My sense these days is that Asian American students and their parents know the deal with athletics and the general “roundedness” needed for college applications, as Grace stated. For kids applying to selective high schools, they will even join middle school teams to make their applications look better. I remember talking to a fellow middle school volleyball coach who was rather disgusted with the number of students (mostly Asian Americans) who joined his volleyball team in the 8th grade in order to look better on their high school applications. Life can be rather competitive here in Silicon Valley.

At high schools with highly competitive sports programs, I see a lot of the Asian Americans kids gravitating toward no cut sports like cross country, swimming, and track, where size and height are less of a factor. In volleyball, the Asian American kids will often be liberos/defensive specialists, where being quick and low to the ground are an advantage. I see more and more Asian American parents starting their kids earlier in sports so that they would do better, presumably to better their chances into getting into better schools, both high school and college.

The American system for youth sports is highly flawed. John, you mentioned getting habits of daily exercise from organized youth sports, but for the vast majority of young people, that doesn’t happen. By the time kids go to high school, most youths drop out. High school sports often end up with a small number of athletes playing who are watched and worshipped by much larger numbers of kids who don’t do anything exercise-wise (note that PE requirements are often the first thing cut when it comes to do budget trimming). I like one statement about football I heard – 22 people desperately in need of rest watched by 22000 desperately in need of exercise! This is a bad thing given the general health problems of Americans, particularly in regards to obesity.

I could go on and on about the problems with youth sports and how I see Asian Americans playing in that space (pun intended), but that is a subject for another day.

My sense these days is that Asian American students and their parents know the deal with athletics and the general “roundedness” needed for college applications, as Grace stated. For kids applying to selective high schools, they will even join middle school teams to make their applications look better. I remember talking to a fellow middle school volleyball coach who was rather disgusted with the number of students (mostly Asian Americans) who joined his volleyball team in the 8th grade in order to look better on their high school applications. Life can be rather competitive here in Silicon Valley.

At high schools with highly competitive sports programs, I see a lot of the Asian Americans kids gravitating toward no cut sports like cross country, swimming, and track, where size and height are less of a factor. In volleyball, the Asian American kids will often be liberos/defensive specialists, where being quick and low to the ground are an advantage. I see more and more Asian American parents starting their kids earlier in sports so that they would do better, presumably to better their chances into getting into better schools, both high school and college.

The American system for youth sports is highly flawed. John, you mentioned getting habits of daily exercise from organized youth sports, but for the vast majority of young people, that doesn’t happen. By the time kids go to high school, most youths drop out. High school sports often end up with a small number of athletes playing who are watched and worshipped by much larger numbers of kids who don’t do anything exercise-wise (note that PE requirements are often the first thing cut when it comes to do budget trimming). I like one statement about football I heard – 22 people desperately in need of rest watched by 22000 desperately in need of exercise! This is a bad thing given the general health problems of Americans, particularly in regards to obesity.

I could go on and on about the problems with youth sports and how I see Asian Americans playing in that space (pun intended), but that is a subject for another day.

My brother I think did cross country and field & track when I was off in college I believe, but I think he did it instead of my parents pushing him.

My brother I think did cross country and field & track when I was off in college I believe, but I think he did it instead of my parents pushing him.