Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School

08/01/2019

Not just for boys: rise of SKWGPS girls’ football team (08/01/2019)

Football girls inspired by their mentor to pass on school spirit (Updated on 27/03/2019)

Principal and teacher celebrate the achievements of SKWGPS girl footballers (Updated on 24/06/2019)

Not just for boys: rise of SKWGPS girls’ football team (08/01/2019)

Who says that football is just a boy’s game? Maggie Ko, a teacher at Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School (SKWGPS), hopes to show that girls can play equally well! A teacher at the school for two years, Maggie is an amateur football player competing in a local women’s league. She made her first acquaintance with football at college and regretted her late start: “If I could turn back time, I would have started playing football earlier, so that I would have had more experiences that might have taken me further.” Since joining SKWGPS, Maggie has had tremendous support from the principal in setting up a girls’ football team and leading the team in inter-school competitions. Despite mediocre results, the girls were happy to participate in the tournaments; and for this, Maggie has always been grateful. “At least they are participating in football earlier than I did, so they will have more experience and enjoyment.”

Since participating in the HKJC School Football Development Scheme this academic year, SKWGPS has been promoting girls’ football and recruiting more players, hoping to encourage participation in sports. Maggie firmly believes that the earlier a student starts playing football, the more rewarding the experience will be, and the better they will appreciate what football can bring. Currently, there is no boys’ football team at SKWGPS, which is why Maggie hopes to inspire the boys’ passion for football with the progress of the girls’ team. She wants the boys to seize the chance of playing football, so that one day when a boys’ football team is formed, they will know how to grasp and cherish the opportunity. “If you take things for granted, it is easy to lose sight of your goal and motivation; but if you have to fight for an opportunity, you will treasure it.” As Maggie believes in the equality of the sexes in the world of sports, she is committed to advocating for both boys’ and girls’ teams on campus.

Another reason that Maggie hopes to inspire students’ interest in sports by joining the Scheme is because of the phubbers. Students’ increasing reliance on smart phones makes them less aware of their surroundings. She hopes students will actively participate in extracurricular activities to achieve all-rounded development: “The fun and interactive training approach advocated by Christopher O’Brien (OB), Hong Kong Head of Manchester United Soccer Schools, enables students to enjoy training. It helps to create a positive learning atmosphere that motivates the students, and this improves both their football and interpersonal skills.”

So what will the teachers and students achieve after participating in the Scheme?

Football girls inspired by their mentor to pass on school spirit (Updated on 27/03/2019)

Starting earlier does not always give you the edge on being the best. Although Maggie Ko picked up football later than most, her late start never hindered her development in football and in becoming a coach to inspire the younger generation. Au Cheuk-yau, Chan Ka-tung and Yeung Kai-tung are three players from the Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School’s first girls football team. To them, Maggie is not only a teacher who teaches them football, but she is also their idol: “In every respect, Ms Ko（Maggie）’s football skills and coaching are just as good as the other male players and coaches. After attending the visit by Manchester United Soccer Schools and undergoing its training, she has become more skillful and impactful. We hope to be as good as she is when we grow up.”

Under the guidance of Maggie, the three girls came to understand that football is definitely not dominated by boys. At times, the girls play football with other boys at pitches nearby their school, and they share the same view: “The rules and regulations for boys and girls football games are exactly the same. The only difference is the gender of the players. And to this point, Ms. Ko has set an amazing example, proving that girls can be just as good as boys in playing football, if not better.” The girls think that a female coach is able to understand their feelings and thoughts better, which makes Maggie not just a coach but a good friend of theirs with whom they share their thoughts and sorrows. All of this makes her a good mentor.

With graduation soon approaching, the three girls will be leaving behind their beloved campus, teachers and teammates and moving on to secondary school. Thinking of this, Cheuk-yau became emotional and shed a few tears: “The football team has just been formed but now we are about to graduate. It feels like we have left something unaccomplished. I hope our younger teammates can enjoy football and honour Ms. Ko and our school team.” The three girls would like to see their apprentices pick up the baton and achieve good results for the school at inter-school competitions as a way of repaying Maggie for what she has done for the team.

Principal and teacher celebrate the achievements of SKWGPS girl footballers (Updated on 24/06/2019)

After eight months of training, Maggie, who only “met” football during her university time, has built a stronger rapport with the sport. From the HKJC School Football Development Scheme, Maggie has acquired professional coaching skills, which have been popularly received by her students, and created a football renaissance in the campus. Being able to widen her horizons after participating in the Scheme, she wanted to give special thanks to Principal Principal Leung Ching-yee, who supported her in establishing the SKWFPS girls’ football team and in joining the Scheme.

Maggie opined that the Scheme has provided a wonderful exchange platform both inside and outside of the school that has allowed her to meet like-minded teachers from other schools and exchange coaching experiences with them. The Scheme has also enabled SKWGPS students to get out of Eastern district and participate in the inter-school friendly matches to sharpen their skills and experience.

Their social circle has also expanded. Maggie gave a knowing smile as she related the changes around campus: “In the past, senior students were not welcomed by junior students because most of them are prefects and will jot down students’ names if they see them running around. But now, they play football together on the field after school. Younger girls will even tell the seniors to run faster. They have become friendlier and will greet each other when they meet.”

Maggie was thrilled to witness the improvement in students’ social skills, and her attitude towards coaching has also changed: “Towards the end of the school year, I started to practice the coaching approach taught by Christopher O’Brien, Head Coach of Manchester United Soccer School, by putting students at the centre of training and letting them try. Instead of giving too many reminders during practice and matches, I allow the students to improve their skills by evaluating their own performance. This is quite a challenge for me, too.” Maggie added that as training has become more fun, the SKWGPS girls’ football team has developed a higher motivation to learn. The objective of their training has been achieved no matter they win or lose a game.

From the first discussions, to establishing a girls’ football team two years ago, to participating in the Scheme this year, Maggie has won the full support of Principal Leung Ching-yee, who believes in the positive points of football education: “Students’ lives should not be solely occupied by their studies. Extracurricular activities and sports are equally as important. Nowadays, children spend long hours on mobile phones and tablets, resulting in less real communication with people. Their ability in collaborating and interacting with others has also gradually declined. However, through football, I hope students can develop sportsmanship and sharpen their social skills.” Through the Scheme and with Maggie’s efforts, Principal Leung hopes to forge a stronger team spirit within the school and cultivate a culture of health and sports.

While the SKWGPS boys’ football team is still rather new, they have been motivated by the girls’ participation in the Scheme and in inter-school competitions. Maggie hopes football can introduce her students to a happy and active lifestyle where they learn how to overcome failure. She would like to see players who are more capable of participating in activities outside the school bringing back and sharing the knowledge and skills they have gained with their schoolmates. While Maggie regretted not starting in childhood to play football, the Scheme has gradually made it up to her. Now, she is fully devoted to her students and introduces football to them at a younger age, allowing them to experience and enjoy it more as they grow up.