Yesterday, some media forwarded the article “The Dream of the second baby” published by Zhao Weilun’s mother 11 years ago, which explained the huge gap between China and Italy in the youth training of basketball.
The following is the original text:
The 6-year-old Erwa (Zhao Weilun) was a devout Wei fan. The Heat lost the ball in the first game, which made him very depressed. On the way back from training, Erwa solemnly announced to me, “I must play NBA, I will go to the heat.”
I was touched by this lovely dream.
My baby, I know basketball is a part of your little life. I also know that thousands of children with yellow skin and black eyes are as obsessed with this orange rubber ball as you are. However, you happen to live in Italy, and you are closer to your dream.
Because here, basketball is a kind of sports, not a tool to win honor for the country, nor a business opportunity to earn money. There is no dark box operation and no age. People play basketball just because they like it. You will enjoy the happiness that basketball brings to you as much as possible, and there will be no external force to distort your belief.
Because here, basketball is a kind of social welfare. What the Basketball Association pays more attention to is not how to build a better professional league, but how to let the public enjoy their due rights. Even small towns with thousands of people have their own basketball clubs. All school stadiums are open to the public to ensure that all people who want to play can have field training and competitions. The prosperity of any kind of sports cannot be separated from its popularity.
Because here, there is a perfect youth training and league system. From U8 to U19, there are thousands of teams of every age in provincial, regional and national league matches according to the record of last season. Good players are not made on the assembly line, but honed in hundreds of regular matches from small to large. You are Chinese, but you will not be afraid of any physical confrontation. The whole game is tight, because you play like this every day.
It is also because basketball is the belief of many people here. People who love basketball are like a family regardless of their identity or clan. The stadium of our Varese Class A team is another home for you and many small fans. You can watch the training and matches of the Class A team at any time, and you can shoot in the field between the Serie A league. Andre manteriya is the MVP of the European Championship. He is the general coach of the club and your big friend.
My baby, you are really lucky. You can pursue your dream with peace of mind. Before graduating from high school, you don’t have to struggle between choosing to study or playing basketball.
Even if that is just a dream, your efforts will make you gain universal love, friendship, strength and health. You will also bring this happiness to your children. The flame of basketball is like this, which is endless and passed down from generation to generation.
