During the winter break, the Taiwan Baseball Development Association invited Chia-Yu Lin, who was selected last year for the Ministry of Education’s Youth Dream Fund Program and completed an internship with a marketing company affiliated with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League, to visit schools supported by the Association in Hualien.
During the visits, Chia-Yu shared her overseas internship experience with the students, as well as her personal journey from competitive athlete to entrepreneur, encouraging them to explore the many possibilities that sports can offer both on and off the field.
Born and raised in Guangfu Township, Hualien, Chia-Yu began playing table tennis at the age of nine. By sixth grade, she had earned a place on Taiwan’s junior national team, becoming the first female junior national table tennis player from Hualien. That same year, her outstanding achievements in both academics and athletics earned her the Presidential Education Award.
After leaving her hometown for junior high school, Chia-Yu continued to explore her path while balancing sports and academics. For university, she ventured beyond the field of athletics and studied Oral Hygiene at Taipei Medical University.
After graduation, however, she found her way back to table tennis. Together with friends, she co-founded a table tennis center, where she incorporated Indigenous languages into training sessions while continuing to promote Indigenous culture through sports.
In April this year, Chia-Yu took another major step in her journey, traveling to Türkiye to serve as the head table tennis coach of a local sports club. She became the first female head coach in the club’s century-long history.
This series of school visits brought Chia-Yu to Hwa-Ren Junior High School, Ping-He Junior High School, Guangfu Junior High School, and Tafalong Elementary School in Hualien.
In addition to sharing her journey as an athlete, she introduced students to her work during her internship with Japan’s professional baseball Pacific League and shared her experiences visiting professional baseball stadiums.
Through her stories, students were able to see that the world of professional sports extends far beyond the athletes on the field. Behind every game is an entire industry made up of people working in marketing, operations, event planning, and many other roles—each offering a different path for those who hope to build a future in sports.
Throughout the sessions, students eagerly asked questions and shared their own ideas. Drawing on her experience with overseas learning opportunities, Chia-Yu also guided them in creating their own “Dream Plans.”
Starting with identifying their personal strengths, the students were encouraged to think about what they wanted to learn and where they hoped to go in the future. Chia-Yu reminded them that pursuing a dream is not only about having the courage to imagine it and write it down, but also about learning how to communicate their ideas clearly.
The captain of the Hwa-Ren Junior High School baseball team shared:
“If I had the opportunity to visit the United States, I would like to learn different languages and understand the local style of baseball and training methods. Then I would bring what I learned back home so that my teammates and I could improve together.”
At Ping-He Junior High School in Shoufeng, students carefully took notes as they listened to Chia-Yu’s stories and explored the different sides of professional sports through photos and videos of baseball stadiums.
When Ferris wheels and various themed attractions appeared on screen, excited reactions filled the classroom. Beyond the excitement, the images also opened up new conversations about what a career in sports might look like and what the students could begin doing today to prepare for the future they envision.
At Tafalong Elementary School, Chia-Yu opened the session by greeting the students in the Amis language: “Nga’ay ho.”
At a school where Indigenous language education is deeply rooted in everyday learning, the children immediately responded with enthusiasm.
Chia-Yu then asked them a simple question:
“Do you enjoy being an athlete?”
Every hand in the classroom went up.
Some students said it was because “playing baseball is fun.” Others said athletes “can make a lot of money in the future.” One student laughed and said, “Because my older brother looks cool when he plays baseball.”
Their candid and heartfelt answers quickly filled the classroom with laughter and energy.
The final stop of the tour brought Chia-Yu back to her hometown at Guangfu Junior High School.
For the students, meeting someone who had grown up in the same community made her story feel especially close to home. They participated enthusiastically throughout the session and continued gathering around her with questions even after the class had ended. Some even promised to say hello again if they met at a future Harvest Festival.
At Guangfu, Chia-Yu once again guided the students step by step through their own “Dream Plans.” She encouraged them to stay curious about the opportunities and resources available to them:
“The first step is knowing that opportunities like these exist. When something interests you, you can start preparing for it. Keep trying, keep learning, and little by little, you will move closer to your goals.”
At the Taiwan Baseball Development Association, we believe that when children begin imagining their futures and find the courage to put their goals into words, their dreams have already begun to take root.
We will continue to walk alongside these young athletes as they grow, helping them broaden their horizons, discover new possibilities, and take meaningful steps toward the futures they envision.
