Badminton deserves more than a shrug from colleges

This article is one of the winning submissions from the New York Post Scholars Contest, presented by Command Education.

I’ve spent the past year waking up at 6 a.m. to practice badminton swings in my backyard before school. Throughout the days, I’ve blasted YouTube tutorials on footwork and begged friends to rally with me in the junior atrium outside the gym.

This was all done between homework assignments, meals, and sleep. Badminton meant everything to me—until my counselor circled the mention of the sport (I’d listed it as an interest on a survey) and wrote, “Maybe pivot to a more ‘serious’ extracurricular?” 

His words stung worse than any missed smash. Here’s 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.

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Badminton is a sport that is deeply woven into my culture, as it’s a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is widely considered traditional in China for recreational activity and family gatherings.

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.

The Rigid System that Fails Passion

I know about rigid systems. Last fall, I dropped American Lit not because I hated Walt Whitman’s poems, but because my teacher graded like a robot, confined to strict rubrics and his own interpretation of the text. Anything that didn’t 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.

For those in the know, badminton doesn’t need ESPN highlights. It’s long been in the world’s second-most popular participatory sport, with 220 million players globally. Yet in the U.S., it’s treated like a garage-sale Ping-Pong set—something to dust off for PE class, and when not needed, it’s put out near the mailbox with a sign “free”.

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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.

Many colleges claim in their brochures that they want “grit” and “dedication.” So why does my hustle—juggling 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—get filed under “hobby”?

The Cultural Brush-Off 

The impact of this mindset is huge. Walk into any badminton tournament in California, and you’ll 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.

My Chinese grandfather played in college…in 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’s not just hypocritical—it’s erasure. We’re told to celebrate our culture, but only in ways that provide good marketing for their brochures. It’s not surprising that my good friend and teammate quit last year. “What’s the point,” she asked me, “if colleges think our passion is a joke?”

The Myth of “Revenue or Bust” 

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Badminton doesn’t make money. Neither do 43% of NCAA football programs, but they’re 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.

And don’t get me started on the “life sport” argument. Colleges love touting “active lifestyles,” yet ignore a game people will play into their 80s. My knees will give out from badminton around the same time a football player’s brain starts forgetting their kids’ names.

A Path Forward (that Doesn’t Require a Stadium) 

I’m not asking for a $10 million arena, but communities and colleges can start small. Here’s how.

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.

Next, credit the sport. Let PE classes count toward credits if students compete. 

Finally, expand the game. Why stop at Badminton? It isn’t 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.

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Badminton is more than a hobby—it’s 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’t just “dedication”, they’re proof that admissions committees see our passion as trivial. Colleges plaster “Celebrate AAPI Heritage” on brochures while sidelining a sport central to Asian communities.

If universities truly value grit, they’d start recognizing the dedication behind underrated sports like badminton. Sanction it. Credit it. Until then, their promises of “diversity” are just empty words.

An 11th-grader at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Aiden Tsang intends to pursue a career in the medical field.