HKWMA Chu Shek Lun Secondary School

20/03/2019

Weaving diversity and inclusion at CSL School（20/03/2019）

CSL puts students’ best foot forward with international training approach （Updated on 20/05/2019）

Three coaches are better than one when helping students to breakthrough （Updated on 09/07/2019）

Weaving diversity and inclusion at CSL School

The Hong Kong Weaving Mills Association Chu Shek Lun Secondary School (CSL) promotes diversity and social inclusion, as it has a large number of non-Chinese students studying at the school and playing on its football team. Despite the players’ different cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities, three teachers and coaches at the school – Ron Tsang, Andy Tang and Terry Lau – firmly believe that football can be students’ common language, bridging the gap between them. By joining the JC School Football Development Scheme, they hope to unite the two groups of students; ignite their team spirit, and teach them the true essence of inclusion.

Non-Chinese speaking students account for one-fifth of the school’s population. Chinese and non-Chinese-speaking students are put into separate classes, with three Chinese classes and one non-Chinese class in each grade. The school has therefore organised many extra-curricular activities and formed student associations to try to encourage co-operation and participation of both groups of students, as well as increase their involvement in school life. After spending more time with the football team, the coaches of the different age groups have a better understanding of the distinctive characters of both sides: foreign students are more proactive, outgoing and more playful, whilst local students are relatively timid. The difference in ethnicities and backgrounds has sometimes triggered disputes and a destructive team spirit: “There have been disputes when both sides fought for space for outdoor activities, but luckily nothing serious has happened.” Terry mentioned.

To promote a spirit of inclusion within the CSL football team, Terry, Ron and Andy have picked their brains and tried to incorporate trainings for teamwork in their practices. Yet they still think there is huge room for improvement. He quoted Manchester United as an example to explain how a team with different ethnicities and backgrounds can get along, collaborate and create a huge impact. Terry hopes the training by Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) can enrich his coaching experience and skills, and he hopes to see more local students joining the football team and bringing in some new insights: “I hope the MUSS fame can win us some new blood.”

Going forward, the three coaches will explore how to forge team spirit; assist the two groups of students in supporting and appreciating each other, and improve their skills, in the hope that one day they will enjoy their time both on campus and in the community as they work toward continually weaving in diversity and inclusion.

CSL puts students’ best foot forward with international training approach （Updated on 20/05/2019）

A distinctive characteristic of The Hong Kong Weaving Mills Association Chu Shek Lun Secondary School (CSL) is its multi-cultural community. The school’s football team has many examples of harmonious encounters between Chinese and non-Chinese players, with its three active members being Jhonattan. G.L from the Philippines, Ekwegwo Elisah Christopher from Nigeria, and Khan Waleeb from Pakistan. In a recent interview, the three players admitted that they have limited Cantonese proficiency, but football has become their common language and the tool which unites them. They revealed that taking part in the HKJC School Football Development Scheme has given all of the players and coaches a tremendous advantage.

Christopher, who has been studying at the school for a while, said that the team gets along very well despite their cultural differences, and rarely do they get into arguments: “We learn and eat together, and this has brought us closer to each other. Football has helped us to understand each other’s cultures and characters. Everything we say and do allows us to exchange ideas and learn from each other.”

After the two school visits, Jhonattan and Waleeb could tell that the Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS) training approach is very different from their usual trainings in respect to venue setup, concepts and routine practices. Christopher O’Brien (OB), HK Head Coach of MUSS, had demonstrated foundational coaching skills for the three coaches, which impressed Jhonattan and Waleeb very much: “Coach Ron, Andy and Terry have gradually picked up the training model from OB and incorporated it into our regular training sessions. They have also introduced the “encouragement” culture of MUSS, bringing positive impacts to the team.”

Each of the three coaches has his own area of strength that helps to bring harmony to the team. The three young players also have their unique views of their coaches: “No doubt about it, our three coaches are passionate about football. Coach Ron is determined to bring the team to the next level and he never gives up on any of us; Coach Terry is relatively less experienced and younger but he is good at discovering what we need; Coach Andy supports us on personal growth and provides direction for our future.” All three believe that this distinctive coach team, coupled with the international level of training style that they have learnt, must be the winning combination to help the CSLteam unleash its potential.

At the third school visit, the coaches will review what they have learnt from this year’s scheme.

Three coaches are better than one when helping students to breakthrough （Updated on 09/07/2019）

The third school visit saw Ron and Andy team up again with OB on the Chu Shek Lun campus playground where they led enthusiastic students in skill challenges and mini-game performances. Since their first lesson last September, they have experienced classroom lessons, interschool friendly matches, and took part in the School Football Development Day. The three coaches enjoyed watching both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese-speaking students take part in this learning journey, which will then be expanded to include other students at the school.

As a Manchester United fan, Andy believes that compared to traditional exercises, the MUSS fun-filled activities that they have been doing this school year have helped to boost students’ motivation, mental and social skills, and independent thinking. Andy said: “The relationship between the students has gotten a lot better. During practice, they learn to think and judge for themselves. They also communicate and interact more with their teammates, and offer ideas on how to improve our instructions. For example, they’ll add their own creative moves when dribbling, and this is so much better than we could have expected."

Teenagers inevitably go through rebellious periods; but at the same time, these years are also their best in terms of growth. The coaches emphasise that football is the medium for students to achieve personal breakthroughs. Andy and Ron added: "Even if the current technical level of students is not as good as expected, it does not mean that they cannot progress in the future. As coaches, we should not be disappointed and push them too hard. When appropriate, we should provide assistance and encouragement so that they can naturally progress step-by-step through the levels."

The coaching team said that although there is still a way to go before achieving the goal set at the beginning of the school term of "attracting more local Chinese students to join the football team", the Chinese students who participated in the evaluation of the programme this year were positive. Ron said that in the new school year, the MUSS model will be used in the beginner intermediate football interest classes to allow new students and lower form students to experience the fun of football. He also said that he hopes this will help to attract more local Chinese students.

Printed on the Chu Shek Lun football team’s jersey is a motto embracing the spirit of bravery, perseverance, modest and harmonious. Coaches Ron, Andy and Terry believe that as long as the students follow this motto, they will be able to fully utilise their potential both at school and in society, letting their diversity shine for all to see.