(English) What do kids think?

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With Kevin Xie and Michael Zhao
1. What sport do you participate in? How long have you done it?
Kevin Xie (KX): I participate in tennis (CHS) and have been playing the sport
for nine years since I was five years old.
Michael Zhao (MZ): I participate in swimming and I have been swimming for
more than three years.
2. How much commitment do you have to this sport?
KX: I am very committed to the sport of tennis, and hope to continue playing
it for the rest of my life. I usually play three times a week for about six
hours total. I also train and condition to get prepared for the tennis season.
MZ: I have put a ton of commitment into swimming; during winter break swimmers
more or less had to swim around 5 hours a day!
3. Do you think being Chinese-American has made participating
in sports any more difficult or any more motivational ? How so?
KX: Being Chinese-American has not made participating in tennis difficult,
but has pushed me to be better than others. This is because there are few Chinese-
American tennis players who are well known or very good, which makes
me want to become one of the first.
MZ: As a chinese american, participating in a sport has proven more motivational
than challenging because as you know, there are definite stereotypes regarding
the chinese ethnic background. However using this adversity as a fuel
to whatever sport you engage can really become a driving factor for excellence.
4. How does your sport participation impact your academic life? Do
you think it distracts you? Is it a supplement to your studies?
KX: Participation in the sport of tennis forces me to manage my time better
so that I can also manage my academic life. Tennis does not really distract
me from my work, though I often look forward to it. Tennis does supplement
my studies, since it gives me a break from mental studies and allows me to
focus on athletics.
MZ: Participating in swimming really benefits areas that also help in academics.
For example, since swimming takes up so much time, it kind of “force feeds”
one into using time wisely aka strict time management.
5. It is known that not many Chinese-Americans participate in
sports. Should this be different or do you feel the lack of participation
is understandable?
KX: I feel that too many Chinese-Americans are too focused on their grades,
though it is important or other things and believe that they do not have time too
add sports to their daily or weekly schedule. This is incorrect though, and Chinese-
Americans should strive to incorporate athletics into their life, since it is
fun and can be easily managed. Yet I can also understand the predicament that
many Chinese-Americans face since we often set very high goals and therefore
must study hard in order to achieve those goals.
MZ: Even though I know Chinese Americans don’t participate much in sports
for a variety of reasons (academics, classes, other things), I believe that more participation
is needed because being in a sport teaches a whole new set of rules not
learned in any classroom: the values of team work, diligence, and perserverance.
These traits will be invaluable tools in your path of life.
Conclusion
KX: I believe that all Chinese-Americans should try to incorporate some type athletic
activity into their life, whether it is tennis, swimming, or some other sport.
MZ: Confucius once said The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to
reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal
excellence. And with some of these keys, I believe that one could