Coronavirus: Hong Kong children happy to be back playing sport as pandemic lingers – ‘They’re kids, they’re supposed to be running around’
- Hong Kong Football Club’s Junior Soccer programme offers a microcosm of return to play for kids in the city: slow, steady and socially-distanced
- Chairman Nam Nguyen says if anything good has come out of the pandemic, it is an increased appreciation for health and wellness, especially for kids
Leah Moi says the best part about playing football does not even take place on the pitch.
“I like the social aspect of it,” said the 11-year-old. “Making new friends and being in new environments.”
Moi’s parents, Joyce and Zane, said they were ecstatic to see their daughter back enjoying the sport she loves after the pandemic shut kids out for extended periods since last March. They said now that their daughter is back exercising, she is more receptive and engaged overall.
“When she was stuck at home, there was a lot more complaining about things being boring and there was nothing to do,” said Joyce. “Now she feels much better, much more energetic. And she is much more communicative with us, and willing to talk and listen more about simple things, and share more, even her feelings.”
“The behaviour changed where it was really easy for the kids to just go onto the screens,” said Zane. “And by default it’s attractive to children, and they do that first as opposed to wanting to get out and kick a ball around.”
Hong Kong Football Club Junior Soccer programme chairman Nam Nguyen, who oversees more than 1,100 kids, ranging from ages four to 18, said the return to play in February has been a slow one and they have noticed lingering effects from the lockdowns.
“When we first got back we didn’t do any drills, we just let them play and hang out with each other, because they hadn’t even been together socially. And then as the weeks have gone on, they’ve become more used to it, and although we’re restricted in how we train, they’re starting to seem normal again.”
Nguyen said one scary trend has been an increase in kids wearing glasses. Near-sightedness, or myopia, increased 1.4 to three times in Chinese children aged six to eight years during Covid-19 quarantine, according to a study published in medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
Eyesight was not the only hit children across the world took. Research from The Hospital for Sick Children found a large majority of children and youth experienced harm to their mental health. This included stress from social isolation, including the cancellation of important life events and the loss of in-person social interactions, with both directly associated to a rise in mental health deterioration.
Deborah Li, who has three daughters in the HKFC programme, said it is crucial her children stay physically fit during an important moment in their development.
“Not just physically but mentally for them,” said Li, saying she also noticed her daughters’ eyesight took a hit. “They’re kids, they’re supposed to be running around.”
Deborah’s daughter, Layla, 8, who has been playing soccer for four years, said she’s happy to be back running around. “I feel much better now.”
About 250 of the kids within the HKFC programme are girls and Nguyen said they have to pay special attention at such a crucial time. Research has shown that although boys and girls enrol in sports at a similar rate, dropout rates for girls are much higher. This decline begins around the age of nine and drops off sharply during their teen years.
Allyson Shick, who plays for the Hong Kong U18 national team and is also a coach at HKFC, said it is important for girls to grow through sport.
“I’ve found football is a great opportunity for girls to develop team skills and to grow in confidence. Through this, there’s a real sense of empowerment”
