Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Primary School

10/01/2020

Football forms a family

Tin Shui Wai Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School is one of the first partner schools of the JC School Football Development Scheme. Led by Mr. Yeung Tat-Mo, the school has achieved remarkable results; and now their affiliated primary school Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Primary School (QESOSAPS) has joined the scheme. PE teacher Eric Choi Yau-wong and two alumni who are now teachers, Pang Sze-hin (Hin) and Chan Chun-kit (Kit), hope to apply the scheme’s relaxed and enjoyable training model in order to bring teachers and students closer and enhance their caring spirit.

• 
  Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Primary School (QESOSAPS) has joined the JC School Football Development Scheme this year.

Head teacher and alumni give back

All three teachers from QESOSAPS have different backgrounds. PE head teacher Eric manages all of the school’s sport teams, whilst Hin and Kit look after the football team’s daily training and competition. The ability of primary school students to handle pressure is generally not strong; and Kit, who used to play on his secondary school and college teams, realised that their training focus was on skill and technique, and lacked the necessary training in mental and interpersonal skills that would help them better cope with stress. Eric explained: “We put too much pressure on the students during training, so we will reflect on this and see if we are being too harsh. Perhaps children do learn better in a happy and carefree environment.”

As a student himself, Kit took part in the first JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme where he was exposed to the Manchester United Soccer Schools’ training method and experienced the fun of football. He believes that using the lessons learned from the programme will definitely be a great help to a large number of teachers, coaches and students. 

Little steps lead to big changes

After a few theory and practice sessions, the three coaches discovered that they can make a difference through the body language and etiquette learned in the scheme and from demonstrations by Christopher O’Brien (OB), Manchester United Soccer Schools Hong Kong Head Coach. Hin explained: “Sometimes we seem unapproachable just because we are busy and tired. However, OB is always smiling and proactively comes to shake our hands. Both teachers and students can feel his positive attitude and energy.”

Once when he was a student, Kit had made a mistake in a practice session and OB’s smile made him feel inspired. “We were training at the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre,” Kit remembered. “I kicked the ball through the fence and it landed in the river. Instead of scolding me, OB showed a sense of humor as he showed me what to do. This proves that to teach students well, do we really need to scold them? In fact, there are so many different ways and styles.”

Hin was also inspired and impressed by the school visit. “I was too focused on basic techniques in class. I almost ignored how the students felt and their learning process. Students’ really enjoyed and participated fully in this mini-competition, and this allowed them to show their true characters. I am now considering applying this training model in my PE classes.”

Smiling faces, warm hearts

QESOSAPS Principal Ho Man-Mei explained that Tin Shui Wai is a tight-knit community, citing Mr. Yeung’s help from the secondary school; how the two alumni coaches help train the students with Eric, and how teachers and students help and learn from each other. They’re all big one happy family. Although Principal Ho majored in Art and has no background in sports, she is a football fan who watches the World Cup and English Premier League games with her family. Football has become the bridge that connects her family and brings them closer together. So when she sees OB using football to create a happy atmosphere at the school, she realises that football can bring a lot of happiness to the students and even bring change to the community. “I hope that the three teachers can learn from OB, and use football to spread love and care to the next generation of QESOSAPS students,” she said.

Injecting positive energy

The primary school principal and three teachers believe that the scheme has helped them and their students make great progress. The goal is not only to achieve results in the interschool competition and make breakthroughs in technical skills; after all, results are difficult to control. The hope is that through this new teaching method, significant changes can be made. With love and care, both secondary and primary school students may then be encouraged, as teachers and coaches release their tight grip and allow students to learn in a happy environment and work together to solve their difficulties. By connecting QESOSAPS with the community, they hope they can inject positive energy into the entire Tin Shui Wai family.