“I think he has, single handedly, raised the entire bar of PSAL table tennis,” said John Tan, the longtime table tennis coach of Millennium High School. He was talking about his player, Senior Sean Chen.

And it's not much of an exaggeration. When it comes to table tennis, Chen is like a machine.

Chen first picked up a paddle after discovering a ping pong table buried under boxes in his parents’ basement. His journey with the sport has led him to an undefeated season, two PSAL finals, a New York State Championship title, and around the world with the U.S. National Youth Table Tennis Team.

“Every time I win something big, I’m proud of the training and the time I put into it," Chen said.

The Millennium High School senior spends hours a day practicing, both on his own time and with the team he has captained for the last three years.

“The teamwork helped me more than my own training, because it helped me develop a sense of empathy towards others, like how to help others when they’re struggling and how to celebrate their achievements,” commented Chen.

“The kids have a big adoration for him. They see what’s possible when they see someone of his caliber play,” said Tan.

He leads the effort to teach new skills to younger players, knowing he wouldn’t have made it this far without the support of his family and coaches.

This straight A student is also the founder of the Millennium High School Math Team, an idea that first came to him during the pandemic. The team now has more than 40 members.

Brandon Kline, a math teacher at Millennium High School who helps out with the team, said, “My initial reaction was, that this was really ambitious, to start something like this that didn’t exist at our school, but it didn’t really stop Sean at all. He kind of had this goal in mind and went with it.”

“I feel proud to be able to start a team at Millennium. I really learned that if I really enjoy something, that will be the key motivator. I really enjoy math and I really enjoy working with people as well. And I believe the math team really combines those two aspects," said Chen.

Chen’s passion to help others extends beyond the classroom. He spends time playing his favorite sport with those diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease through Ping Pong Parkinson. During school breaks, Chen also volunteers at table tennis clinics for kids. His mission is to put the sport in the spotlight.

“I want to foster a place of inclusivity, where everyone will have fun and enjoy,” said Chen.

Chen is now focusing his efforts on making the U.S. National Table Tennis Team, with the possibility of one day competing on the Olympic stage.