(AFTER HOSTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN 2008)
(CHINA REFORMED ITS SPORTS SCHOOL SYSTEM)
(ABANDONING THE BRUTAL TRAINING PRACTICES OF ITS)
(PREVIOUSLY SOVIET-MODELLED SCHOOL SYSTEM)
(ORDERING SCHOOLS TO RAISE ACADEMIC STANDARDS)
(TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR A LIFE AFTER SPORTS)
(QINGDAO SPORTS SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE LEADING EXAMPLES)
(OF HOW THE SYSTEM HAS CHANGED)
(OLYMPIC GAMES)
(AFTER BEIJING 2008)
(SPORTS)
(CHINA)
(LEGACY OF BEIJING 2008)
(CHINA TRANSFORMS)
(OLYMPIC GAMES)
(COMING OF AGE: CHINA AFTER BEIJING 2008)
(SPORTS SCHOOL 2.0: CHINA'S CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS TRANSFORMS)
The nationalism mandate on sports schools in China is reforming
so that education is equally emphasised in sports schools.
It is a paradigm shift as China enters a new era.
In the past, when we mentioned "student athletes",
the phrase connotes having well-developed limbs
but an undeveloped mind.
That was the former impression of students from sports schools.
It had many consequences.
Once they are no longer involved in sports
or when they retire,
it affected their lives, their future was bleak.
Previously, in sports schools,
students' academic success was not emphasised.
However, with China becoming more powerful
and more open to the world,
Chinese athletes need to be better set up for life after sports.
The government has put a lot of emphasis on raising
the academic levels in sports schools.
So in recent years,
we have gradually put more and more effort
into academic subjects and development.
Because of the government's reforms in sports,
we have become much more
strict about raising academic standards.
This is a new mandate, it is unlike the past.
The result is that now academic standards
are just as important as athletic training.
Chicken, mutton, tomato.
Can I help you?
Yes, I'd like some noodles, please.
Initially, with the establishment
of sports schools, student athletes were encouraged
to only pursue gold medals.
Literacy and education were secondary.
Then our student enrollment rate began to decline.
So we pioneered a way for sports schools to integrate
sports and education,
to reinvigorate the national sports school system.
We saw that many Chinese parents no longer want
their children with sporting talent to enrol in sports schools.
The purpose of implementing these new measures
is to alleviate the worries of society, schools and parents.
The number of graduates of our school each year
is about 120 to 130.
After the 2008 Olympic Games, we provided
several options for graduates.
First option, we recommend our most talented athletes
to professional teams,
50 to 60 students every year.
This includes national teams, provincial teams
and provincial youth teams.
Second option, we enrol students in higher-education institutes,
about 40 to 45 students per year.
These two options cover 75% to 80% of students.
For the remaining 20% of students, we work together
with vocational institutes that offer apprenticeships.
While other students enrol into the military.
So in general, every year,
the future for all our graduates
is very promising.
Qingdao Sports School is the best school in Shandong Province.
Why is that?
It is because no matter in terms of grades
or university enrollment rates,
we are number one in the province.
We are also in first place when it comes to
athletic achievements of our students.
My daily schedule here is that
after breakfast in the morning,
we have morning exercises, and then we go for classes.
We have trainings in the afternoon
and we self-study in the evening.
There are classes and academic sessions every day.
During our down time in the afternoon,
we'll continue training in our specialised sport.
In this school, both training and life can be very hectic.
After training, I shower, have dinner
and go straight into self-study sessions.
After the self-study session, I would go back to my dorm.
The seniors in the school will supervise us in our homework,
and I'll go to bed after. This is my daily routine.
It's a very fast-paced life here.
I sometimes wish I could spend my youth differently,
like a normal teenager.
Because we can't just be
reckless and get into mischief with our friends.
We become mature much quicker than other teenagers.
And I do feel it could be somewhat unfortunate.
Before I was enrolled here, I was in a normal school.
It was the Olympic year
and everyone was talking about One World, One Dream.
The Olympic Games seemed like a great stage to be on.
My biggest dream is
of course to participate in the Olympic Games.
I really hope and expect that day will come.
To me, winning a gold medal
is not about gaining fame or fulfilling some vanity.
I just want to discover my fullest potential.
I want to know what I can achieve.
I just want to be a representative
to challenge the limits of mankind,
to see how far I can truly go.
I came to this school to realise my dream.
I have always liked sports since I was a child.
I was recruited by a coach from this school
to be a student here, and be groomed.
I was interested, so I was enrolled.
After I was recruited by the coach here,
my family was initially very concerned
because it's very far from home.
My parents were worried about me.
But I like it here, I like this sport.
So they grew supportive, very supportive.
After I came here, I grew in confidence.
This is an experience.
A life experience.
We have classes in the morning and training in the afternoon.
I have a very close relationship with our coach.
I feel I have become more mature here.
I am no longer a child, I'm much more mature now.
Maybe it has something to do with practising boxing,
because this is a sport that requires wisdom and bravery.
I train as a boxer and Zou Shiming is my hero.
My dream is to win an Olympic gold medal.
That is the dream of every student at this sports school.
(BOXING WAS BANNED IN CHINA UNTIL THE 1980S)
(ZOU SHIMING WON CHINA'S FIRST EVER GOLD MEDAL)
(IN OLYMPIC BOXING IN 2008)
(AND REPEATED AS OLYMPIC CHAMPION IN 2012)
The second successive Games,
Zou Shiming as the Olympic gold medallist
in the light flyweight division.
China will never, ever, I'm sure,
produce a boxer as good as this fellow.
(INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION OF BOXERS IN CHINA)
(COMING OF AGE: CHINA AFTER BEIJING 2008)