May 16, 2022
Continuing a legacy of greatness | Brandon Tang, Varsity Blues Track & Field
The theme for Asian Heritage Month this year is "continuing a legacy of greatness", and inspired by this theme, Ontario University Athletics (OUA), in partnership with the Athletes for Change Alliance (ACA), is celebrating the legacies being created by our student-athletes of Asian descent.
Brandon Tang, a second-year year student-athlete from the Toronto Varsity Blues, who competes on the track and field team and studies computer science, shares his thoughts below.
Q1: As you continue to build a legacy of your own, what has your sport journey been like (i.e., how did you get started in your sport, what made you want to continue competing into the varsity level, do you have future sport aspirations beyond university, etc.)?
Like many other Canadians, I started out playing hockey at the age of 6. I loved the speed of the sport and continued playing hockey competitively for the next 12 years, taking me to different places and meeting all types of people. As I got older, it became increasingly apparent that few Asians played hockey, with most of my Asian friends stopping as we got older. I was different and that came at a cost. I often felt a sense of being an outsider, facing various struggles throughout my hockey career, including blatant discrimination.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was unable to continue playing hockey. Thus, I decided to tryout for the University of Toronto track and field team, where I was able to walk on. Having been away from team sports for over a year, the joy of making new friends and competing with them was something I missed so dearly. While I still found very few Asians lined up alongside me in short sprint races, diversity in track and field came from elsewhere. With so many events, I found joy in engaging and learning from all types of athletes. The diversity of team sports is truly what makes it so special, and track and field perfectly exemplifies that.
As I continue to play sports, I cherish each and every moment of being with such wonderful teammates and coaches, hoping to inspire others and show that our differences make sport special.
Q2: How has your Asian heritage helped shape who you are today?
My parents immigrated from China to Canada in their 20s with practically nothing. One of the most important things my parents have instilled in me alongside my Asian heritage is the concept of discipline. It takes discipline to excel in any field and such a skill has helped me balance athletics and academics, taking me to where I am today.
Q3: What does it mean to you, as a student-athlete, to contribute to this continued legacy of greatness within and beyond the Asian community?
To me, continuing such legacy means creating a healthy and fun environment for future generations of kids to compete and play sports. When I was younger, I never found myself looking up to an Asian athlete because there were truly so few, especially in hockey. With more kids inspired to play sports by role models, more and more will compete and push each other to become even greater than what we know of today. Sport provides so many benefits from health, social aspects, and beyond, hence everyone should have a chance to participate in a healthy and fun community.
Q4: What are some of the things you're seeing/contributing to, whether on your team, your campus, your community, etc., that are helping to build on this legacy?
Various resources and associations have been created to help support student-athletes to succeed. For instance, the UofT BIPOC varsity association has done an amazing job of spreading awareness of various social issues through campaigns, promoting a safe and healthy environment for all athletes to train and compete in.
Q5: What are some of the ways that others can contribute to this legacy and celebrate the achievements, accomplishments, and contributions of the Asian community?
While the educating others about Asians in sports and recognizing Asian athletes is important, the most engaging way to contribute to such legacy is to encourage participation and play sport!
Q6: What kind of legacy do you want to leave as a varsity student-athlete of Asian descent?
I want to inspire future generations of Asian athletes to embrace their differences and continue to break barriers in sport and beyond. Ultimately, diversity makes sport special, as we all compete and train toward the same goals.
Q7: What does Asian Heritage Month, and specific to this year, the theme of 'continuing a legacy of greatness' mean to you?
To me, the theme of continuing a legacy of greatness means to be a trailblazer, to take risks and not be afraid of being uncommon. So often we are immediately judged or brushed off because of our Asian heritage, so Asian Heritage Month should be about spreading awareness of such discrimination and embracing our cultures to overcome such barriers.
Q8: Do you have any message/advice for future potential student-athletes of Asian descent as they are moving along their own sport journey and building a legacy of their own?
My best advice for future Asian student-athletes and all athletes in general is to have short-term memory. Too often we dwell on past mistakes, on 'could haves' and 'would haves' that ruin our confidence and joy for sport. Even more so, we are afraid to be judged or reflect too much about what others think of us. It is important to free oneself from such a hurtful mentality and embrace this idea of short-term memory. Ask yourself, whether for that coach, player, friend, or stranger whose judgment you are so worried about, how often do they think of you? The answer is probably not so much. So do not let others slow down or discourage you from achieving your dreams.
