撰写"Source of this article: Shanxi News Network"
There is a saying in the sports world that "the achievements in spring are all trained in winter". Winter is the golden training period for athletes. At present, all sports teams in our province have started winter training to practice skills and store energy for the next competition cycle. Among them, a student army is also training tirelessly in the physical training hall of Shanxi Sports Center. They are members of the Shanxi rugby team. This team reached the finals in this year’s National Games and achieved good results, which also made this minority sport known to more people. Recently, a reporter from Shanxi Evening News walked into the football team and got close contact with this masculine team. Through the introduction of Guo Xinhua, secretary-general of Shanxi Football Team and head coach of Shanxi Football Team, he learned the unique charm of this sport.
First of all, you probably have a misunderstanding about football.
You may have three misunderstandings about football-
Myth 1: Athletes should be fully armed during the competition.
Wearing a special mask and protective gear, rushing to the opponent vigorously, or being hit by the opponent to "take off in place." In your mind, this is football?
In fact, this visual impact is brought to you by American football. Rugby, as an Olympic event, has a slightly milder competition process, and there is also a gentler mode of "touch football", which only needs to touch the ball instead of colliding to grab it.
Coach Guo said humorously, "There is no more difference in equipment except that the clothes of our players are more tear-resistant than those of football players." Because of the unique rules of football, players are allowed to pull, drag and hug their opponents, so the physical strength of players is tested as well as the endurance of clothes.
According to reports, rugby requires athletes under the age of 16 to wear soft protective gear. Players over the age of 16 are free to choose whether to wear them during the competition.
Myth 2: Rugby is more likely to get hurt than other sports.
Will there be a particularly high injury rate after such intense exercise? Coach Guo denied the layman’s idea of a reporter. The injury rate of this sport is actually very low. "Football ball holders only need to hold the ball, and all their energy is focused on avoidance and confrontation. High tension and attention will reduce the injury rate. Unlike basketball and football, most of the attention of athletes is on dribbling and shooting. At this time, some actions of opponents will cause serious injuries to athletes. "
Myth 3: Only strong people can play football.
You would never expect that rugby is so inclusive-from the age of 75 to the age of 4, from 2 to 15 people, you can play together. Especially the "touch football", as long as it is touched, it means that the opponent gets the ball, which is not antagonistic, but more exercises people’s coordination, cooperation and sensitivity. At the same time, just like five fingers, the selection of players in this sport is not limited to being tall and strong. "The most important requirement for football players is explosive power, and other conditions are second." Coach Guo said.
Speaking of history: the student army is moving towards professionalism.
Since its establishment in May 2011, the football team in Shanxi Province has been 10 years old, and Shanxi is the first province in China to establish a football team. In the National Games in 2013 and 2017, the teams all achieved the eighth place in the country. After the former players retired year by year, the team that reached the finals at this year’s Shaanxi National Games was actually a student army. They were formed by the team when they participated in the Second Youth Conference in 2019, and they were basically students of Shanxi Sports Vocational College. But it is worth mentioning that many of these students’ opponents in this year’s National Games are professional teams.
According to coach Guo, at present, there are 68 male and female players and 48 male players in Shanxi rugby team, all of whom are basically after 00; There are 20 female athletes, younger, mostly after 05. At present, the football team in Shanxi Province is going through the process of slowly transitioning from a school team to a professional team. After graduation, most of these students who have experienced various competitions will change their identities and become professional athletes, thus forming a professional football team that truly belongs to Shanxi.
In China, the popularity and national recognition of rugby is not high. In this year’s rugby sevens competition of Tokyo Olympic Games, the China women’s team beat Japan 29-0, and achieved a good result in the seventh place at the first Olympic Games. This proud record has made Chinese people gradually realize this sport. It is reported that there are only 20 or 30 professional teams in China, while there are more than 3,000 rugby clubs in Japan. This gap also makes this victory in the Olympic Games particularly precious.
Looking at Shanxi, the Second Youth League has contributed a lot to the popularization and development of this sport. Coach Guo introduced that as an unpopular project, there were 500 to 600 people engaged in this sport after the Second Youth Games, which affected about 10,000 people, and the number increased explosively compared with before. At the same time, there are more and more football games. Since 2019, Shanxi Rugby Championship will be held every year to promote the development of this sport and the deepening of youth rugby. In the future, the province’s rugby touch league will be held to promote the development of the project.
Grounding gas: it can be the gospel of chubby.
Every sport has its unique charm, and the charm of rugby is embodied in its five spirits-integrity, enthusiasm, unity, discipline and respect. At the same time, at the moment when sports and education are integrated and quality education is advocated, rugby is also helpful to solve some practical problems of children, "especially for the cultivation of boys’ bloodiness and blood gas." Coach Guo said.
In addition, from the perspective of shaping and practicing, football may be the gospel of "chubby". "When you are holding the ball and someone is chasing behind you, your potential is stimulated at this time. You must be running hard, and your weight will of course be reduced; In addition, as a group project, rugby is more interesting and easier to stick to than your long-distance running training alone; In the competition, it is necessary to avoid opponents, and the coordination, flexibility and cardiopulmonary function of the body are naturally improved. " Coach Guo said. As the president of the provincial rugby association, he also said that rugby will be a very good sport to enter the campus. "It is easy to learn and quick to use, and children can start the game after simple training, and touch rugby is less likely to be injured, which is very suitable for promotion in schools." It is reported that at present, there are five cities in the province, such as Luliang, Yangquan, Jincheng, Taiyuan and Jinzhong.
In the future, Shanxi Rugby Association has put forward a five-year plan to promote rugby in 100 schools in the province in five years. It is necessary for 50,000 people to understand and participate in rugby. At the same time, we will continue to strengthen the training of coaches and referees. "Many national referees we have trained have begun to enter national and even Asian competitions for arbitration. In the future, more coaches, referees and professional athletes will come out from this team to promote the better development of Shanxi rugby.
Shanxi Evening News reporter Zhang Jie
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