Beyond the finish line

12/07/2019

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  This year's JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme students, guests, social workers and parents.

When we cross the finish line, we all feel a sense of joy. But after that, what’s next? Do we slow down or do we continue to pursue our next goal?

For the students who celebrated the completion of the JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme at the end of last month, they will travel to Guangzhou in mid-July to start the next stage in their leadership journey, whilst looking back fondly on their efforts of the past six months. The young leaders believe that the scheme has given them a different experience, and one that will serve them well in future and allow them to continue to progress.

Special guest Shek Wai-hung advises students to persist even in the face of difficulties

At the ceremony, special guest Shek Wai-hung, two-time Asian Games champion and two-time consecutive gold medallist in the vault at the World Cup this year, shared his experiences of bouncing back from serious injuries again and again until finally becoming one of only five athletes in the world to successfully complete one of the most difficult moves, the “Ri Se Gwang”. “As an athlete, I have been injured many times,” Shek explained. “The most serious was when I injured my neck and had to stay in bed for two months. This caused my thigh muscles to atrophy and my legs became thinner than my arms. I had to learn everything all over again from the very beginning. It was a step-by-step process that finally culminated in my winning the World Cup gold medal ten years after I had first started representing Hong Kong. I hope that the young leaders, when faced with difficulties and frustrations, will not give up because many times, it’s not because we see hope that we persevere, but that we persevere and then we see the hope.”

Embracing success and failure with a positive attitude

Kwok Tsz-kin, a student who has been optimistic throughout the programme, was ultimately not selected as an outstanding student and therefore missed the opportunity to take part in the Manchester United exchange programme. But he was open-minded about the whole experience: “I’m not afraid of failure because the experience gained is even more precious. As Shek Wai-hungsaid, behind every success are tens of thousands of failures. I have been hoping to be selected to go to the UK ever since I joined the programme, but thanks to the programme, I have broadened my horizons and met a great group of friends. This has helped me realise that there are things that are more important than success and failure.”

In future, try your best at everything you do

Over the past six months, each young leader has undergone a huge transformation. One whose change has been particularly obvious is Ken Kwok. He made great strides in both his mental and social skills, and for this was awarded the “Best Progress” award. After receiving the award, he admitted he was completely surprised: “I never imagined that I would win an award.” He also said that he was not disappointed to miss out on the trip to the UK: “I'm not disappointed that I can’t go to the UK, but I am disappointed that I didn’t work harder right from the start. We will be going to Guangzhou soon for community service and take on other challenges. I hope that in future, I’ll be able to do my best in everything I do.”

Looking back at the young leaders’ journey over the past six months, they first started with the courage to register for the programme; then they broke the ice with the other leaders that they had only just met; set their own personal goals, and realised their own breakthroughs. After that, they went from being football coaches to football “brothers” who organised a football carnival for more than 100 children. Again and again, the young leaders stepped outside of their comfort zones and experienced rare opportunities to grow.

The graduation ceremony is a defining moment along the journey of these young leaders. Now, they will take what they have learned and the experiences they have had and continue to move forward, leaning on the good friends they have made for support as they go. As Bonnie O put it so well: “Having such good friends means more than anything.”