As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, a significant change has occurred in the manner in which children are educated. As we recently conducted visits to several leading schools in Asia, it allowed me and my colleagues to examine how COVID has impacted children’s activities and what ways the future might look like post-COVID. One of the teachers in an international school in Singapore explained that once the COVID restrictions in the soccer field were removed it was difficult to keep kids away from the soccer field. The multiethnic nation of Singapore is made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians living peacefully alongside one another, each with their own languages, cultures, and religions. Children of diverse backgrounds playing soccer together on a field was a delight to us. Ceyone Tiwari, an elementary school student from Singapore who attends soccer academies regularly, says “I love to play soccer. Playing soccer on a team, participating in group activities for soccer, and attending regular soccer sessions make me feel energized and refreshed. As a result of COVID lockdown, I used to miss soccer tremendously.”
Some parents may be concerned about the cost of attending soccer training and academies in Asia. There is no doubt that travel and registration fees, as well as soccer trips, camps, and soccer equipment all cost money. During our tour of a few soccer academies in Singapore, we observed that children were having fun playing soccer on the fields. Children in Asia are becoming increasingly interested in soccer, which has some positive aspects. In highly competitive environments, some children thrive, and the best players receive unsurpassed coaching and training. Opening of travel post-COVID offers a unique opportunity to travel and play soccer with kids from various backgrounds through collaboration with international academics. Ceyone Tiwari further elaborates, “While I play soccer, parents get to know one another and children make new friends. In addition to this, I constantly seek to learn, improve, and develop, as well as to achieve personal satisfaction. Soccer, in my opinion, is a sport that encompasses fun and learning at every turn, and never ceases to amaze me.”
Ceyone’s mother, Payal Pisal, described the experience of post-COVID soccer as being entirely new since there had been no soccer-driven kids sports scene during COVID and the scene has significantly changed since then. Children are motivated to play soccer when they offer encouragement to their teammates and communicate effectively with them due to the collaborative nature of the game. Soccer is enjoyable because of the interaction that children have with their teammates. Participating in sports and soccer is associated with a number of positive outcomes. Consistent participation in sports can improve a child’s psychological well-being. Increasingly, social media-savvy parents post content about their children playing soccer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Using Payal Pisal’s words in summary, “Whenever I watch kids playing soccer, I feel as if they are playing with their heads as well as with their hearts, emotions, feelings, and souls. They do not just use the ball and soccer cleats on their feet, they are bound by friendship and teamwork”.
