On a late afternoon in early 2022, an unusual eight-a-side soccer stadium in a corner of Beijing's Chaoyang District, on the south bank of the Tonghui River, seemed unusually peaceful.
The field was empty, only four players were playing "grabbing the circle game", from time to time came the sound of passing and shooting. This seems to be an orderly training, but the players' movements and figures reveal that they are not idle.
The coach in charge of this training session is named Bao Seo-nam, 26 years old, and despite having no experience as a professional player, he studied sports science at Chungnam National University in South Korea and took the Korean Football Association's Level D coaching certificate.
Bao Ruinan introduced, "These two players, one is a player from last year's Central League club, and the other is a member of the Chinese Super League U19 ladder team. After the season, they came to train every day to keep their form."
Bao Ruinan created a special organization called "China Unemployed Players' Shelter", which aims to provide a platform for training and communication for professional players who have no official games to play for the time being.
Against the backdrop of the current situation where professional clubs are facing wage arrears and dissolution, 15 players have joined the organization. There are no money transactions here, and the players are holding together to face the difficulties together.
The training ground was provided by a friend Bao Ruinan knew, and the players had to work together to figure out how to feed, clothe, house, work out and treat injuries.
Bao Ruinan was unemployed in April 2021 and then worked part-time as a fitness instructor to make ends meet. He was working as a "black personal trainer" in Beijing until he received a phone call from Player A, who had played in the youth teams of European clubs.
In the hope of finding a place to train in Beijing, Bao Ruinan decided to go it alone and set up the "Shelter for Unemployed Players". Despite the difficulties encountered in the recruitment process, Bao Ruinan persisted.
Bao Ruinan hoped to find a stable tournament to hang his hat on, so that the team would have games to play every week. However, after the epidemic, all amateur leagues under the Beijing Football Association were suspended, which put a damper on his plans.
Faced with the problem of player mobility and funding, Bao Ruinan said, "Some players practiced and practiced to find a team to go, but also have to 'catch' a few folk to make up a team. The stability of the game is naturally difficult to guarantee."
Bao Ruinan has also encountered the plight of players who have been injured but are unable to pay their medical bills. He said, "The player doesn't know very much, much less have money. He wanted to continue practicing before the film was taken, and his first reaction after the film was to recuperate."
Through his efforts, Bao Ruinan hopes to provide a buffer for unemployed players to help them get through this difficult time.
Boreanan said, "With a bit of luck, maybe it might be possible to take up a job at a lower division club in the south. I'm hoping to find a field there and lead training after work every day."
"As long as there are players like that who are willing to come and follow the practice, then I will definitely do my best to bring it." Bao Ruinan said firmly.
