SKH Holy Carpenter Primary School

11/02/2020

Stepping out of their comfort zone and exploring the world

Four years ago, the SKH Holy Carpenter Primary School (HCPS) football team was established. After leading the team for several years, teacher and coach Angus Chan Chun-yin decided to join the JC School Football Development Scheme to broaden the horizons of the players. He explained: “A good player should not only have good football skills, but also a positive attitude, social skills, and discipline.” Through the scheme, he hoped that the students could let go of their focus on only the wins and losses, and gain more experience.

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  Angus Chan Chun-yin, teacher and coach of SKH Holy Carpenter Primary School (HCPS) football team, hoped that the students could gain more experience through JC School Football Development Scheme.

From track & field to football

Angus joined HCPS four years ago, and coincidentally that is when the principal set up the school team to promote football. Angus, who was more into track and field and had only a modest interest in football, admits that he has little experience and that the school does not have many resources. He has long been looking for an opportunity to develop both the team and himself. HCPS players are enthusiastic, he said, and the team consists of quite a number of ethnic minority students. While they have good relationships with the local students, some of the team’s players are more self-centered, and they could be more disciplined and concentrate better. “They will blame each other each time a goal is conceded during training or in a game,” Angus explained. “They see the game result as being very important. I hope they can be more disciplined, as well as learn how to respect and take care of each other.” In addition to pointing out the students’ challenges, Angus understands that his own personality is rather cool and reflective; and he hopes that through the Scheme, he can open up and more freely and actively communicate with other teachers and coaches.

Personal experience takes Angus out of his comfort zone

Through the Scheme’s theory classes, training sessions, school visits and friendly games, Angus has embraced the culture of learning and encouragement that has been created by Manchester United Soccer Schools Hong Kong Head Coach, Christopher O’Brien (OB). Yet completing the lessons and playing in mini-games is only one part of what Angus has accomplished – he also has talked more actively with OB and other teachers and coaches. “Stepping out of my comfort zone”, he said, “has helped me to better express myself in class and actively ask other teachers to take part in friendly games. This has had a positive impact on my teaching methods and social network, as well as on my relationship with the students.” After experiencing this personally, Angus decided to bring this positive atmosphere to the students.

Discovering another side to his students

On the day of the school visit, the HCPS players showed good discipline and teamwork under OB’s leadership. Whenever OB called a huddle, they came quickly together as a team, which really surprised Angus. “Usually, it would take much longer to get the team together,” he said, “when actually, a little reward and instruction could help to improve their discipline and order. I also saw how some of the players took the initiative to remind others to follow the rules.”

One of the team’s key players, Jamal Hassan, felt that OB’s way of training was like a breath of fresh air.  “I shook hands with OB when we first met,” he said. “We played football games as a warm-up instead of running laps. Everything we did required us to work together as a team, instead of just working one-on-one with the football.”

A football brotherhood

Angus has high expectations of Jamal Hassan and team captain, Wong Tsz-kit. He hopes both can take on core roles and inspire the younger players. The two have been buddies since before the team was established. Jamal is a locally born and bred ethnic minority student, and football is the perfect link to their friendship. In fact, his ethnicity has never been a barrier.

Wong Tsz-kit agrees with Angus’ discipline and attitude: “We quarrel with each other sometimes; but we usually don’t take it to heart and are soon friendly again.” After attending the scheme, they’ve come to understand each other’s personalities and their bonds of brotherhood have been strengthened. They now appreciate the importance of respecting teammates and teachers.

Keep working hard – don’t focus too much on the result

Angus has been happy to see improvement in the students’ social skills and the gradual building-up of team spirit. What really moved him was when he saw Jamal awarded as the star player and the team celebrating the honor with him, without a thought to winning or losing the award for themselves. Taking the games in the training session as an example, Angus said “Even if we lose the first game, if we work hard, we still have a chance to win the next game and will learn something in the process, no matter what the result is”. Like OB says:  “Don't not cheer for your teammate, because the next star player could be you!”

For the graduating students, Angus advises them to cherish the friendships they have made with their teammates, while they prepare to look ahead to the future and the world that awaits them. “I hope their view can go beyond the training grounds of To Kwa Wan Hoi Sham Park. The world is a very big place, and my responsibility is to create the possibilities for them to go out with confidence and explore and develop their potential.”