a student manager, Thumilan Siva, who is talented in badminton and helps with training.
“We work on getting them to believe in themselves,” Steve says, “They know how good the other teams are, so they have to put that all aside and focus on the birdie.”
The Henkes coaching methods paid off in spades when the EHS girls badminton team won the state championship in 2023 and 2024. “Sometimes, it’s a magical night, and everybody plays a little beyond their normal skill level,” Steve says. “The girls worked really hard.”
Senior captain Tenzin Tsephel has been playing badminton since freshman year, but the state championship win in 2023 was a truly incredible experience. “For our team to finally make a breakthrough and win was just awesome,” Tenzin says. “It really gave all of us a confidence boost and hope for the next year.”
Tenzin Tsephel is the girls’ badminton senior captain. Ivy Peterson is the junior captain.
That feeling propelled the team to a second state championship in May. Junior captain Ivy Peterson has also been playing badminton since freshman year, following in her older sister’s footsteps. “Badminton is often perceived as a backyard sport, and I often get surprised faces when I tell people I play badminton competitively,” Ivy says. But practicing every day after school, regardless of the intense time commitment, is something Tenzin, Ivy and the Henkes all look forward to.
Ivy serves up some fun on the badminton court.
Aside from winning, playing badminton can bring a myriad of other benefits to its players. “I think sports are important to teenagers because, in some cases, it gives them a sense of belonging and a place to have fun,” Tenzin says.
So whether on or off the court and despite the season record, it’s the life skills, experienced coaches, healthy competition and deep friendships that last a lifetime. That’s what we call a smashing success.
Edina Girls’ Badminton
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