On the playground of Weize Youth League Expectation Primary School in Changhu Township, Shilin County, two army-green mats spread quietly on top of cold concrete. 11-year-old Bi Huimei, holding a soccer goalkeeper's glove in her hand, practiced making saves under the coach's motivation. Her eyes show a hint of hesitation, as if she is worried about the distance between her weight and the mats. "If you're afraid of the goalie's duties, let alone anyone else." The coach encourages her in an imperious tone.
Bi Huimei in drills.
In this picture, we can see Bi Huimei practicing hard for a punt, with determination in her eyes despite her humble surroundings.
With tanned skin and a round face, Bi Huimei's hair is naturally curly, and when she puts it in a ponytail, the broken hair on her forehead flutters in the wind.
This is where they train - next to the concrete playground on campus, where the nets in the soccer goal have long been tattered.
Junjun Pu, also 11 years old, is the team's defender. At the request of her teammates, she demonstrated the punt on the mat.
Pu Junjun saved the punt with a blank face and no hesitation. After finishing, she covered her butt and laughed, "My butt hurts."
In 2017, Shilin County became a "National School Football Characteristic Demonstration County", and the girls' soccer team was born. Due to the lack of space, the girls can only train on the concrete floor every day.
The site of the newly constructed soccer field was filled with laughter as girls stood curiously looking down from the school building.
On April 28, the stadium was officially completed and women's soccer legends such as Sun Wen, Liu Ailing and Wang Liping came to the site to provide guidance to the girls.
On an ordinary evening, the kids on the women's soccer team gather to soak their feet and discuss their dreams for the future.
"Will the next generation of our women's soccer team be us?"
"There's no chance of that."
"Will it be one of us?"
On this question, they had not found an answer, but who was to say that it would not come true?
Every wish, starts from this moment.
