Jiayi Lin had no plans to join a sports team when she started high school.
“In sophomore year, one of my friends, who’s also on the team, they decided to try out, so I wanted to, like, give it a shot and I got in,” Lin said.
What You Need To Know
- Jiayi Lin had no interest in playing a sport in high school, but quickly fell in love with badminton
- Lin is the captain of both her badminton and table tennis teams
- She is going to Stony Brook University in the fall, with plans to major in biology
From little interest to captain, the Queens High School for Language Studies senior worked hard to become one of the top players on the badminton team.
“I think when I started, I was, like, very frustrated because I didn’t know how to hit a birdie before. Like, I never played badminton before. I’m, like, a really competitive person so I wanted to, like, get better at the sport. So each year I would spend my summer time here in the gym to practice every day and I think that’s what made me grow and become the captain,” Lin said.
Lin is also co-captain of the table tennis team, helping to lead the Lions to two division championship wins. Her coach says she’s a natural-born leader.
“She never quits, never gives up, and she’s always looking for ways to be better, and not just for herself, which is a coach’s dream, right? We always dream about having players who think of others without prompting, and that’s her," Jeffrey Ku, the girls’ varsity badminton and table tennis coach, said.
She’s just as impressive off the court, maintaining a 95 average while managing a full load of Advanced Placement courses.
Lin is also active in Key Club, organizing school fundraisers. She says balancing it all is helping her prepare for what’s ahead.
“I think it’s like preparing me for college, like to face like any challenges in college, so it’s like giving me a good idea of what I might be facing in college,” Lin said.
She is heading to Stony Brook University this fall, where she plans to major in biology. She says she hopes to find a new community in joining the badminton team.
“With badminton, I can continue to meet new people, not just in high school, but also in the future,” Lin said.