Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic <\/p>\n
This article is one of the winning submissions from the New York Post\u00a0Scholars Contest, presented by\u00a0Command Education.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent the past year waking up at 6 a.m. to practice badminton swings in my backyard before school. Throughout the days, I\u2019ve blasted YouTube tutorials on footwork and begged friends to rally with me in the junior atrium outside the gym.<\/p>\n
This was all done between homework assignments, meals, and sleep. Badminton meant everything to me\u2014until my counselor circled the mention of the sport (I\u2019d listed it as an interest on a survey) and wrote, \u201cMaybe pivot to a more \u2018serious\u2019 extracurricular?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His words stung worse than any missed smash. Here\u2019s the truth: Badminton is serious. But American colleges, clinging to a dusty playbook that values football stadiums over cultural relevance, seem unwilling to see it, despite the fact that Badminton is a sport embraced by 220 million globally. <\/p>\n
Badminton is a sport that is deeply woven into my culture, as it\u2019s a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is widely considered traditional in China for recreational activity and family gatherings. <\/p>\n
In my culture, it is often seen as a symbol of national pride due to the high level of competition and success Asian players achieve in the sport.<\/p>\n
The Rigid System that Fails Passion<\/p>\n
I know about rigid systems. Last fall, I dropped American Lit not because I hated Walt Whitman\u2019s poems, but because my teacher graded like a robot, confined to strict rubrics and his own interpretation of the text. Anything that didn\u2019t fit his format or his opinion on the texts we read in class received a mediocre grade. This thinking is not unlike billion-dollar TV deals for big sports.<\/p>\n
For those in the know, badminton doesn\u2019t need ESPN highlights. It\u2019s long been in the world\u2019s second-most popular participatory sport, with 220 million players globally. Yet in the U.S., it\u2019s treated like a garage-sale Ping-Pong set\u2014something to dust off for PE class, and when not needed, it\u2019s put out near the mailbox with a sign \u201cfree\u201d. <\/p>\n
This mindset hurts for someone like me who spends hours in practice, not unlike varsity-track athletes. Particularly, when you consider the payoff: no scouts, no scholarships, and no recognition on applications.<\/p>\n
Many colleges claim in their brochures that they want \u201cgrit\u201d and \u201cdedication.\u201d So why does my hustle\u2014juggling AP classes, finding time after school to practice footwork in my small apartment, and traveling an hour each way every other day to meet with my coach\u2014get filed under \u201chobby\u201d?<\/p>\n
The Cultural Brush-Off\u00a0<\/p>\n
The impact of this mindset is huge. Walk into any badminton tournament in California, and you\u2019ll see a sea of Asian-American faces. The sport is woven into our communities, a tradition as well-known as lunar New Year red envelopes. <\/p>\n
My Chinese grandfather played in college\u2026in China. Here? The NCAA offers zero Division I badminton programs. So when colleges post AAPi Heritage Month graphics while ignoring a sport central to my heritage, it\u2019s not just hypocritical\u2014it\u2019s erasure. We\u2019re told to celebrate our culture, but only in ways that provide good marketing for their brochures. It\u2019s not surprising that my good friend and teammate quit last year. \u201cWhat\u2019s the point,\u201d she asked me, \u201cif colleges think our passion is a joke?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Myth of \u201cRevenue or Bust\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s address the elephant in the room. Badminton doesn\u2019t make money. Neither do 43% of NCAA football programs, but they\u2019re still funded. Why? Tradition? Alumni nostalgia? Meanwhile, Gen Z is out here making badminton TikTok edits with millions of views. Proof that interest exists. And the reason for colleges to look ahead, not just behind.<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t get me started on the \u201clife sport\u201d argument. Colleges love touting \u201cactive lifestyles,\u201d yet ignore a game people will play into their 80s. My knees will give out from badminton around the same time a football player\u2019s brain starts forgetting their kids\u2019 names.<\/p>\n
A Path Forward (that Doesn\u2019t Require a Stadium)\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not asking for a $10 million arena, but communities and colleges can start small. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n
First, sanction badminton: Make badminton an NCAA sport so tournaments matter and allow people to be recruited, the same way track and field athletes or basketball players are followed.<\/p>\n
Next, credit the sport. Let PE classes count toward credits if students compete.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, expand the game. Why stop at Badminton? It isn\u2019t the only under-represented sport in the US. The NCAA organization needs to start doing more research and include sports like table tennis as well.<\/p>\n
Badminton is more than a hobby\u2014it\u2019s a test of discipline, a cultural anchor, and a sport colleges refuse to take seriously. My early morning practices and hour-long commutes to training aren\u2019t just \u201cdedication\u201d, they\u2019re proof that admissions committees see our passion as trivial. Colleges plaster \u201cCelebrate AAPI Heritage\u201d on brochures while sidelining a sport central to Asian communities. <\/p>\n
If universities truly value grit, they\u2019d start recognizing the dedication behind underrated sports like badminton. Sanction it. Credit it. Until then, their promises of \u201cdiversity\u201d are just empty words.<\/p>\n
An 11th-grader at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Aiden Tsang intends to pursue a career in the medical field.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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