Aerobics boost up school kids' sports skills

After a series of spins, jumps, lifts and other difficult movements to the music, some 40 pupils ended an aerobic dance with a final pose. Off the stage, their teacher Xia Mengxing took a photo and gave a thumbs-up.

Xia, 30, and the students are from the central primary school in Sanhe township in the city of Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

Passionate about aerobics, the sports teacher has trained more than 100 children from the rural area, guiding them to step onto a bigger life stage to see a broader world.

Growing up in the countryside, Xia had no chance to learn sports skills during her childhood, making her more determined to teach in a rural school instead of a big city.

Xia fell in love with aerobics while studying at Taizhou University. After graduation, in 2014, she became a sports teacher at the central primary school in Sanhe township.

"I want to give rural children access to systematic aerobic dance training at an early age, making it easier for them to achieve their sporting dreams," she says.

To win the support of the children's parents, Xia ensures that her team members do their homework before training. She also prepares snacks for the students. Xia is familiar with every member of the team and knows how to give them confidence.

Two years ago, Xia met Shen Yuxiang, then an 8-year-old boy with a quick temper.

"He easily lost patience during training and often called his mother to take him home," Xia recalls.

With continued observation, she found that Yuxiang was stronger and more explosive in strength than his peers. She kept inviting him to set an example for others during strength training. She also chatted with him a lot, supporting him in learning to cope with his negative emotions.

Several months later, Yuxiang became more peaceful in character, grew more interested in aerobics, and was more willing to attend training.

Sometimes Xia feels distressed, especially when she learns her team members are about to quit. One of them, 11-year-old Jin Jiayi, told Xia about her decision to stop training to study at a foreign language school. Jiayi joined the team when she was 7 years old. Xia always thought she was gifted and hardworking.

"Like Jiayi, many kids I thought highly of have quit as they develop new interests and plans. It took me some time to accept it, as I realize that the rural children now are lucky to have more choices," she says.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Xia taught students online how to exercise with books and plastic cups at home. Xia knows that most of her team members may not change their fate through sports or aerobics, but she believes her job is important.

"All I want to do is to pass on the joy of sports," she says.

Xinhua