Taiwanese Educator with A Passion for Inclusion and Equality

Growing up, Yu-Hsien Tseng faced many challenges as a female athlete. Because of her muscular appearance and stature, she was often ridiculed by peers, teachers, fans, and reporters. For Yu-Hsien, these derogatory comments were demoralizing. Yu-Hsien believes athletes should be judged by their performance, not their appearance. In Yu-Hsien’s words, “Commentators would always judge me by my appearance. They think I am too big because I am bigger than the other girls. They always put me down. This is very harmful to young female athletes. Girls need to know that it’s not important what you look like; it’s important if you can perform well in your sport. Girls deserve to be strong and confident in who they are.”

Yu-Hsien’s experiences in sport led her to a master’s and Ph.D. in sport and gender, specifically studying gender stereotypes in sport. Now Yu-Hsien is a coach, researcher, professor, and coveted public speaker. She also serves as a board member for the Taiwan Gender Equity Education Association, where she leads discussions and training seminars on the relation between sports and gender equity. In her various roles, Yu-Hsien passionately instructs teachers, coaches, and students on the benefits of athletics for girls and the need to eliminate stereotypes. Yu-Hsien is uniquely positioned to empower females in the classroom, in the boardroom, and on the court through various coaching programs, speaking seminars, and university courses.

“My experiences in sport have made me a better teacher. And they made me more powerful as a person. They taught me not to fear being different, but to embrace my talents and uniqueness. I want to encourage girls to participate in sports to improve their confidence. And I want to create more opportunities for girls to pursue sports careers. Through this program, I would like to learn more about U.S. policies like Title IX. And I’m very interested in learning how to organize groups of people to promote women’s sports, like how to connect government with universities and NGOs to create a Women’s Sports Association.”

We believe a mentorship experience with the NCAA is an ideal fit. Under Delise at the NCAA, Yu-Hsien will have the opportunity to see the way sport is governed in the U.S., how it is structured within the educational system, and how legislation like Title IX has helped change gender imbalances in sport. With Karen’s expertise as the director of gender inclusion with oversight in media, Title IX, LGBTQ, and women’s professional development, all of Yu-Hsien’s passions and interests for women’s issues in sport will be met. We believe there is no better place than the NCAA for Yu-Hsien and are excited about this partnership.