No rest for budding soccer stars this winter break

A student practices drills with a trainer at a youth soccer training camp at Beijing Royal School on Tuesday.[Photo provided by Ray Sports]

While their peers take piano or English tutorials in the winter school break, a group of students in Beijing have spent their holidays in a more active way – honing their soccer skills.

At a youth soccer training camp at Beijing Royal School, 80 players selected from 74 elementary and junior high schools practiced individual skills, offense and defense tactics, as well as, team drills twice a day.

From Jan 17 to 22, they were put through their paces on the pitch under the guidance of an experienced coaching team led by former national women's coach Ma Yuan'an.

Participants, who were divided into five gender and age groups, also attended lectures about the rules and history of the game presented by Chinese trainers and guest coaches from Spain.

Approved by the Beijing Campus Football Leading Group Office, the camp was organized and promoted by Beijing-based Ray Sports, which hired a youth coaching crew from Spain to provide foreign expertise.

It's the second year the winter school camp has been run.

As China aims to develop into a world soccer power, highlighted in a national plan issued in 2015, Wang Jun, director of physical education, health and art at the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, said these camps promote the game at the entry level.

"The event was tasked with pushing campus soccer promotion in the city and to create the culture of soccer participation among students. It has also brought more choices for students to spend a meaningful winter holiday," Wang said.