Breaking stereotypes

In addition to discipline and time management, participation in on-campus sports also helps Chinese students break through cultural barriers and better blend in with their US-born peers.

When Cheng Chi arrived at Northwestern University in Chicago in 2014 to undertake a postgraduate program in integrative marketing communication, his opinion of overseas Chinese students was that they were academic pacesetters, but poor at socializing.

The former captain of the men's basketball team at Peking University was certain that his collegiate sports experience in China was a major advantage when he applied to study at Northwestern.

"School admission officers in the US will definitely pay more attention to students with sports specialties than to those without," said Cheng, who led PKU when the team won the Chinese University Basketball Association championship in 2014.

Moreover, his confident victories against US-born student athletes in one-on-one practice have also earned him the respect of his foreign peers off the court.

"If you just stay in your comfort zone and do nothing other than study, you will definitely end up isolated from all the social circles on campus. Sports are a great ice-breaker - they help you to make friends and embrace your new life," he said.

Cong Peien, a Beijing-born student in his junior year at the University of California, Berkeley, echoed Cheng's words, and stressed that the sports field is the fairest platform for beating prejudice.

"Playing sports, you have to communicate and work with others. That helps to melt the ice and bring people closer. As long as you work hard and contribute to the team, no one cares about where you are from; they show respect," said Cong, who plays for the university hockey team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

Jeff Slusarz, head coach of the Cal squad, said sports help the students bond, irrespective of race or nationality.

"If you don't put yourself out there to compete, the stereotypical image is not going to move forward. And if a student has the ability and skills to compete in sports, their teammates will quickly overlook everything else," he said.

Contact the writer at sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn