深圳市伙伴杯幼兒足球邀請賽暨足球文化節在福田開幕 The seventh Shenzhen Under-six (U-6) Football Invitational Fournament and Football Cultural Festival kicked off at the Shenzhen Caitian Kindergarten in Futian District, gathering 40 teams from kindergartens across the city. Students from the Mingdao No.5 Kindergarten and the Shenzhen Caitian Kindergarten played in the curtain raiser at the invitational. The players were adept in dribbling, passing and shooting and displayed great sportsmanship despite their young age. According to Zhao Yongren, a teacher from the Caitian kindergarten, the invitational was not competitive, for most of the students are still at the initiation phase of football education. All the players were awarded participation medals at the games, and other participants at the event also had the chance to get selected as the best cheerleaders, painters and storytellers in a handful of sideline activities. The invitational had two parallel competition systems in which teams played in both the champion’s tournament and the super league. The games also contained other sports events such as handball. Liu Bei, headmaster of the Caitian kindergarten, stated that initial football education should focus on interest and hobby development. Therefore, the kindergarten is forging ahead with an extensive teaching style that includes football classes in which the students can gain firsthand experience with sports and better understand the regulations and spirit of teamwork. (Wang Haolan) | 