Freshman Vishnu Sankaran swings his racket. Smack. A birdie curves through the air, dropping dully onto the ground. But he doesn’t give up. Practice makes progress. For Sankaran, that is the statement most true to his pursuits. Not just in badminton games, but also in countless other sports, activities or even in daily life.
With this motto in mind, when Sankaran readies his racket again, he is determined. Smack. This time, the birdie spears through the air, straight and swift. He smiles proudly.
Sankaran has been playing badminton for six years, first as a casual hobby. He started out inexperienced and faced repeated losses, but with practice, he refined his technique. Now, he plays at the Cupertino Sports Center two days a week.
“The first few lessons didn’t go well,” Sankaran said. “I kept on practicing. Then, when I got better, the coach said, ‘You’re ready to move on to the advanced level class.’”
Apart from badminton, Sankaran has also done bowling since second grade. Just like in badminton, Sankaran persevered, innovating solutions when he faced setbacks. Every strike and every spare served as evidence of his progress from a time when bowling was a mere childhood pastime. Now he sets his sights even further, hoping to join a bowling league and become a professional bowler.
“I’ve always gotten a strike on the very first shot the past few times I’ve been bowling,” Sankaran said, “This builds up my confidence so I play well the entire time. Don’t ever quit. Just keep trying. Practice, practice, practice makes progress.”
Badminton and bowling — these activities have introduced Sankaran into a new realm of possibility, opening him up to trying activities that might have been previously unthinkable. To him, it means that no matter what challenges are thrown at him, he can always work hard to overcome them. When he succeeds, any achievement is a reward.
Sankaran carried this can-do attitude into his first year of high school. Encouraged by his friends, he joined the Winter Rally dance team, despite dancing being a weak spot. Every morning, he woke up at 7 a.m. for practices, polishing movements until he was confident. Eventually, his reticence transformed into dedication.
“At first, I was nervous to go up on stage, and then I was like, ‘Hey, don’t be nervous, try your best,’” Sankaran said, “One of my friends also encouraged me. I did it and I felt pretty proud of myself.”
By sharing his varied achievements, Sankaran hopes everyone can become more receptive to new ideas and engage in a variety of activities. At the same time, they can invite others to join, continuing a positive cycle of acceptance. Inclusivity, after all, goes hand in hand with a diversity of experience.
“I try to look at things from other points of view, because everybody sees and thinks about the world differently,” Sankaran said. “In order to be inclusive, we should all have an open mind.”
