Written by Sabrina Chen

Sophomore Christopher Yang never thought he could meet 2005 men’s doubles world champion badminton player Howard Bach. This all changed when he started training at Bach’s badminton club, Synergy. Although Yang originally thought the world-class athlete would be intimidating and unapproachable, Bach turned out to be surprisingly friendly. “I thought he was a really chill guy and an easily approachable guy because he’s really kind around newcomers to his club and he’s also very friendly to people,” Yang said. “He’s really just overall welcoming, especially to beginners.”

As members of the same badminton club, Yang and Bach soon grew closer. Bach, a quarterfinalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics, taught Yang all aspects of the game. According to Yang, Bach was a major influence on his skills in badminton. In addition, Bach gave Yang advice on situations in daily life. “He has definitely improved my badminton game by a lot,” Yang said. “He’s also taught me a lot of mental game and strategy and given me lots of tips on handling pressure in life.” Yang is grateful to Bach for providing so much support and guidance. Yang sees Bach as a role model, not just as a talented athlete but also as a kind and driven person. “His dedication and hardwork to the game inspires me and also his accomplishments like winning a gold medal is definitely impressive,” Yang said. “He has inspired me to train harder and also smarter in order to accomplish my goals for my high school badminton career.”