The school’s athletics are a cornerstone of the school’s identity and culture; however, the school’s impressive programs would not be in place if it were not for the athletes. The student-athletes competing for the school represent both hard work and dedication to each sport, helping to elevate the school’s reputation against its rivals. However, as athletic standouts, some of the school’s best athletes continue to play their sports at the collegiate level every year, following a commitment.
Among this year’s standout committed athletes, senior Christian Keng committed to play Division 1 squash for the University of Virginia (UVA). Squash, an unpopular sport, is a “game played between two players on an enclosed court with four walls. Each player holds a racquet, which is used to strike a hollow rubber ball against a wall,” US Squash said. Keng’s journey began at the age of ten when he started playing tennis. However, the facility he played at offered squash courts, which led him to discover the sport, changing the course of his athletic journey.
“I started playing when I was about ten years old,” Keng said. “I started playing at my local YMCA tennis club. I used to play tennis before I started playing squash, and the facility that I played tennis at had some squash [courts] in it. So eventually, one day, my dad, my sister and I bought some squash racquets and decided to start playing. Ever since we started playing, we [have] kept playing more consistently.”
Keng began to take the sport seriously, and his initial interest in squash was now a full-time commitment. Keng not only practiced but also started competing in local tournaments, and now competes in national ones.
“My most memorable [moment in my squash journey] is probably winning and competing [in] tournaments. I love playing at tournaments and competing against the other kids my age,” Keng said.
Every athlete has some level of support in their lives; Keng, too, has gained immense support and help from his coaches. Throughout his squash journey, all of Keng’s coaches have provided him with the fundamentals to excel.
“My coaches are the most influential for me, because they [gave] me all the tips. I see them all day, and [because of this, they] help plan out my whole schedule. They helped me grow into the type of player that I am today,” Keng said.
For Keng, UVA was not his only option when it came to offers. Choosing a college is never an easy decision; however, when it came to UVA, the cost, due to in-state tuition, as well as the highly regarded squash team, made UVA the number one option.
“I chose UVA mainly because of the in-state tuition,” Keng said. “All the other schools that I [was] looking at were out of state, and the tuition was double the price of UVA. But another reason why I chose UVA is I just really liked the school, the culture and the squash facility they have. UVA’s [facility] is much nicer than all the other schools I was looking at, and their team is also pretty high-ranked. But, [all in all] the main reason was probably for the in-state tuition, and also a bunch of my friends are probably going to go to UVA also; so I will know a couple [of] people going into the school.’
Being a committed athlete requires extreme dedication and commitment to outdo those competing against you for a spot on a team. Because of this, after-school activities can be overwhelming, with both school and sports. Keng believes that, regardless of the circumstances, , it is best to prioritize school over all athletics, and effective time management is key to succeeding as a collegiate athlete.
“For me, I think the most important thing is time management,” Keng said. “I feel like I manage my time really well; I always try to complete all my school work in school, so I do not really have much homework outside of school, so I have time for training and getting off-court conditioning.”
Looking ahead to his fall squash season following the summer of 2026, Keng has set some high goals as he heads to UVA to make his mark.
“My goal for UVA, since UVA is a really strong squash team, is to try and start playing on their starting roster, which is the top nine players there,” Keng said. “So I think if I can start in the top nine, that’d be pretty solid for me.”
