From: ajh@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Alan Hu)
Subject: Re: AA & sports
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 02:49:24 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.135116.20389@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> lam@popeye.comm.mot.com (Dan Lam) writes:
>In article <1993Jan8.030449.23014@mcshub.dcss.mcmaster.ca> yu@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Frank F. Yu) writes:
>>So far there are few asian Americans making a living out of major 
>>professional sports. It's understandable in football and basketball,
>>for they require strength and height.
> 
>Well some AAs do have the height and strenght.  An AA friend of my used
>to play H. S. football (some affluent Chicago burb).  However he had to
>quit during his sr. year due to some parental presure.  I can understand
>how he parents feel cos as a fb player he could be quite injury prone.

A Taiwanese-American friend of mine played football in high school
until his parents made him stop.  They thought it was too violent
and dangerous.  He managed to convince them to let him play rugby,
instead, since they didn't know what rugby was.  :-)

>>
>>And there are so many AA I know who like to play tennis. Is this
>>because of Michael Chang? If it is, I think asian Americans are in
>>serious need of some sports heroes of their own.

A lot of us were playing long before Michael Chang ever got famous.
I remember seeing tournament results back when he was playing in the
12&under division.  Personally, I'd guess that since many Asian Americans
live in California and New York, and these are both major tennis areas,
you see lots of Asian Americans playing tennis.

>
>I noticed that a lot of AA parents dont encourage their kids to
>excellll in sprot as much as they do encourage them to do well in music.
>I don't mean to generalize anything thing here, just my observations.
>I always wonder in those west coast schools w/ large AA pop., are there
>many AAs playing college sports?  (you folks fr. Cal, please comment).

Here at Stanford, I'd say they're not at the same percentage (25%) as
in the undergrad population.

>
>Michael Chang is great.  There is also "the Satos" in the national
>volleyball teams (Eric and Leanne Sato) and another JA in the women
>team.  She played in the last Olympics but I forgot her name (Hey Peter
>you can help me out).  These AAs could be good role models for those kids
>who
>like volleyball. 
>
>The Olympic victories and the AA presence inspired
>me to pick up volleyball back in 1984.  I have met many wonderful people
>playing volleyball.  However there seems to be a lack of AA participation
>in this sport (at least in the Chicago area).

WHAT???????  ARE YOU CRAZY???  :-)
						Is this because of the
>recall reading one article here where some Standford AAFs commented
>about not wanting to date AAMs who do problem sets, play volleyball, and
>listen to Erasure ...).

Not quite right.  The comment was that the stereotype was that all
AAMs did all day was do problem sets, play vball, and listen to Erasure.

>I am surprised to hear such a comment especially from Standford AAFs.
>Because Standford has a very good volleyball program (UCLA also).  Those
>Standford AAF (the ones making comment) must be out of touch ....
>Most Vball players have to work hard (ie many hours at the gyms) to stay
>fit to be competitive players.  AAs have to train harder due to height
>(average) disadvantage.  So AA Volleyball players are certainly not wimps.
>(check out those prof. beach players, oh I forgot to mention Lucy Han,
>she is a 5-2 AA and a great defensive player)
>
>So what sports/activities do you AAs out htere play/participate?

Vball is big out here.  Substitute "Hawaii" for "New York" and "volleyball"
for "tennis" in my earlier comment.

Personally, I'm still pretty serious about any sport involving hitting
things over nets (tennis, badminton, table tennis, volleyball).  There
seems to be a big AA representation in all of those.  Back in high school
I used to bike a lot, too, and run a bit.  Seems like there were a lot
of Asian Americans doing that, too.  Last few years, I've been doing
a fair amount of dance (mainly ballroom (lots of AAs), but a bit of
modern (some AAs), jazz (some AAs), and ballet (lots of AAs), too).
Lately, I've gotten back into doing T'ai Chi with some seriousness.
(Some AAs).

Funny, seems like there's an awful lot of athletic Asian Americans out
there...
						--Alan Hu

>
>Dan
>
>ps:  thanks for reading.  finally get to talk about my favorite subject


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