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"Pass It On" Parents Workshop

Develops the physical, mental and social capabilities of young people and fosters an attitude of excellence

Renowned footballers show Hong Kong parents how to become coaches

01/03/2018

The Pass It On Parents Workshop, organised by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in collaboration with the Hong Kong Football Association and Manchester United Football Club, was held on 28 January and 4 February at HKMA Li Kwok Po College.

The first two workshops were attended by 60 families with young footballers, all of whom enjoyed parent-child football fun during the two weekends. Parents also learned how to become football coaches and life coaches from guest instructors –including Hong Kong team player Jacky Leung and Hong Kong Football Association Specialist Conditioning Coach Mathew Pears – so that they could better help their children achieve their full potential.

The three workshops kicked off with a welcome speech from Hong Kong Football Association Grassroots Football Manager Samuel Bensley and Head Coach of Manchester United Soccer Schools Hong Kong Christopher O’Brien. Both have a lot of experience in football teaching and coaching for grassroots children.

Bensley pointed out that children will go through a lot of ups and downs as they grow. Parents should not focus on winning or losing, but encourage their children to try new things. As long as they stay passionate about football, they will improve. The coaches encouraged parents be their children’s strongest supporters.

  • Hong Kong team player Jacky Leung and his father Leung Yiu-ping share the benefits of parent-child football fun, encouraging parents to support their children in pursuing their football dreams.
  • Leung, instructors, parents and young footballers participate in an interactive game.

Tips from professional player and his father on passing on positivity with football

Parents play an important role in their children’s lives, helping them to achieve their potential. Hong Kong team player Jacky Leung was inspired and taught by his father, and eventually became a professional footballer. The father-son duo shared their experiences with parents at the first workshop.

As his son’s first coach and life mentor, the senior Leung not only taught him football skills, but also a sense of responsibility and interpersonal skills. The enduring support and encouragement from his family has helped Leung and his brother achieve their football dreams.

As a life coach to his son, the senior Leung encourages parents to use football as a bridge to better understand their children’s needs. He said that his sons’ academic performance was never a reason for him to stop them from playing football. Instead, he reached a mutual agreement with them, and both were able to keep their promise of having good performance in football and in school. He concluded that setting up an agreement was the key to balancing their performance in school and on the football field.

Thinking of the dream that all young footballers have, Leung’s father said that life is like a blank piece of paper, and one should encourage one’s children to compose their own stories and pursue their own dreams. Parents should be there to support and care for them; to be their companion and inspire them to achieve a better life.

  • HKFA Specialist Conditioning Coach Mathew Pears teaches parents about nutrition, reminding them that young footballers should eat healthily.
  • Pears distributes snacks to children to replenish their energy.

Master coach shares tips on how to eat smart

A healthy and balanced diet is fundamental to children’s physical development and performance. This was the message of Mathew Pears, Specialist Conditioning Coach of the Hong Kong Football Association, who talked about nutrition at the second workshop.

Formerly with Leeds United, Pears has lived in Hong Kong for two years and has a good idea of local eating habits. He pointed out that children tend to favour ham, lunch meats and other processed food, and consequently they consume too much salt and sodium. They also prefer meat over vegetables and fruits, resulting in them becoming overweight and risking serious damage to their cardiovascular system. This could affect their development.

Pears stressed the importance of the food pyramid and emphasised that childfren should eat more vegetables and less meat. Fresh vegetables should always replace processed vegetables and juices to increase fibre intake. This will help to maintain a healthy digestive system, keep one full and manage weight. Children should also consume less sauces and traditional Chinese soups served at restaurants to avoid consuming too much salt and sodium.

Holding a Masters degree in Physical Science, Pears introduced some ideal healthy snacks for young footballers to eat before and after exercise. These include: bananas, raisins, dried apricots and oatmeal cookies – all of which are rich in potassium, fibre, vitamins and other healthy elements.

Pears ended his workshop by reminding parents that good eating habits should be coupled with active exercise.

Pears’ recommended healthy sports snacks

Snack

Benefits

Banana

Rich in potassium, they help to regulate blood pressure and mitigate the impact of sodium in the body

Raisin

Raisins are a type of healthy dried fruit that is rich in fibre

Dried apricot

Dried apricots are rich in fibre and replenish sugar

Oatmeal cookie

A delicious wholemeal snack rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals

  • HKFA Grassroots football manager Samuel Bensley explains how to organise small-sided games.
  • Christopher O’Brien, Head of Coach of Manchester United Soccer Schools in Hong Kong, shares football tactics with young players.

In addition to the talks, both workshops featured practical training. Bensley, together with the team coach of the Hong Kong Football Association and Christopher O’Brien, led young footballers in training and matches, giving players the opportunity to learn from each other. Parents observed and acted as coaches, putting into practice what they had learned.

The last workshop is scheduled on 4 March. Charles Cheung, Referees Manager of the Hong Kong Football Association will introduce football rules and the duties of a referee.  Another Hong Kong team player Mark Tan and his coach Li Chi Kin will be joining the last workshop and share their stories with parents.

Parents who have complete all three workshops will be eligible to register a team for the HKJC Soccer 4 – Parents-and-Kids Tournament, which will be held in April 2018 at Sha Tin Racecourse. 

  • Young footballers give their best as they get to grips with the four-sided game model.
  • Parents practice their coaching skills in the small games, making good use of lessons learned in the coaching workshop.
  • A big fan of Manchester United, Edmond, one of the parents, together with his wife and two sons, Norris and Hayden, participate in the workshop. He was inspired to allow his children to enjoy football fun and will unconditionally support his sons.
  • Parents and children participating in the “Pass It On” Parent workshop look forward to the final workshop.

"Pass it On" Parents Workshop

"Pass it On" Parents Workshop

Star Instructors to share valuable experience

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