Put me in coach! Banchao takes Beijing by storm

Primary and secondary schools across Beijing have fully embraced banchao, or class-based sporting competitions, ensuring that every child has a chance to play, compete and belong on the field of play.

In the first half of this year alone, 99.7 percent of Beijing's schools organized such activities, hosting 194,000 matches with 4.986 million student participations, according to citywide statistics.

The Beijing Municipal Education Commission issued a notice earlier this year mandating a long-term mechanism for class competitions, promoting the "three major balls" — football (or soccer), basketball and volleyball — while introducing new sports projects.

Students and teachers said banchao is not just about winning. It's about turning every student into a participant, fostering lifelong healthy habits, building community and teaching invaluable lessons such as teamwork and perseverance.

Zhu Guohui, director of the physical and health education center at Beijing No 2 Experimental Primary School, said the school started monthly competitions in 2016.

This tradition has effectively broken the old model where a handful of students competed and the majority simply sat back and watched, Zhu said, adding that the school now requires all students to participate, with some even taking on roles like video chroniclers and referees.

Each semester, every class holds at least five competitions, and if they advance to later rounds, there can be up to 10 competitions, he said. For the basketball league's four quarters, different students play each quarter. "For instance, the first quarter has five boys, the second five girls, the third another five boys and the fourth another five girls. This way, about half the class sees time on court," he said.

For students whose skills aren't suited for the full court, shooting and passing competitions are held. Halftime features cheerleading performances, offering yet another group of students a platform to show their stuff.

"So, it's about every class having competitions, every class having teams and every class having a display," Zhu said.

At one of its campuses, basketball is a continuous program from grades one to six, ensuring most graduates master basic skills relevant to the secondary school entrance sports exam. Similarly, on another campus, by sixth grade, students can utilize various soccer skills in a comprehensive match, Zhu said.

Through this cycle of learning, practicing and competing, students develop solid habits and master motor skills as well as stay in good physical shape, he added.

Ma Luo, a physical education teacher at Beijing Guangqumen Middle School, said that the city's education authorities have called for vigorous development of student class leagues — at least four for middle school and three for high school per semester, alongside increased weekly physical education lessons.

Ma's school, a national specialist school for soccer, basketball and volleyball, has gone above and beyond the call of duty. They designed a dual competition structure. Initially, competitive tournaments see class representatives compete in a round-robin system to crown champions in each grade, she said. Then, group-based events are integrated into PE classes to achieve full participation. These include collective volleyball skills, juggling in football and dribbling and shooting in basketball.

The result this year was more than 300 matches, vastly surpassing the policy's baseline requirement, she said.

"The students' participation enthusiasm is very high," Ma said. "During the lunch break league time from 12:40 pm to 1:20 pm, the playground is always packed."

She emphasized the powerful sense of class honor and the virtuous cycle it creates.

"Students apply the sports skills they learn in class during the competitions, identify problems and then go back to class for further improvement," she said.

This synergy between in-class and out-of-class activities also helped students build long-term exercise habits, preparing them for physical tests and the sports exam.

Chen Siyu, a fourth-grader at Beijing No 2 Experimental Primary School, said that she felt a mix of excitement and nervousness before the rowing machine competition to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival, which fell on May 31 this year.

Since she was never too good at the rowing machine, Chen said she worried about being a liability for her teammates. When it was her group's turn, she "pulled with all my might, going as fast as I could".

Though their group didn't win, the teacher said they achieved good results, and the class celebrated with cheers and chants of "Hooray!", creating "the happiest moment of our lives".

Shen Ruoxi, who also participated in the rowing competition, said that when it was their turn, her nervousness was overcome by the mantra "don't panic".

They focused on technique — legs pushing forward, hands pulling the paddles, upper body leaning back, moving like a wave.

The key takeaway, she said, was understanding that unity is strength and that every classmate must go all out to achieve good results.