'Pairing assistance' ignites young students' passion for football at elementary school at foot of China's Dabie Mountains

Football has made students in an elementary school at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains in east China's Anhui Province happier and more confident, and a new football field built under China's "pairing assistance" program has further empowered young football enthusiasts in the school to pursue their dreams and run toward a brighter future.

Students play in a football match on a newly built synthetic football field at an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Cai Lei)

Situated in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, Anhui Province, the elementary school has 344 students, most of whom are left-behind children whose parents have left their hometown to work in more developed regions of the country for higher salaries.

Noticing that there was something missing in students' lives, Wang Rui, former headmaster of the school, felt it was imperative to lift their spirits and make them happier and more confident.

"Left-behind children often live with their grandparents. They are more vulnerable in terms of their physique, frustration tolerance, ability to handle pressure, and confidence, compared to children who are taken care of by their parents," Wang said.

Believing that sports can help children grow stronger and make them more independent and confident, Wang urged the physical education (PE) teacher of the school to set up a football team.

Photo taken in 2019 shows members of the football teams of an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province, posing for a group photo after winning both the girls' and boys' championships in a municipal-level football game for schools. (Photo courtesy of Wang Fuming, coach of the football teams)

"On my first day here, our headmaster asked me to set up a decent football team for children," recalled Wang Fuming, the PE teacher.

Wang Fuming has been teaching football skills to students since he came to the school in 2018. He also set up a boys' and a girls' football team in the same year.

To boost students' interest in the sport. The school held football matches after the football teams were established. Students became players, referees, and scorekeepers in the matches, through which "the best goalscorer" and "the best goalkeeper" of the school were determined.

The football matches instantly ignited students' enthusiasm for football, bringing about a lively atmosphere for the sport and positive changes to students. At the same time, the school was recognized as a school featuring football education by China's Ministry of Education.

Students play football on a playground with a surface made of dirt and gravel in an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Cai Lei)

Since their establishment, the school’s football teams have won several honors at both county and municipal-level football games. In 2019, they won both the girls' and boys' football championship in a municipal-level school tournament. Last month, the boys' team became champions and girls' team came second in a football league for schools in Qianshan city.

The achievements didn't come easily. The team starts its morning exercise at 6 a.m. under the guidance of Wang Fuming. The training lasts 90 minutes a day, during which students practice basic skills, improve their stamina, and learn tactics. Although they are often soaked in sweat after the training, no one complains or drops out.

"The boys' team and the girls' team train every other morning. Regardless of the weather, no one was late or wanted to stay in bed," said the 28-year-old PE teacher, who is gratified and excited by the students' passion for the sport, while at the same time sympathizing with them for all the difficulties they have had to overcome for the training.

Members of a girls' football team play on a playground with a surface made of dirt and gravel in an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of Wang Fuming, coach of the football team)

In fact, Wang Fuming was surprised when the former headmaster Wang Rui asked him to establish a football team for the school, as it didn't seem like something the school's conditions would allow back then.

When Wang Fuming first came to the school, it didn't have a synthetic football field. Students had to play on a potholed playground with a dirt and gravel surface. They were often covered with dirt in fine weather and got muddy feet on rainy days, according to the teacher.

"I was worried about them getting hurt during training, so I didn't dare to let them practice some moves on the earth ground," said Wang Fuming, who felt bad whenever one of the students fell on the playground.

He has now come up with some ideas to prevent students from getting hurt during training, including having them catch shuttlecocks with their hands to improve their reaction speed and laying thick mats on both sides of the goal. But these methods didn’t solve the fundamental problem.

Members of a girls' football team practice their skills on a new football field in an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of Wang Fuming, coach of the football team)

The former headmaster Wang Rui had intended to build a synthetic football field for the school, but there was no way it could afford the cost, which was estimated to be more than 1 million yuan ($140,460).

At the end of 2019, CZBank's branch in Hefei, Anhui Province, paired up with the elementary school under China's "pairing assistance" program to provide targeted assistance and support for the school's development.

With the financial support of the bank and the education bureau of Qianshan city, the school finally saw the construction of its new synthetic football field kick off.

When construction was completed in 2020, young football enthusiasts were overjoyed at the great news. "Now I'll not feel any pain when I fall on the field," shouted Chu Xinyi, a member of the school's girls' football team.

Members of a girls' football team train on a new football field in an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of Wang Fuming, coach of the football team)

It was on this new football field that Chu saw her football skills improve significantly. She gradually became the top player of the girls' football team, and was selected for the top lineup of Anhui Province thanks to the outstanding overall abilities she showed during a national summer camp for youth football in 2021.

Chu Chenglin, the current headmaster of the elementary school, has witnessed how football has changed students in the school.

"Football has made the children energetic and high-spirited. Many members of our football teams perform special duties in their classes. They set examples for the other students and are more active in class. They look more confident and happier than before," said Chu.

Photo shows a new football field in an elementary school in Chashui village, Chashui township, Qianshan city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Cai Lei)

"The 'pairing assistance' has changed our school in an all-round manner. We have enjoyed significant improvements in our environment and teaching quality," said the headmaster, noting that the school's infrastructure, living environment, teaching staff, and other aspects, have all been improved.

"I hope we can work together to carry forward our football education, so that more children will be able to show their potential on the football field," Chu said.