Youth Association Observation: The unpopular sport water polo is becoming more and more attractive to children – Sports – China Engineering Network

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Youth Association of China Observation: The unpopular sport water polo is becoming more and more attractive to children

China Youth Daily client Nanning, November 10th (China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Cixin) The water polo competition at the first National Student (Youth) Games was exciting. Although the participating team members were all youth or adolescent athletes, the senior The confrontation and fast-paced game process still feast the eyes of the audience. Water polo has always been an unpopular sport in China. Most Chinese people may have never been exposed to water polo, and they don’t know that water polo games can be so entertaining. But in the past few years, in some parts of China, water polo is facing opportunities to change its unpopular status. For example, in Shanghai, as more and more primary and secondary school students master swimming as a basic skill, the promotion and popularization of water polo has also been driven forward.

On the afternoon of November 10th, the Youth Association Men’s Water Polo Group Match, Shanghai Huangpu District Team (White Hat) played against Shenzhen Team (Blue Hat).Photo by Ci Xin, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily

In the men’s water polo group match of this youth conference held today, the Shanghai Huangpu District team, led by the Shanghai Men’s Water Polo Youth Team, defeated the Shenzhen team with a big score. The Shanghai Huangpu District team is also the men’s water polo event of this youth conference. One of the strong contenders for the championship. Another team in Shanghai that participated in the men’s water polo competition of this Youth League, the Shanghai Yangpu District team lost to the Nanning team today, but for this team, participation is of greater significance. This team is mainly composed of young male water polo players from Shanghai. Basically, these young players have not yet entered the professional training level of water polo. Water polo is just a hobby in their spare time.

The number of these small team members has increased very rapidly in the past few years. Zhang Liang, vice president of the Shanghai Water Polo Association, told reporters from the China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily today that at last year’s Shanghai Games water polo competition, the men’s and women’s events were divided into four groups according to the age of the players, with a total of more than 30 teams. , a total of more than 300 young and adolescent athletes participated, both numbers creating a historical high in Shanghai water polo.

On the afternoon of November 10th, the Youth Association Men’s Water Polo Group Match, Shanghai Huangpu District Team (White Hat) played against Shenzhen Team (Blue Hat).Photo by Ci Xin, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily

The increase in participating teams and the number of participants has led to the creation of the Shanghai Water Polo League in addition to the Youth Water Polo Championship held every year in Shanghai. The league has professional groups, namely Shanghai men’s and women’s water polo professional teams and youth teams, and also There are amateur sports school groups, that is, youth teams from various district levels in Shanghai, and a club group was launched last year, with about eight or nine youth teams from social clubs participating.

Zhang Liang said that the Shanghai Water Polo Social Club has grown from scratch in recent years, and there are more than 100 children learning water polo in the social club. Zhang Liang believes that water polo has begun to gradually attract the participation of some children, which has a lot to do with the overall popularity of swimming. In Shanghai, because swimming is listed as an optional subject for physical education in the high school entrance examination, and some districts make swimming a compulsory course for primary and secondary school students, more and more primary and secondary school students have mastered swimming skills. But after learning to swim, children also hope to find new points of interest in the water. This is how water polo began to attract the attention of some swimming clubs.

But for ordinary swimming clubs, there is often a lack of teachers to teach water polo. Zhang Liang said that the Shanghai Water Polo Association organized water polo teaching training for these clubs to help these clubs transition from swimming teaching to water polo teaching. The Shanghai Water Polo Association also organizes retired athletes of the Shanghai Water Polo Team to work as part-time coaches in social clubs. Shanghai’s water polo competition level has always been at the forefront of the country, and high-level professional water polo athletes are a valuable asset. After these athletes retired, they also became an important force in promoting the improvement of Shanghai’s water polo training level.

On the afternoon of November 10th, the coach of the Shanghai Huangpu District team was arranging tactics for the players during the men’s water polo group match of the Youth Association.Photo by Ci Xin, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily

Water polo opens up a new world for children who have already mastered swimming skills to continue to discover fun in the water. Water polo is a group project, which is conducive to cultivating children’s ability to unite and cooperate. Zhang Liang said, “Therefore, these children have become more successful after being exposed to water polo.” , usually like this sport very much; parents are also willing for their children to participate in such a group project, and basically support their children in learning water polo.”

In just a few years, in China, water polo, a sport that originally existed only within the professional training system, has taken the first step towards reaching ordinary children. In addition to Shanghai, water polo is also attracting more and more children to participate in Guangdong, Sichuan and other places.

In comparison, water polo is still one of the unpopular sports in China, but at least efforts have been made to change the situation. In fact, as more and more parents and children learn about this sport, they will discover the infinite charm of water polo and its positive significance in helping children grow physically and mentally.