Whether dominating the courts or excelling in school, Justin Yang conquers every obstacle with the same determination he displays in his stellar tennis matches. Yang is the quintessence of a well-rounded student-athlete who proves that it is possible to carry the responsibility of being the captain of the tennis team while maintaining his academics. Having made the DBHS’ Varsity tennis team as a freshman, he continues to show outstanding performance as a Brahma senior.
Ironically, Yang was not as passionate about tennis when he first started playing. He began taking lessons in sixth grade at his parents’ urging rather than his own desire as he preferred to play basketball. However, in the course of seven years, the arduous practices paid off as Yang can now confidently affirm his love for the sport, especially when he performs well against competitive opponents. “My favorite part of playing tennis is just whacking the ball as hard as I can and watching it go in,” Yang stated.
Yang is part of the DB boys’ tennis team that previously won the league champion title and has maintained a close to undefeated record. He confesses to the burden of leading such an exceptional team. “I constantly have to present myself as a good role model to my team while presenting proper leadership. I was also able to learn a lot from previous graduates who helped me improve my game and build me as a person,” Yang shared.
In prior years, Yang had a difficult time balancing his hectic schedule. “I had it easy in freshman year and thought it would be the same in sophomore year, but it was difficult to manage my time with studying and playing sports. It was hard maintaining a good GPA when I took tennis even more seriously,” Yang revealed. “Fortunately, I was able to learn to manage my time with tennis and studying and get back on track.”
Most of his afterschool activities during his sophomore and junior year comprised of playing tennis and finishing homework. “On weekends I would go out, but on the weekdays it would be non-stop tennis,” Yang attested. But now in his second semester as a senior, Yang enjoys a much more relaxed life, anticipating his graduation and the start of a new chapter in his life.
In addition to his tennis schedule, Yang also volunteers at the Evergreen Senior Center where he helps physically and mentally disabled senior citizens. He has been a part of the organization for four years and has taken a lot his experience there.
One of his greatest accomplishments in tennis was when the men’s tennis coach from New York University, Horace Choy, considered Yang as a potential player and offered him a spot on his team. Although he is contemplating whether or not he will take the offer, Yang is looking forward to playing collegiate tennis. As an outstanding and passionate athlete, there is no doubt that Yang will find his way to success. in whatever he chooses to do in the future.