Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School

04/07/2020

Continuously evolving and exploring unlimited possibilities

 “We’re not able to play football on campus and there are no football programmes in the PE curriculum, but I still want our school team to play in Division 1 (D1)!” Does this sound like a fantasy? Rico Wu Wai-ho, who is the teacher in charge of the Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School (CSWCSS) football team, doesn’t think so! The team has experienced up-and-down results in recent years, but he still firmly believes that these “chosen boys” have unlimited possibilities. This school year, Rico joined the JC School Football Development Scheme; and together with assistance from professional coaches, he hopes that he can find the direction to let the school team evolve into one of the best teams at the school competition level.

• 
  The CSWCSS football team has experienced up-and-down results. Their teachers and students expect that by joining the JC School Football Development Scheme, they will be able to have a new perspective on football.

All-around teacher promotes football at a school strong in sports

CSWCSS’s cross country, track & field, and volleyball teams always play at the D1 level and frequently make it to post-season elite tournaments. However, the CSWCSS football team was relegated to D3 in the 2017/18 season. During the 2018/19 season, the team qualified for the elite tournament but failed to get promoted to D2. Rico, a post-90s teacher who has led the team for two years, played in D1 interschool football competitions when he was a student, and still holds true to his beliefs and passion. When he looks at the school playground, only a few steps next to the snack kiosk, he feels helpless: “According to the school rules, football cannot be played on campus due to safety reasons.” Rico decided to join the JC School Football Development Scheme to explore new ways of leading the school football team so that they could be promoted to D1 and maintain the same level with other school teams.

Play for fun or play only to win?

Due to the lack of playing facilities, Rico has had to look for other venues for training. Fortunately, the Principal, Calepodius Poon Shing-kai, has provided some resources for the team. He often invites local professional coaches and players, like Chan Chun-yu, a former coach from Hong Kong Pegasus, and Tse Man-wing, a player from Eastern Long Lions of the Hong Kong Premier League, to coach the school team. Rico works closely with them and each has their own role: “I am responsible for scouting players with potential, while the two coaches take charge of skills and tactics training.”

In the past, Rico believed that only intensive and targeted training could help improve the players’ skills. But after taking part in the Scheme and experiencing training sessions that are intensive but entertaining, he has changed his mind and understands that a relaxed method does not mean that it is not serious. “Students will feel a lot of pressure achieving results with intensive training,” he said. When I attended the training sessions hosted by OB (Christopher O’Brien, Manchester United Soccer Schools Hong Kong Head Coach) and experienced the relaxed atmosphere, I felt that it helps the students to relax and discover their original goals and passion for football.”

The child is NOT the father of the man

 “Team first.” “Focus on the big picture.” These are prevalent sayings in the world of football. Sometimes, though, Rico feels upset when he sees skillful and talented players always needing to give long or short passes to teammates during training, as it seems that they are sacrificing themselves and not using their full potential in favour of the overall good of the team. Rico thinks that their potential and how far they can go cannot be predicted when they are so young, and it is not fair to limit their development too early in life. He encourages the students to try to challenge and break through barriers, like David de Gea, who was trained to be a goalkeeper at the age of 14, yet previously played as a winger, or Marcus Rashford, who played as a winger or even a wing back when he played on the youth team!

Owen Lam Pui-ho, a goalkeeper of the C grade team, played in a game during the Scheme’s Inter-School Friendly Match Day. As a 4-to-4 tournament with no goalkeeper, he played an infield position and felt that it was a wonderful trial. “My goalkeeper training tactics include save-the-ball and reflexes. When I play a different position, I use my feet more than my hands; I dribble, pass and shoot. I would like to have more chances to try different positions in future.”

Justin Lui Tik-shan, who last year attended OB’s training as a student of St. Francis of Assisi’s Caritas School, is now a student of CSWCSS and met OB again. He remembers how OB encouraged them: “As usual, he encourages us to think when we play. He always asks us open-ended questions that make us think. He also encourages us to dare to try. That’s why I always have given myself different challenges both on and off the pitch during these past two years.”

Improving by playing matches against higher-level rivals

Unlike school tournaments where only the strongest teams can continue playing, the Scheme’s Inter-School Friendly Match Day features many schools from both the current and also past Schemes. It gives the players more playing opportunities, which allows them to learn from each other and foster their passion for football. Rico brought the team to the event and interacted with teachers and students from other districts: “The students were not familiar with the format. We played against the strongest team on debut and lost in the first game. But they took the initiative to meet players from other teams after the game – they laughed and talked with each other. The players showed a significant improvement on cooperation and mind-set after attending the Scheme.” Rico, who witnessed the growth of the students, was grateful for the change, and also took the opportunity to exchange contact details with other teachers so that friendly games could be arranged in future.

Promoting football and discovering talented players

Only by changing can we overcome barriers. Rico has adopted a mini-football format and replaced the goal with hurdles in order to strive for the right of the students to play football on campus and put football in the PE curriculum. “We modified the game and brought football onto campus, thus proving that football can make a positive impact on the school.” If it succeeds, Rico will organise an interest class so that he can discover the students with potential and populate the team with sufficient players. He encourages students to maintain their beliefs and strive for their goals. “Young baseball players in Japan look forward to performing at Koshien,” he explained. “Young student football players in Hong Kong also see So Kon Po Recreation Ground (a D1 major pitch) and the elite tournaments as their target. Even if the students feel upset and hopeless because they feel they have no path to playing football after graduation, I tell them to always remember our school motto: Self-strengthening and Continuous Improvement. Go forward, and there is always a way out.”

Sir Alex Ferguson, legendary manager of Manchester United (MU), invested seven years before winning MU’s first league champion title, and spent ten years fostering the potential of the Class of 92 and create their magical era. Rico believes that “because the students are young, their possibilities are limitless.” Although he is just at the starting point of leading the CSWCSS team to being promoted to D1, he at least has discovered how to grow the team. It will take time and patience, but the CSWCSS team will eventually shine!