After rising senior Samuele Marcucci earned a starting spot at third singles last season and posted a 7-3 win-loss record in the matches he played, he now looks to build upon that progress in his senior year and leave a lasting impact on the team.
Teammates and coaches describe Samuele as someone whose impact is built through steady development and consistency.
Samuele’s path to badminton began with playing other racket sports, but quickly turned into a commitment once he entered Townsend Harris.
Samuele said, “I’ve always played racket sports like tennis, pickleball, and table tennis, so badminton felt natural to me. I first tried it during the last few months of eighth grade and really fell in love with it. Once I got into THHS, I knew I wanted to try out for the team.”
Since joining the Hawks, Samuele has seen both high points and setbacks as part of the team’s recent seasons, including a shift from a championship-winning year his freshman season to more difficult postseason results his sophomore and junior years. Despite these obstacles, he highlighted the team’s close-knit environment throughout the years.
“We try to be like a little family…even through the bumps in the road, the team has stayed close,” he said.
A major part of Samuele’s journey was his rise through the badminton roster. He began his high school career at the very bottom of the lineup before working his way up.
“Freshman year, I was 18th out of 18 on the roster,” he said. “After that, I trained hard in the offseason and worked my way up to singles three. I think my speed, technique, and overall confidence improved the most.”
One of Samuele’s most defining moments came in a match against Flushing High School on October 1, where he accomplished a significant comeback.
“I came back from 12-21 [in the first set] to win 22-20 [in the second set], and in the final set, I came back from 15-20 by winning seven straight points. The team was so supportive and helped me stay mentally strong,” Samuele said.
Coach Matthew Lemanczyk said that Samuele’s development over the past three years has allowed him to stand out on the team.
“Sam’s come a long way. As a freshman, he demonstrated tremendous hand-eye coordination, but he was new to the game of badminton. As an athlete and as a person, over the past three years, I’ve seen him improve tremendously in terms of his skill set, his understanding of the game, and strategy,” Mr. Lemanczyk said.
Mr. Lemanczyk credited much of Samuele’s growth to his consistency and willingness to hold himself to a high standard. Mr. Lemanczyk also said that Samuele began taking on a larger role within the team as a junior.
“In the fall, he really started to take ownership of a leadership-like role,” Mr. Lemancyzck said. “He would take the newer players that were starting to learn the game, just like he had a few years before, and he would show them the ropes and give them advice.”
Samuele said that helping newer teammates has become one of the most meaningful parts of his experience on the team.
“Now I get to be that person for the newer players,” he said. “I’m grateful they trust me enough to let me help them develop.”
During the team’s annual mixed doubles tournament, Samuele partnered with sophomore Candice Yang, a first-year player on the girls’ team. The event gave him another opportunity to guide a newer teammate in a competitive setting. For Candice, the experience stood out as both fun and reassuring.
“Playing with Samuele was extremely fun for me because he was strategic and encouraging even when I messed up,” Candice said. “He’s well-mannered and lighthearted, so it made the atmosphere less tense.”
Candice also noted that she was able to discover a new perspective on the sport, both tactically and mentally, from her time playing with Samuele.
“I learned to just take games easy. After all, they’re for fun,” she said. “They shouldn’t be used as a determinant to compare people, and how I perform during a game doesn’t define me. Also, he gave me useful tips on where to move around the court when playing doubles, such as moving forward after he clears.”
During practice and team sessions, junior teammate Jiahong Ni described Samuele as a friendly presence that is able to accept change on the court.
“Like everyone else on the team, Samuele is elastic during practice time,” Jiahong said. “To me, he’s a great friend and a great badminton player, and whenever we play practice, he always carries a happy vibe with him.”
In singles games, Jiahong emphasized the difficulty of reacting to Samuele in real time.
“When playing Sam in singles, it’s his unique use of drops and surprising power shots that make it hard to predict what he’ll do next,” he said.
He added that in matches, Samuele maintains his drive even in difficult situations.
“Sam never gives up even if it seems the odds are going against [him],” Jiahong said. He added that this competitiveness is a regular part of Samuele’s matches.
Teammate and freshman Nathan Chetram pointed to Samuele’s composure, stating that it is one of his most notable qualities on the court.
“During his matches, Samuele is often calm, and he’s not the type to react particularly strongly in a match. He carries a similar attitude during practice,” Nathan said.
Nathan added that Samuele is easy to communicate with in all circumstances. “Samuele is amicable. He’s not hard to talk to, on or off the court,” he said.
Looking ahead, Samuele said that he hopes to be remembered for his perseverance and growth.
“I want people to remember me as someone who set an example of how to overcome challenges…and become the kind of mentor that older players once were for me,” he said.
