Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School

23/07/2018

Teachers and parents join hands to pass on positive energy through football

Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School is situated among public housing estates. It has a small campus with few facilities, but that does not stop students’ love for football. The school has both boys’ and girls’ football team, plus a pre-starter class and a football interest class. With so many students playing football, the school’s two football coaches – teachers Kit Lau and Koga Cheung – are determined to see a breakthrough. They decided to participate in the JC School Football Development Scheme, hoping to bring professional training to the school and students, and strengthen the foundation of their football programme.

Kit Lau (Left) and Koga Cheung (Right), teachers and coaches from Ma On Shan Ling Liang Primary School are determined to see a breakthrough by participating in the JC School Football Development Scheme.

Bonding through first-hand experience

There more than a few football lovers at Ling Liang Primary School, and since children can easily be influenced by their peers, some students also request to join the football team even if they are not particularly fond of the sport. This has created a wave of football fever at the school. Facing over 80 young footballers, Lau and Cheung have set up a training approach which divides individuals into different teams according to their ability. The problem, they admit, is that the teams have regular practices but lack experience in tournaments. The players do not have a chance to experience a challenge; and therefore, the bonds between them are relatively weak. However, after joining the Scheme for more than half a year, the two coaches have successfully created some common experiences and memories for the teams. “After being through the training and competition, the players have become just like brothers,” Lau explained. “Now they always joke and get along with each other; the laughter and bonding they have are something which I have never seen before.”

There are quite some football lovers at Ling Liang Primary School. However, the players do not have a chance to experience through a challenge and therefore the bonding among them is relatively weak.

The Scheme has successfully created some common experience and memory for the team, the players have become just like brothers.

Parental support helps children grow

The JC School Football Development Scheme and its partner Manchester United Soccer Schools both share the same view that parental support is very important to a child as they grow up. Half of the students at Ling Liang Primary School come from grassroots families. Their parents usually work till very late, therefore Lau and Cheung rarely see parents turn up at school. Surprisingly, the Scheme has enhanced the parent-child relationship. They now see parents attending the interschool friendly matches to support and encourage their children, bringing them towels and water. The two teachers have come to realise that besides the coaches and teachers, parents also play an important role in their children’s football development.

The two teachers realise that besides coaches, and teacher, parents also play an important role in their children’s development in football.

Pak-hin (Left) expressed that the school visit paid by Christopher O’Brien (OB), Head Coach of the Manchester United Soccer Schools Hong Kong, helped inject positive energy to the entire football team.

Father-son football

One of the players, Chong Pak-hin, started his football journey with his father. Now a Primary Three student, Pak-hin said his father nurtured his passion for football. He also thanked Lau and Cheung for their attentive teaching, and said that the school visit paid by Christopher O’Brien (OB), Head Coach of the Manchester United Soccer Schools Hong Kong, helped inject positive energy into the entire football team. “Sometimes Coach Kit would be quite strict, but the friendly and humourous style of OB has changed him and now he is less serious. The training atmosphere has become more gentle and harmonious; all of the players also have more fun.”

Chong Pak-hin (Left), a player at Ling Liang Primary School’s football team, started is football journey with his father.

Pak-hin thanked Kit and Koga for their attentive teaching.

Rediscovering original intentions

As the eight-month Scheme came to an end, Lau and Cheung confessed that even with their many years of teaching experience, sometimes they also lost their direction, which consequently affected the students. Luckily, the Scheme has helped them rediscover their original intentions. Koga said: “Which is more important to a coach? Is it to pass on extraordinary skills and tactics to students, or to improve their capabilities on all fronts? What makes a good player? Should it be the ability to execute the coach’s tactics and win the game, or to give their best performance in every aspect, including football and interpersonal skills?” Lau and Cheung said with a smile that the Scheme has helped them find the answer. They now call on all parents to give more care to their children and to keep in close touch with teachers. With football, they are able to inject unlimited positive energy into children’s lives, and to open up a new pathway to future success.