Judianne Kelly (1948-present) is a sixteen-time U.S. National champion from southern
California who was extremely talented and well-rounded, a fighter and
competitor in all three badminton disciplines.
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Stan Bischof.
Judianne was born in San Francisco, and grew up in El Segundo, California. She attended El Segundo High School, El Camino, and Long Beach State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and doing graduate work in Physical Education. She played on badminton teams in both colleges.
She discovered badminton at age 13 when a junior high school teacher, Mrs. Frische, encouraged her to enter a local tournament. She lost her first match to top-seeded Diane Hales, but she won all her consolation matches and her first trophy. She was so impressed with the quickness and speed of the game that she gave up tennis and picked up a badminton racket. She joined the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club and the Pasadena Badminton Club, perfecting her game. She traveled all over Southern California finding places to play. She logged over 170 miles per week traveling to practice and play tournaments.
Over twelve years from 1974 to 1986, Judianne dominated U.S. tournaments and was regarded as one of the most competitive players in the nation. Her coaches included Ruben Mejia, Sue DeZort, Vicki Toutz, Chris Kinard, David Ogata, and Sombat Dhammabusaya. Her natural athletic ability, power, superb conditioning, and strong competitive spirit rewarded her with sixteen national championships and a triple crown at the U.S. National Championships in 1985. Judianne’s titles included:
Judianne and Vicki Toutz conducted several clinics just before the CIF high school competition each year. They also ran a week-long annual sports camp every summer. Judianne noted the needs of an elite athlete: motivation, commitment and involvement, a planned program with objectives, perseverance, self-discipline, and a tolerance of pain. She wanted to be the best, and was often reminded that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. She also discovered that an athlete must be able to handle defeat before victory.
Judianne appeared on the “Johnny Carson Show” and the “Merv Griffin Show” to discuss her badminton career. In 1978 she played an exhibition with former Dodger and Padre player Steve Garvey. She was inducted into the Long Beach State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986, and the USA Badminton Walk of Fame in 1988. She was named the Ken Davidson Award recipient in 1988. Judianne was a Physical Education teacher for thirty-two years at an intermediate school in Garden Grove, and coached the badminton team at Pacifica High school. She lives in Costa Mesa, CA, and enjoys golf. She was often seen volunteering at the U.S. Open at the OCBC as a line judge in her retirement.
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