Badminton Fires Zhang's Passion
Posted by Administrator on May 06 2009
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Photo by Bingjie Zhao
In Zhang's opinion, badminton is a sport in which you need to concentrate and practice team work with your partner.

By Bingjie Zhao
Guest Writer

As a young boy, he wanted to go pro - at badminton that is. Now studying at UNK, he finds this sport still fires his passion.

Zhang began to practice badminton with a professional trainer at the age of six. At that time, he accepted very strict training and admired many famous badminton players.

He also had a big dream: one day he could be a superstar badminton player.

However, when he was 12 years old, this dream ended after a vacation when he ate too much food and became overweight while visiting his aunt. His coach told him he probably could be a good scholar, but not a badminton player.

Although Zhang now spends most of his time on the history and philosophy books, badminton is a part of his life. People often find him in the gym playing badminton; he has a regular practice schedule. No matter how busy he is, he finds time to practice as much as he can. And he is proud of himself since he won the UNK intramural championship of badminton in the fall 2008 semester.

"After I came to United States, this habit made my life mean more than before and helps me a lot."

His childhood experience makes him watch his weight carefully, and knowing eating American food causes weight gain, he found an answer in the game he loves: badminton is really good exercise.

Zhang said he loves to make friends, but his friends were from class. Then, badminton gave him a chance to know more people, including some professors and people not in class. "I have made more friends here, and they are from everywhere around the world. Before I thought this game only interested Asian people."

Students on the UNK campus who wanted to play badminton also joined a group in Grand Island, and this became a small event every week to spend time together getting some exercise and making new friends.

Now you find many people playing badminton on campus as well. Zhang thinks that is because of badminton is a good sport for people to build healthy bodies and a colorful life.

Right now, Zhang and his badminton-playing friends plan to found a badminton club at UNK, and he hopes even more people will join in.