Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Keerthana Gattupalli

Sophomore Keerthana Gattupalli has a short history of competitive badminton play. This season is both her first on the Oswego East team and the first time she has played competitively in her life. However, her tenacity and skill set during tryouts was enough for head coach Craig Morris not only to decide to make her a member of the program but also to promote her to the varsity team. With her play this season and already drastic improvements in play, Keerthana is poised for big things this season and is beyond and is this week’s Oswego
East student-athlete of the week.

Keerthana has always excelled at dance and fine arts throughout her life. “Keerthana is multi-talented and has won many prizes in dancing and singing competitions,” says Sravani Pavan, Keerthana’s mother. She goes on to say, “Keerthana learned Indian classical music (Carnatic) and classical dance (Kuchipudi), and has a YouTube channel where she performs and publishes her music and dance videos, as well as performing dance programs in assisted living facilities as a volunteer.”

While the fine arts remain a big part of Keerthana’s life, she decided this season she wanted to explore other opportunities for herself. During Covid, Keerthana and her family were able to bond by playing badminton in their backyard during the summer nights. As a freshman, Keerthana’s role in the school play did not allow her enough time to compete for the Oswego East badminton team, but she decided this season she would make it a priority.

Keerthana tried to temper her expectations during tryouts but soon realized she could compete with anyone on the floor. “I was not even sure I knew all of the rules when I first started playing competitively, but eventually my love for the sport took over,” says Keerthana. As tryouts went on, Keerthana continued reporting winning scores over more experienced players which eventually got the notice of the coaching staff.

“Keerthana was selected for the varsity team despite her inexperience playing competitively,” says head coach Craig Morris. He goes on to say, “Her determination in games in the way she plays out points, moves and chases each shot, and her ability to perform skills make her an excellent addition to the varsity team. She has tremendous enthusiasm for both practice and matches and always gives her best.”

Since joining the varsity, Keerthana has played in both doubles and singles, posting a perfect 3-0 record as a singles player. “She plays as a doubles pairing and has a great rapport with her partner and the rest of the team,” says Craig. He goes on to say, “Her mental strength and calm demeanor is a great asset and will insure she will keep improving through the remainder of the season and beyond.”

Playing competitive badminton for the first time has ignited a fire in Keerthana, and she credits the sport with helping her manage her time better and improving her overall mental health with a sense of pride and direction. “Oswego East has helped Keerthana not only in education but also as a person,” says Sravani. She goes on to say, “Programs that are offered in OE help her to understand the multicultural environment and respect each other and the mental health program sponsored by OE has had a positive impact on her, which makes her realize the blessings and luxuries she has and not concentrate on the negative side.”

Keerthana is interested in pursuing a passion in the medical field after college, in either dentistry or physical therapy. “I gravitate toward the medical field because I am a very caring and outgoing person and try to go out of my way to help people and provide services for others,” says Keerthana.

Spanish teacher Michelle Niesluchowski believes has the emotional and intellectual makeup to succeed, saying, “Keerthana is a mature, dedicated, and extremely intelligent student who catches on to concepts quickly and makes a conscientious effort to push herself to improve her skills. I have no doubt Keerthana will be successful in the medical field because she is so respectful, helpful, and committed to doing her best. She will not back down from a challenge and knows that she can push through any obstacle to reach her goals, both academically and physically.”

The badminton team is 2-3 early in the season, but as Keerthana and her teammates improve the record will continue as well heading into the conference season. As someone who took a chance this season by finding success in something she has never formally competed in, Keerthana advises future Wolves to act similarly, saying, “Grab on to opportunities that help you get closer to the school, and step out of your comfort zone to help you find what you like and do not.” Keerthana and her teammates will try to seize every opportunity this season to not only improve but grow their bond as teammates for now and in the future.