Zhang Fan, a boy from Ouhai born in 2001, is nearly 1.73 meters tall and has a slender build. He may not stand out in a crowd, but those who know him well are aware that he is a "football expert".
In the newly released list of the best teams for youth campus football in Zhejiang Province in 2019, Zhang Fan, a student from Class 7, Grade 11 of Wenzhou No. 21 High School, was selected for the best team of the high school boys' group A and was awarded the title of "National Second-Class Football Player". This means that in his senior year of high school, he can enter a university through the college's sports enrollment.
Recently, a reporter had a face-to-face conversation with him and listened to his story about football.
Flamboyant personality
Being naughty and mischievous in class
When Zhang Fan was in the fourth grade of primary school, an experience of playing football at a football club made him fall in love with the sport of football as a child. From then on until his junior high school years, he always served as the captain of the school football team. In 2017, Zhang Fan entered Wenzhou No. 21 Middle School as a student with special talents and became a substitute player for the school's football team.
After entering high school, Zhang Fan said that despite his flamboyant personality since childhood, he still did as he pleased. In the first semester of his first year in high school, he caused a lot of trouble for his class and teachers. He talked in class, didn't do his homework on time, and his relationship with his classmates was not harmonious either.
"Substitute's 'Comeback'
Strive to become a national athlete
The transformation occurred in the second semester of the first year of high school.
Although Zhang Fan's naughty and mischievous behavior caused his teachers a lot of headaches, the school teachers still did not give up educating and persuading him. Zhang Fan said, "Both my head teacher and Vice Principal Jin, who is in charge of football, had a lot to talk with me. They were both reasonable and very emotional. Principal Jin told me that if a football player wants to have a long-term development, they must make good plans and cultivate their character. They mustn't waste time."
In the second semester of his first year of high school, Li Hao, who also graduated from Wenzhou No. 21 Middle School and is Zhang Fan's "idol", won the "Best Goalkeeper of Zhejiang Province's Super Group in 2016", and is currently studying at Central South University, returned to the school for an exchange. After having a conversation with his senior, Zhang Fan realized that only with a calm and reserved personality and mature and exquisite skills could he go far on the path of football.
From then on, he bid farewell to the life of "just going through the motions". Besides the daily concentrated training time, he also "added extra classes" for himself. That is, in the half an hour after the evening self-study, he would also go to the playground to focus on his weaknesses in coordination and strength confrontation, and under the guidance of his coach, Mr. Sun Yu, he would intensify his training.
After more than half a year of "extra practice" in passing and shooting, he finally paid off. Not only did he successfully become a regular member of the school team as a substitute, but he was also selected into the best team of the 2019 Zhejiang Province Youth Campus Football High School Boys' A Group with the highest total score among forwards, and was awarded the title of "National Second-Class Football Player".
During this period, I have been preparing for the branch camp activities of the National Football Summer camp to be held in July this year, hoping to make a breakthrough. Zhang Fan said.
The Road ahead
I want to be a PE teacher
Regarding his ideal university, Zhang Fan said that his goal is Tongji University. This is because the football team of Tongji University is very "outstanding", and the title of "National Second-Class Football Player" has also given him the opportunity to participate in the college's sports enrollment.
In addition to training the entire team to enhance its overall strength, the team members will also receive targeted training based on the specific requirements of the college sports single enrollment. Sun Yu, the coach of the school's football team, said.
Regarding her future career choice, Zhang Fan told the reporter that her heart is very "calm". She wants to return to Wenzhou after graduating from university and become a physical education teacher. Through teaching, she aims to make more children fall in love with football.
Zhang Fan, a boy from Ouhai born in 2001, is nearly 1.73 meters tall and has a slender build. He may not stand out in a crowd, but those who know him well are aware that he is a "football expert".
In the newly released list of the best teams for youth campus football in Zhejiang Province in 2019, Zhang Fan, a student from Class 7, Grade 11 of Wenzhou No. 21 High School, was selected for the best team of the high school boys' group A and was awarded the title of "National Second-Class Football Player". This means that in his senior year of high school, he can enter a university through the college's sports enrollment.
Recently, a reporter had a face-to-face conversation with him and listened to his story about football.
Flamboyant personality
Being naughty and mischievous in class
When Zhang Fan was in the fourth grade of primary school, an experience of playing football at a football club made him fall in love with the sport of football as a child. From then on until his junior high school years, he always served as the captain of the school football team. In 2017, Zhang Fan entered Wenzhou No. 21 Middle School as a student with special talents and became a substitute player for the school's football team.
After entering high school, Zhang Fan said that despite his flamboyant personality since childhood, he still did as he pleased. In the first semester of his first year in high school, he caused a lot of trouble for his class and teachers. He talked in class, didn't do his homework on time, and his relationship with his classmates was not harmonious either.
"Substitute's 'Comeback'
Strive to become a national athlete
The transformation occurred in the second semester of the first year of high school.
Although Zhang Fan's naughty and mischievous behavior caused his teachers a lot of headaches, the school teachers still did not give up educating and persuading him. Zhang Fan said, "Both my head teacher and Vice Principal Jin, who is in charge of football, had a lot to talk with me. They were both reasonable and very emotional. Principal Jin told me that if a football player wants to have a long-term development, they must make good plans and cultivate their character. They mustn't waste time."
In the second semester of his first year of high school, Li Hao, who also graduated from Wenzhou No. 21 Middle School and is Zhang Fan's "idol", won the "Best Goalkeeper of Zhejiang Province's Super Group in 2016", and is currently studying at Central South University, returned to the school for an exchange. After having a conversation with his senior, Zhang Fan realized that only with a calm and reserved personality and mature and exquisite skills could he go far on the path of football.
From then on, he bid farewell to the life of "just going through the motions". Besides the daily concentrated training time, he also "added extra classes" for himself. That is, in the half an hour after the evening self-study, he would also go to the playground to focus on his weaknesses in coordination and strength confrontation, and under the guidance of his coach, Mr. Sun Yu, he would intensify his training.
After more than half a year of "extra practice" in passing and shooting, he finally paid off. Not only did he successfully become a regular member of the school team as a substitute, but he was also selected into the best team of the 2019 Zhejiang Province Youth Campus Football High School Boys' A Group with the highest total score among forwards, and was awarded the title of "National Second-Class Football Player".
During this period, I have been preparing for the branch camp activities of the National Football Summer camp to be held in July this year, hoping to make a breakthrough. Zhang Fan said.
The Road ahead
I want to be a PE teacher
Regarding his ideal university, Zhang Fan said that his goal is Tongji University. This is because the football team of Tongji University is very "outstanding", and the title of "National Second-Class Football Player" has also given him the opportunity to participate in the college's sports enrollment.
In addition to training the entire team to enhance its overall strength, the team members will also receive targeted training based on the specific requirements of the college sports single enrollment. Sun Yu, the coach of the school's football team, said.
Regarding her future career choice, Zhang Fan told the reporter that her heart is very "calm". She wants to return to Wenzhou after graduating from university and become a physical education teacher. Through teaching, she aims to make more children fall in love with football.