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Many college freshmen might wonder why they are required to take Physical Fitness classes. Surely, when they think of other physical education classes, such as baseball or volleyball, which are packed with excitement, passion, and drama, or sports-fencing and martial arts, basic physical fitness training pales in comparison. However, Professor Yu-Hui Lien, the Director of the Department of Athletics, sees things differently. He offers that the Physical Fitness course requirement in fact creates a collective experience for students. “This is the best way for students to find a common topic to share with each other.”

Professor Lien is a former professional tennis player who represented the Chinese Taipei National Tennis Team at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. No one knows the importance of foundational training better than he does. He insists that the foundational training provided by the Physical Fitness classes is a necessary stepping stone for students to take up specific sports later. Still, it is no surprise that the students are eager to “be done with” the entry-level training course and “get on with” sampling the menu of superb sports courses at NTU.

There are 210 to 220 different physical education courses offered on campus each semester. To meet student demand, the University is hard-pressed to coordinate venues for each class as well as scout for instructors who are specialized in different types of sports. Such duties are shouldered by the Department of Athletics staff, who have many other responsibilities, such as scheduling on-campus sports competitions, arranging varsity practice sessions, and managing sports venues and equipment.

Creating Spaces that Build Positive Interpersonal Networks

A well-designed space breeds positive social interaction. Hence, the Department of Athletics aims to provide better stadiums and fields. As long as people feel safe and secure when they utilize these spaces, they will extend that sense of trust and confidence to the University as a whole. Recently, numerous sports facilities have been renovated, such as upgraded tennis courts and running tracks. Generous alumni donations are the catalyst driving these upgrades. At the same time, the Department of Athletics draws inspiration from campus planning at other universities around the world. They envision providing every student and faculty member with a more comfortable sports environment on campus. Excellent quality venues are crucial to the peak performance of varsity athletes, beckoning them to showcase their peak performances without holding back.

Nurturing and Developing Wide-Ranging Talents

NTU’s varsity teams are composed of students from a wide range of academic disciplines, whose home departments are scattered across the vast campus. It is indisputable that these students are intellectually outstanding when they join the sports teams. Additionally, however, by receiving sports training and practice, they cultivate perseverance, self-discipline, respect, and good sportsmanship, which are laudable qualities of accomplished athletes. By developing these traits and participating in competitive team sports, young athletes acquire unique advantages, which benefit them along their career paths.

Professor Lien believes that the diversity of sports talents nurtured and developed by NTU will become boosters for the national sports community. An exemplary model is Wan-Ching Cho, a graduate of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and a former member of the varsity basketball team, who later became a senior manager of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Her success demonstrates the career potential and prospects for athletic talents in society and shows ways to make significant contributions to the field of sports.

Professor Lien sees tremendous potential in the sports industry today. He hopes that students will regard sports not just as a pastime or side hustle but rather as a profession worthy of their investments of brilliance, time, and energy. In response, the Department of Athletics plans to launch the Bachelor Program of International Sports Affairs to nurture talents for the professional sports industry. Through this program, NTU aspires to groom skilled professionals, increase the visibility of Taiwan in the international arena, and make tangible, positive impacts on the welfare of professional athletes.