A family of three in Changsha won gold at the Provincial Games
The father led his daughter’s team to win the junior women’s football championship, and the mother also achieved good results in the senior air volleyball competition
Li Jia pads the ball in the women’s B volleyball match of the senior group of the Provincial Games.
Changsha U15 women’s football coach Song Yi (right) and daughter Song Xinyu held the championship trophy and smiled brightly.Photo courtesy of the interviewee
At 11:40 on August 27th, in the football field of Miluo No. 2 Middle School, with the whistle of the referee, the final of the 14th Provincial Games Youth Group Football (Women U15) ended. The Changsha Women’s Football Team who participated in this group competition Coach Song Yi turned to hug his daughter and team member Song Xinyu to celebrate the Changsha team winning the championship. At this time, in the No. 1 Middle School of Xiangyin County, 25 kilometers away, Song Yi’s wife Li Jia had just entered the finals of the women’s B volleyball group in the adult group of the Provincial Games. An hour later, she also got her wish with her husband. , like her daughter, she became the champion of the Provincial Games.
■Huasheng Online All Media Reporter Ye Zhu
The whole family went to the Provincial Games and won the championship within an hour
On the morning of the 27th, two finals were staged one following another. In the women’s U15 final, which started first, the Changsha team relied on two goals in the first half to defeat the host Yueyang team 2-0 to win the championship. In the women’s B-volleyball final of the adult group, the Changsha team also defeated the Hengyang team with a score of 2-0. In this regard, within an hour, the Song Yi family from Changsha became the champion of the Provincial Games.
“We all cherish this experience, and we are very serious regarding completing our own work. Finally, we can win the championship on the same day. Our family is very honored.” Song Yi is a professional football coach. This team is the 2007 and 2008 women’s football team jointly built by Zhounan Meixihu Middle School and Hunan Youth Training Center. Since taking over in April 2019, Song Yi has devoted himself entirely to the construction of this team, coming and going during winter and summer, and taking no more than 8 days off a year. In order to prepare for this year’s Provincial Games, following the summer vacation on July 8, Song Yi led the team to start a fully closed training camp at the Provincial Sports Vocational College, without taking a day off.
“We are very motivated to be able to contribute to the Changsha national team together.” Li Jia said happily when he won the championship. He was looking forward to it a few months ago when he learned that the family of three would participate in the Provincial Games.
As a teacher in a training institution, Li Jia tries his best to use his spare time to practice with his teammates, “Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I will practice in the morning, and then look at everyone’s schedule. If we can get together, Practice.”
In addition to completing her own work and training, Li Jia is also helping her husband and daughter prepare for the war. “Do some logistical work and provide psychological counseling for the women’s football players. I can help a little with anything in the team, and I can be regarded as half the team leader.” Li Jia said with a smile.
Really “sports home”, a 13-year-old girl looks forward to being admitted to a sports academy
The family of three all became the champions of the Provincial Games. This is a veritable “sports family”, and Li Jia and Song Yi became attached to each other because of sports. When the two first met in 1990, Li Jia was a member of the provincial women’s softball team and Song Yi was a member of the provincial men’s badminton team.
“My parents-in-law both came from sports. At that time, our training place was downstairs from his house, so we got to know each other.” After leaving the provincial team, the two are still inseparable from sports. Li Jia has been a primary school sports student for many years. Teacher, following resigning, he also insisted on exercising. Three years ago, Li Jia started to get in touch with air volleyball. “Air volleyball is a very good sport. It is not very intense, and it is suitable for both entertainment and exercise. It is suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. It is very good as a normal hobby.”
Song Yi switched to the football industry as a coach, and is now an A-level coach of the AFC and Chinese Football Association. Last year, he led Zhounan Meixihu Middle School to win the runner-up in the 2021 China Middle School Football Association Cup (Junior High School Women’s A). Five players, Cao Kexin, Zhao Zhouling, Song Lijuan, Cao Zhiyi and Zhao Xinyi, were also selected as “Stars of Hope” by the Chinese Football Association in July last year. “As a coach, there are many things to consider, such as the ability of the players, the arrangement of training tactics, the analysis of the opponent’s situation, logistics, etc. I don’t have much professional experience. I just started early, and I have seen, learned and done more, and I have achieved today’s results.”
In 2008, the crystallization of their love, Song Xinyu, was born. Under the influence of the strong sports atmosphere of the family, the daughter also fell in love with sports, fell in love with football, and began to play football under her father. “Actually, my daughter, like me, has no talent, but we are very serious in everything we do. This may be what sports teaches us, no matter what position we are in, no matter what time we are, we must work hard.”
The 13-year-old Song Xinyu is now 172cm tall and serves as a central defender in the team. In 2020, the little girl was selected as the best team in the national youth campus football summer camp, and hopes to be admitted to Beijing Sports University in the future.
