Exploring Life & Business with Thomas Shek of TS Badminton Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Shek.

Hi Thomas, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I picked up a badminton racket at eight years old in Hong Kong, where I was born and raised. At 15, my family moved to the United States, and badminton disappeared from my life—not because I stopped loving the sport, but because it simply wasn’t as developed or accessible here yet. I didn’t know where to find the community I had grown up with, and being new to America I wanted to explore and experience different things.
Thirteen years later, almost by chance, I stumbled back into that community.
I returned through a completely different door—as a technical official and tournament organizer. I wasn’t just playing badminton again; I was seeing the sport from the other side of the court. That experience opened my eyes to how much growth badminton had in the U.S. while I was gone.
For people who grew up here, badminton is often thought of as a backyard recreational game. But internationally, it is a highly competitive, technical, Olympic sport with professional athletes, national teams, major tournaments, and a massive global following. I had grown up seeing that side of badminton, and when I came back to the sport in the U.S. after taking a break, I wanted to support the trajectory and potential I saw.
My next chapter took me to Orlando, where I was given the opportunity to teach alongside the head coach of a badminton center. That’s where I really developed as a coach. More importantly, I started thinking about what I wished I had when I first came to the U.S. as a junior player- better structure, mentorship, safety, a clear pathway for athletic development, and most importantly, a community.
When I eventually moved to Atlanta, I decided to build that.
Founding TS Badminton Academy was a huge leap of faith. I wasn’t just starting a business; I am trying to create the kind of environment I had been missing when I was 15—a place where players could learn the sport properly, find community, and see how far they can go in badminton.
This year, we opened our Norcross Training Center, the first facility primarily dedicated to the academy, a first of its kind around here – which made my vision feel very real.
Looking back, my journey has come full circle. I left badminton because I couldn’t find the community I had known growing up. I came back by chance, discovered a new side of the sport, became a coach, and eventually built the community I once wished existed.
And now, I’m making sure the next 15-year-old doesn’t have to lose the sport just because they can’t find where they belong.
I didn’t find my way back to badminton. Badminton found its way back to me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
TS Badminton Academy started five years ago with a simple idea: build a place where people can become better players—and better versions of themselves.
Of course, we teach badminton. But especially with our junior program, we see the sport as a way to develop discipline, resilience, accountability, confidence, and sportsmanship. Badminton teaches you to reset, figure things out, and try, try, try again—and those lessons go far beyond the court.
We also don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Every player is different, so our coaching has to be, too. Some players need to be pushed, others need more confidence, and some need to slow down and build their fundamentals. Our job is to understand the player and help them reach their potential.
This year, we took another big step with the opening of our Norcross Training Center. It allows us to offer more structured training and competition, while also opening our doors for recreational play, court rentals, and bringing the broader Atlanta badminton community together.
And that may be what I’m most proud of.
TS Badminton has grown from an academy into a home for badminton.
You can come here to learn, train, compete, or simply have fun—whether you’ve been playing for decades, are coming back to it after a long time, or have never picked up a racket before. We want the player who swings and misses just as much as the player who’s chasing their next tournament title. There’s a place for both and everyone in between.
So if you’ve never played badminton, come try it. Bring a friend or come alone, pick up a racket, or borrow one of ours, and see what happens. You don’t have to know anything about the sport to belong here.
We’re serious about the sport, and especially welcoming to everyone who wants to discover it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
TS Badminton Academy started five years ago with a simple idea: build a place where people can become better players—and better versions of themselves.
Of course, we teach badminton. But especially with our junior program, we see the sport as a way to develop discipline, resilience, accountability, confidence, and sportsmanship. Badminton teaches you to reset, figure things out, and try, try, try again—and those lessons go far beyond the court.
We also don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Every player is different, so our coaching has to be, too. Some players need to be pushed, others need more confidence, and some need to slow down and build their fundamentals. Our job is to understand the player and help them reach their potential.
This year, we took another big step with the opening of our Norcross Training Center. It allows us to offer more structured training and competition, while also opening our doors for recreational play, court rentals, and bringing the broader Atlanta badminton community together.
And that may be what I’m most proud of.
TS Badminton has grown from an academy into a home for badminton.
You can come here to learn, train, compete, or simply have fun—whether you’ve been playing for decades, are coming back to it after a long time, or have never picked up a racket before. We want the player who swings and misses just as much as the player who’s chasing their next tournament title. There’s a place for both and everyone in between.
So if you’ve never played badminton, come try it. Bring a friend or come alone, pick up a racket, or borrow one of ours, and see what happens. You don’t have to know anything about the sport to belong here.
We’re serious about the sport, and especially welcoming to everyone who wants to discover it.

What’s next?
For me, the future is less about getting bigger for the sake of getting bigger. It’s more about building and scaling something that lasts.
With the Norcross Training Center, we now have a home where we can bring more of the badminton community together. We want to continue growing our junior and competitive programs, while creating more opportunities for public play, tournaments, and community events. I want my center to be a place where a beginner can walk in and feel at home, a competitive player can find their next challenge, and longtime players can keep coming back to the sport they love.
Ultimately, I want badminton to bring people through the doors, and the community here to give them a reason to keep coming back.
Giving back is a big part of that vision. Whether it’s through the Georgia Games, supporting local nonprofits, or creating opportunities for young players, I want TS Badminton to contribute to the community around us—not just the people who walk into our facility. If we want badminton to grow, we all have a role in creating more places, pathways, and opportunities for people to participate.
And then there’s LA28. Having the Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to Los Angeles is a rare moment for badminton in the United States. I’m honored to serve on a LA28 committee working with technical officials as we prepare for the Games. It’s a role that means a lot to me because it brings together so many parts of my journey in badminton—playing, officiating, coaching, organizing, and developing people behind the scenes.
After everything badminton has given me, having the opportunity to help prepare for its Olympic moment in the U.S. feels incredibly special.
Badminton has given me friendships, opportunities, a career, and a community I never expected to find again after leaving Hong Kong. To now have the opportunity to help shape what comes next for the sport feels like coming full circle.
Badminton found its way back to me. Now I hope to help make sure it finds its way to many more people.

Pricing:

• Play Session $5-10/person/session
• court rental $25-43/court/hr
• coaching from $30/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tsbadminton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsbadmintonacademy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tsbadmintonacademy/