Xu Hehao: Ice hockey is my way to connect with the world

For Xu Hehao, ice hockey is more than just a sport; it is a bridge connecting him to people. Now a faculty member at Tsinghua University Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Xu is determined to bring Tsinghua closer to the world through ice hockey.

Xu HeHao (first row, third on the left) coaching Tsinghua students(schwarzman scholars) at the National Indoor Statium(Beijing 2022 Ice Hockey venue)

The bridge of ice hockey

The connection to ice hockey for Xu began at the age of six, when he and his family discovered the sport in a Beijing mall where children were practicing ice hockey. Since then, the ice rink become part of his life. Before he graduate from high school, Xu was selected to play for China National U-18 team and was awarded National Athlete by his performance.  

“Ice hockey has been a huge part of my family, bounding us together,” said Xu. “My parents would drive me to practice regularly. The whole family was involved.”

When Xu went to pursue his undergraduate studies at Bates College in the US, ice hockey, which he referred to as “a universal language,” again helped him connect to the new cultures and people there. 

As ice hockey forged connections, Xu was resolute about bringing his teammates to his hometown through the same bridge. This determination prompted him to initiate the 2019 Beijing International Collegiate Ice Hockey Tournament and invited 8 different college hockey team from all of the world.

“My friends were curious about China, but their knowledge was limited at that time,” Xu said. “I wanted to bring them to China, and let them see the country through their eyes, instead of just hearing about it.”

The tournament, unfolded successfully, marking Xu’s first step to international collaborations through sports.

The integration of sports and education

Embarking on a new chapter of his life, Xu choose to become a teaching faculty at Division of Sports Science and Physicial Education, Tsinghua University. His decision to pursue education career was influenced by wisdom from Stephen Schwarzman, the founder of Tsinghua’s Schwarzman College where he received his master’s degree.

“He told us to do things you are good at and always pick the more influential path to be a leader when you have the choice,” said Xu.

Xu during one of the ice hockey classes on Tsinghua’s newly opened ice rink

In the realm of Xu’s priorities, sports hold significance, but he places even greater faith in the transformative power of education to promote sports. As universities like Tsinghua take the lead in emphasizing on sports, Xu envisions a positive flourishing of the sports industry in China, with a new generation of student-athletes excelling in both sports and academics.

Reflecting on Tsinghua’s slogan “No Sports, No Tsinghua”, Xu sees it as “one of the best slogans” as it positions sports as one of the university’s core value.

“College students face a lot of pressure. It’s important for the university to remind them that physical activities are what makes them more resilient to achieve both academic success and life goals,” Xu said.

Strengthening the ice hockey tie

As a teacher, Xu makes consistently endeavors to deepen international cooperation through sports at the grassroots level. Within his classes, he fosters communication between native and international students through various activities, underscoring the significance of cross-cultural communication.

At the department and university levels, Xu also sees that enhancing international collaboration stands as a primary goal in the coming years.

“We welcome more international tournaments and the reconnecting to schools from other countries as we had before,” said the ice hockey teacher.

For himself, he has three clear goals: to become a teacher with inspiration and draw more students to ice hockey, to cultivate a new generation of Tsinghua students passionate about the sport, to establish and lead a competitive hockey team in international tournaments, promoting Tsinghua and Chinese culture worldwide.

“We all adhere to the same set of rules when playing sports, and that’s a universal language,” Xu noted, “International tournaments will offer great opportunities for cultural exchanges and understanding each other .”

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TsinghuaRen | Xu Hehao: Ice Hockey as a Universal Language to Connect with the World

Writer: Ha Linh

Editors: Liu Zhaoxi, Liu Shutian, Gillian Tang

Designer:Liu Zhengyu

Reviewers: Chen Ken, Lin Yuan

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