A winning pitch for girls' soccer

Tough approach

Head coach Zhen, 58, has cultivated two players for China's women's national soccer team, Wang Liping and Liu Shanshan. Since 1984, Zhen has insisted on a strict training schedule for his charges, who now number 150 and include the high school players plus some from nearby primary and middle schools.

The players need to get up at 5:30 am and do strength and technique training from 6 am to 7 am. They repeat the routine from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, six days a week.

Wang Lisuo, the deputy president of the school who is in charge of sports education, said "nothing can stop him, not even snow or rain".

"There's a crazy enthusiasm in this man for soccer-he always sees good players as treasures," Wang Lisuo added, noting that Zhen often scouts primary schools in the city for promising players.

Zhen asked Wang Zhanjiang, one of the best players he trained, to work at the school after she retired from playing in 2010. "The tradition needs to be passed down," he told her.

The head coach said recruiting new players was the most difficult part of the job. "Most parents refuse us directly, while some players give up within a month after joining training," he said.

Some parents are also concerned that soccer training will take away from their children's study time. "They think playing soccer will not give their kids a bright future," Zhen said.