May 14, 2008
Skillman, N.J. - Eddie Kang was named the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership Award winner for the NCAA Northeast Region, it was announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Kang will represent the region on the national ballot, which will be voted on within the next two weeks.
The ITA Arthur Ashe Award was established to honor a student-athlete that displays outstanding leadership and sportsmanship, both on and off the court, while also posting a successful NCAA tennis season.
"I can't think of any player more fitting than Eddie for this award," said head coach Jim Poling. "Eddie has been the leader of this team, on and off the court, and has been tremendous for our program and for the U.S. Military Academy. He's a great leader for this team and he's going to be a great leader for this country."
Kang, a senior from Glenview, Ill., has already amassed a list of postseason accomplishments that rivals any player in Army men's tennis history. Kang was honored with two of the three Patriot League Player of the Month awards during the season and closed the year with first team All-Patriot League plaudits. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player and was then honored as the Patriot League Men's Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year in recognition of his outstanding play on the court and his performance in the classroom.
Kang closed his career with 68 singles wins, establishing the all-time career wins record at Army, and 52 doubles wins. The 52 doubles wins rank eighth all-time at the academy and make Kang one of only two players in Army history with more than 60 singles wins and 50 doubles wins in a career.
For the season, Kang posted an 18-4 singles record, the third most wins in a single season in Army history. He was a perfect 7-0 against Patriot League opponents, running his career record to 23-4 against league opponents.
The Arthur Ashe honor looks beyond Kang's success on the tennis court and focuses on his accomplishments within the corps of cadets.
Kang is a member of the Chinese Club and the Korean American Relations Seminar at West Point. His passion for international relations has allowed him to partake in the annual Student Conference for U.S. Affairs, teach English to Chinese students in central China, study abroad for a semester in China and train at the Chinese Military Academy in Taiwan.
Last summer, Kang spent time as an intern platoon leader for the 362nd Signal Company at Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, Korea. He also spent a month in central China, teaching English to children. This year, he will be the officer in command of a group of cadets that will engage in the same teaching program. Kang will lead the group on a month-long stay in China, allowing the cadets a chance to gain experience through service in a foreign country.
In his four years at the academy, Kang has served as a team leader (2005), a squad leader (06-07), a platoon leader (07) and a respect officer (08) for his company, H-1. He also served as a company commander for Air Assault School during summer training (07).
Along with his responsibilities to the team and to the academy, Kang has volunteered for numerous community service events, including assisting with the Special Olympics and helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity. He also serves as a military representative on the board of directors for Yellow Umbrella, a child abuse prevention center.
Kang will graduate this May with a degree in East Asian Studies. Following his assignment in China this summer, he will return to West Point to serve as an Athletic Intern, where he will be charged with serving as an assistant coach for the men's tennis team. He will also teach a Chinese class during the fall semester in the Foreign Language department. Following his stay at West Point, he will embark on his military career where he plans to serve as a military intelligence officer.
