This summer vacation, students majoring in physical education in Shanghai seem to have found it easier to get part-time tutoring jobs, with many parents keen to have them teach their children to be more active.

Parents are booking tutors to drag their children away from the TV or computer, the Xinmin Evening Post reported on Monday.

13-year-old Xiao Lin is a middle school student, who is over-weight and since school holidays began has seldom left home. All he did is playing computer games. He can't remember the telephone number of his home, but he's very familiar with those for all the nearby fast food restaurants, which he regularly calls, the report said.

Initially, Xiao Lin's parents were satisfied as he didn't play crazily as other boys did. But later, they became worried. They found that their son muttered it was difficult for him to climb the stairs to come home. Even a five-minute walk road to the market was too far for him.

Lin's mother then decided to find her son a sports coach, teaching him to play basketball. She wanted her son to become a bit sporty and make new friends.

Other parents also hope their sports tutor can be a playmate to their lonely kids.

Zhang Mingli, a senior student from the Shanghai University of Sports recently had two students, who are twin sisters. Their parents are always on business trips, leaving the girls with their grandmother. After every class, they don't want to let Zhang Mingli go, the report said.

With an hourly payment of 50 to 80 yuan, (US$6.60 to US$10.50) a sports tutor earns a bit more than an ordinary culture course teacher.

But the job is not easy, as the tutors need to tell their students more than just how to play.

"You should teach the children some skills, telling them how to avoid being injured when doing physical exercise," Hua Jia, a classmate of Zhang Mingli, was quoted as saying.

"At the same time, you should also temper their mentality, fostering their interests to the activities."

Professor Yang Ye from the university says that the popularity of sports tutors makes good sense, showing many parents have begun to realize the importance of physical exercise.

However, Yang also advised the parents to be patient with their children's development, as too much exercise might lead to injury.