'Launch pad' of a football talent

Growing up in the "cradle" of sports

Nguyen Duc Khang is one of the four bright faces of the Nghi Loc district youth football team. Born and raised in a family with a tradition of sports, Khang has been passionate about football since he could walk and that passion is fully supported by his family.

Ms. Duong Thi Lam, mother of player Nguyen Duc Khang, shared: “Khang’s grandfather is one of the “die-hard” fans of Song Lam Nghe An Club. He is always present in the stands at all of Song Lam Nghe An’s football matches and knows all the coaches. That love was passed on to Khang’s father. Khang’s grandfather and father love football so much that they are willing to spend money to go to Hanoi to watch important football matches such as the SEA Games, Asian Cup... I myself also have a passion and talent for sports and enthusiastically participate in all movement activities at school, work, and locality. Perhaps Khang’s passion is the result of both genetic factors and living environment factors.”

Nguyen Duc Khang is highly appreciated for his technique as well as tactical thinking. Photo: Diep Thanh

Khang's parents supported his passion and created the best conditions for Khang to participate in training programs that suited his abilities and family conditions. The most typical example of this investment is probably the time Khang participated in the Nghe An Province U10 Talented Football Tournament in Quy Hop.

During the 5 days of the tournament, Khang's grandfather, father and younger brother paid all the expenses to accompany Khang. This support not only had spiritual significance for Khang but also was a great encouragement for the Nghi Loc district team. Khang's father was willing to buy him good shoes and good balls so that Khang could practice with his friends. A little bit of each, when added together, was not a small amount. However, family members always determined that this was a worthy investment.

“More than anyone else, we understand the benefits of sports. For children, passion for sports not only brings health and flexibility but also helps them gain more motor skills, communication skills, experience and relationships with friends and teachers. Personally, I see that since Khang joined football clubs, he has become much more confident,” said Ms. Lam.

In addition, Ms. Lam also affirmed that sports also indirectly have a positive impact on children's learning outcomes. She explained: "Many mothers think that if their children are too busy playing soccer and are passionate about sports, they will neglect their studies. But I don't see it that way. When Khang finds joy in sports, he becomes more excited, active and enthusiastic in all other activities, including studying. At the same time, at Khang's age, when his consciousness is not yet clearly formed, he also needs the companionship and guidance of his parents. From grade 1 until now, despite spending a lot of time on sports, Khang still maintains good academic performance at school."

Khang practices soccer with his mother and younger brothers in the yard. Photo: Diep Thanh

Not only is Khang lucky to have his family create conditions for him to pursue his passion, he is also lucky to have parents who are great friends, always accompanying and motivating him. Sharing about that luck, Khang confided: “My parents support me but never put pressure on me. They always tell me words of encouragement and trust, which makes me feel very happy and want to share everything with my parents, both happy and sad times.”

"Passing on the torch" from the previous generation

In addition to family factors, Nguyen Duc Khang also received dedicated guidance from coach Le Trung Hieu - an employee of the Nghi Loc District Sports and Culture Center. Mr. Hieu is also one of the grassroots coaches of the Song Lam Nghe An Club, directly training potential young players in Nghi Loc District.

Nghi Loc district U10 team participated in the tournament in Quy Hop in 2020. Photo: Document

Commenting on his student, Mr. Hieu said: “Khang has a great love for this sport. Although he does not have the advantage of physical strength and appearance, Khang is superior in tactical thinking and ball-holding ability, suitable for the defensive position. That is why every time he comes to check the quality of the players, Song Lam Nghe An Club pays special attention to this boy. In addition, in the role of a teacher, I highly appreciate Khang's calmness and maturity. Compared to his peers, Khang knows how to think thoroughly and does not let the teachers remind him much.”

As an intermediary, a bridge between the club and the players' families, coaches like Mr. Hieu take on the job because of their passion for the king of sports and their desire to "pass on" that passion to the next generation. "It's not simply about instructing, guiding, and training. We need to motivate, inspire, be dedicated, and passionate with the players so that they can have spiritual joy and their parents - who accompany them in every training session - feel proud and honored. Although my salary is not high, I am willing to spend my own money to support training costs for players with especially difficult family circumstances, even asking someone to pick up and drop off players who live far away or going to the players' homes to convince their parents to let their children pursue their passion for football. It would be a pity if the players had to waste their talent just because of family reasons," Mr. Hieu confided.

With that in mind, from 2015 to present,Nghi Loc district youth and children football movementhas many improvements and continuously achieved high results. From the gifted class, under the guidance of Mr. Hieu, many young players have become official players wearing the Song Lam Nghe An shirt and are in the national team. They are Nguyen Ba Duc, Nguyen Quang Vinh, Nguyen Khanh Toan, Nguyen Cong Dat, Bui Thanh Duc...

Nghi Loc district youth and children's football team. Photo: Document

Talking to reporters, coach Le Trung Hieu revealed an interesting piece of information: He himself also participated in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament 20 years ago. These days, while training hard for the district team to prepare for the 2022 season, the bustling emotions of the young Hieu from years ago came flooding back. He said: “Back then, there weren't many playgrounds like now and we were very excited about the tournament. We played at C7 field, a dirt field, training and competition conditions were lacking, but the people's love for football was immense. Each young player would have at least 2-3 adults cheering for them, so the field was always crowded, joyful and happy. For me, the seasonNghe An Newspaper CupEvery year is a brilliant childhood memory that will never be forgotten and we try our best so that the next generation can have such beautiful memories."