Brandon Tang, a second-year year student-athlete from the Toronto Varsity Blues, who competes on the track and field team and studies computer science, shares his thoughts below.
Q1: As you continue to build a legacy of your own, what has your sport journey been like (i.e., how did you get started in your sport, what made you want to continue competing into the varsity level, do you have future sport aspirations beyond university, etc.)?
Like many other Canadians, I started out playing hockey at the age of 6. I loved the speed of the sport and continued playing hockey competitively for the next 12 years, taking me to different places and meeting all types of people. As I got older, it became increasingly apparent that few Asians played hockey, with most of my Asian friends stopping as we got older. I was different and that came at a cost. I often felt a sense of being an outsider, facing various struggles throughout my hockey career, including blatant discrimination.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was unable to continue playing hockey. Thus, I decided to tryout for the University of Toronto track and field team, where I was able to walk on. Having been away from team sports for over a year, the joy of making new friends and competing with them was something I missed so dearly. While I still found very few Asians lined up alongside me in short sprint races, diversity in track and field came from elsewhere. With so many events, I found joy in engaging and learning from all types of athletes. The diversity of team sports is truly what makes it so special, and track and field perfectly exemplifies that.
As I continue to play sports, I cherish each and every moment of being with such wonderful teammates and coaches, hoping to inspire others and show that our differences make sport special.
Q2: How has your Asian heritage helped shape who you are today?
My parents immigrated from China to Canada in their 20s with practically nothing. One of the most important things my parents have instilled in me alongside my Asian heritage is the concept of discipline. It takes discipline to excel in any field and such a skill has helped me balance athletics and academics, taking me to where I am today.
Q3: What does it mean to you, as a student-athlete, to contribute to this continued legacy of greatness within and beyond the Asian community?
To me, continuing such legacy means creating a healthy and fun environment for future generations of kids to compete and play sports. When I was younger, I never found myself looking up to an Asian athlete because there were truly so few, especially in hockey. With more kids inspired to play sports by role models, more and more will compete and push each other to become even greater than what we know of today. Sport provides so many benefits from health, social aspects, and beyond, hence everyone should have a chance to participate in a healthy and fun community.
Q4: What are some of the things you're seeing/contributing to, whether on your team, your campus, your community, etc., that are helping to build on this legacy?
Various resources and associations have been created to help support student-athletes to succeed. For instance, the UofT BIPOC varsity association has done an amazing job of spreading awareness of various social issues through campaigns, promoting a safe and healthy environment for all athletes to train and compete in.
Q5: What are some of the ways that others can contribute to this legacy and celebrate the achievements, accomplishments, and contributions of the Asian community?
While the educating others about Asians in sports and recognizing Asian athletes is important, the most engaging way to contribute to such legacy is to encourage participation and play sport!
Q6: What kind of legacy do you want to leave as a varsity student-athlete of Asian descent?
I want to inspire future generations of Asian athletes to embrace their differences and continue to break barriers in sport and beyond. Ultimately, diversity makes sport special, as we all compete and train toward the same goals.
Q7: What does Asian Heritage Month, and specific to this year, the theme of 'continuing a legacy of greatness' mean to you?
To me, the theme of continuing a legacy of greatness means to be a trailblazer, to take risks and not be afraid of being uncommon. So often we are immediately judged or brushed off because of our Asian heritage, so Asian Heritage Month should be about spreading awareness of such discrimination and embracing our cultures to overcome such barriers.
Q8: Do you have any message/advice for future potential student-athletes of Asian descent as they are moving along their own sport journey and building a legacy of their own?
My best advice for future Asian student-athletes and all athletes in general is to have short-term memory. Too often we dwell on past mistakes, on 'could haves' and 'would haves' that ruin our confidence and joy for sport. Even more so, we are afraid to be judged or reflect too much about what others think of us. It is important to free oneself from such a hurtful mentality and embrace this idea of short-term memory. Ask yourself, whether for that coach, player, friend, or stranger whose judgment you are so worried about, how often do they think of you? The answer is probably not so much. So do not let others slow down or discourage you from achieving your dreams.
