With three Individual Singles City Championship titles under his belt, it is safe to say that senior Andy Ng has made the most of his high school badminton career. However, Andy’s love for badminton began at an early age. 

Andy’s journey in badminton began at age 8 when he would watch his father play at the local recreation center. After watching his father play every Saturday, he became enamored with the sport and began playing himself. However, he became inspired to take the sport more seriously after “[watching] the 2012 Olympics on the television at my training center.” Andy remembers, “The players from all over the country were just so strong, fast and fierce that they made the badminton that I knew look silly.” 

With badminton and academics playing such a big role in his life, Andy had to learn how to balance the two. Any student-athlete would understand the struggle of having to balance practices, games, and studying. For Andy, it was no different. According to Andy, “Having to balance school and practice took a toll on me at first… To avoid any issues, I had to make sure to get most of it done before practice so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it during or after my practice.” When the stress grew to be too much, Andy found himself looking for ways to remotivate himself. “When things got difficult, I usually watched videos on my past career and on professional players to remind myself what my true intention of playing badminton was,” he said. 

Naturally, Andy attributes his success to the person who first introduced him to the sport: his father. Andy’s father introduced him to badminton and continued to share a passion for the sport, so much so, that “he actually opened a badminton gym of his own to allow me to train more seriously than ever,” shared Andy. 

Andy hopes to continue his involvement in this sport, and although academics are a “top priority,” he “plans to represent the USA and play at the Olympics.” Reflecting on the past few years, Andy shared some of his favorite memories in badminton. “My most favorite memory is when I came in 3rd for a national tournament earlier this year. It is a special moment for me because I believe that that was the tournament I played my best in,” said Andy. With his time with the Hawks, Andy couldn’t pick a specific moment and recounted the 2019 season as his overall favorite memory. Andy said, “That season was the only one that felt “complete” …  it was my only season where I got to lead and play with a team that contained more than 10 members…”

To his teammates, Andy says, “Good luck on your season next year! Remember to always support and encourage others like they are your family. I am very grateful to have ended my last season as a Hawk with the best team possible.”