This text is among the successful submissions from the New York Publish Students Contest, introduced by Command Training.
I’ve spent the previous yr waking up at 6 a.m. to apply badminton swings in my yard earlier than faculty. All through the times, I’ve blasted YouTube tutorials on footwork and begged buddies to rally with me within the junior atrium outdoors the health club.
This was all accomplished between homework assignments, meals, and sleep. Badminton meant the whole lot to me—till my counselor circled the point out of the game (I’d listed it as an curiosity on a survey) and wrote, “Maybe pivot to a more ‘serious’ extracurricular?”
His phrases stung worse than any missed smash. Right here’s the reality: Badminton is critical. However American faculties, clinging to a dusty playbook that values soccer stadiums over cultural relevance, appear unwilling to see it, even if Badminton is a sport embraced by 220 million globally.
Badminton is a sport that’s deeply woven into my tradition, because it’s a sport that may be loved by individuals of all ages and is broadly thought of conventional in China for leisure exercise and household gatherings.
In my tradition, it’s usually seen as a logo of nationwide delight as a result of excessive degree of competitors and success Asian gamers obtain within the sport.
The Inflexible System that Fails Ardour
I learn about inflexible techniques. Final fall, I dropped American Lit not as a result of I hated Walt Whitman’s poems, however as a result of my trainer graded like a robotic, confined to strict rubrics and his personal interpretation of the textual content. Something that didn’t match his format or his opinion on the texts we learn at school obtained a mediocre grade. This pondering isn’t in contrast to billion-dollar TV offers for giant sports activities.
For these within the know, badminton doesn’t want ESPN highlights. It’s lengthy been on the earth’s second-most fashionable participatory sport, with 220 million gamers globally. But within the U.S., it’s handled like a garage-sale Ping-Pong set—one thing to mud off for PE class, and when not wanted, it’s put out close to the mailbox with an indication “free”.
This mindset hurts for somebody like me who spends hours in apply, not in contrast to varsity-track athletes. Notably, when you think about the payoff: no scouts, no scholarships, and no recognition on functions.
Many faculties declare of their brochures that they need “grit” and “dedication.” So why does my hustle—juggling AP courses, discovering time after faculty to apply footwork in my small condo, and touring an hour every manner each different day to satisfy with my coach—get filed underneath “hobby”?
The Cultural Brush-Off
The affect of this mindset is large. Stroll into any badminton match in California, and also you’ll see a sea of Asian-American faces. The game is woven into our communities, a convention as well-known as lunar New 12 months crimson envelopes.
My Chinese language grandfather performed in faculty…in China. Right here? The NCAA gives zero Division I badminton packages. So when faculties submit AAPi Heritage Month graphics whereas ignoring a sport central to my heritage, it’s not simply hypocritical—it’s erasure. We’re advised to rejoice our tradition, however solely in ways in which present good advertising and marketing for his or her brochures. It’s not shocking that my good pal and teammate give up final yr. “What’s the point,” she requested me, “if colleges think our passion is a joke?”
The Fantasy of “Revenue or Bust”
Let’s tackle the elephant within the room. Badminton doesn’t earn cash. Neither do 43% of NCAA soccer packages, however they’re nonetheless funded. Why? Custom? Alumni nostalgia? In the meantime, Gen Z is out right here making badminton TikTok edits with thousands and thousands of views. Proof that curiosity exists. And the rationale for faculties to look forward, not simply behind.
And don’t get me began on the “life sport” argument. Schools love touting “active lifestyles,” but ignore a sport individuals will play into their 80s. My knees will give out from badminton across the identical time a soccer participant’s mind begins forgetting their youngsters’ names.
A Path Ahead (that Doesn’t Require a Stadium)
I’m not asking for a $10 million enviornment, however communities and faculties can begin small. Right here’s how.
First, sanction badminton: Make badminton an NCAA sport so tournaments matter and permit individuals to be recruited, the identical manner monitor and area athletes or basketball gamers are adopted.
Subsequent, credit score the game. Let PE courses rely towards credit if college students compete.
Lastly, broaden the sport. Why cease at Badminton? It isn’t the one under-represented sport within the US. The NCAA group wants to start out doing extra analysis and embrace sports activities like desk tennis as properly.
Badminton is greater than a passion—it’s a take a look at of self-discipline, a cultural anchor, and a sport faculties refuse to take significantly. My early morning practices and hour-long commutes to coaching aren’t simply “dedication”, they’re proof that admissions committees see our ardour as trivial. Schools plaster “Celebrate AAPI Heritage” on brochures whereas sidelining a sport central to Asian communities.
If universities really worth grit, they’d begin recognizing the dedication behind underrated sports activities like badminton. Sanction it. Credit score it. Till then, their guarantees of “diversity” are simply empty phrases.
An Eleventh-grader at Stuyvesant Excessive Faculty in Manhattan, Aiden Tsang intends to pursue a profession within the medical area.
