A teacher dedicated to aerobics

In addition to his main duty as a physical education teacher at Dong Giang Primary School, Dong Ha City, teacher Ho Ngoc Thuy is also known as a coach and referee who has made many positive contributions to the sports movement in his home province. In particular, in Quang Tri province, he is currently a rare male teacher with extensive knowledge and passion for Aerobics for students. With his heart, Mr. Thuy has helped many children to have strong and joyful dance steps, creating opportunities for them to participate in competitions and win many high achievements in school sports competitions...

Coach Ngoc Thuy and Aerobic athletes from Dong Giang Primary School actively practice to participate in the 2024 National Phu Dong Sports Festival, Region III, achieving high results - Photo: DC

Struggling with the movement

In 2008, with a degree from Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports, Mr. Thuy worked at Hoang Hoa Tham Primary School, Dong Ha City (later merged with Nguyen Van Troi Primary School to form Dong Giang Primary School). With in-depth knowledge of many sports and youthful enthusiasm, he cherished many plans and wondered how to diversify physical education activities and train talents for children.

Mr. Thuy confided: “When I was a student, I often went with my lecturers to watch children perform aerobics. At that time, this sport was developing very strongly in Ho Chi Minh City. From the first time I saw a professional aerobic performance by students, I was captivated by the beautiful movements and innocence of the children.

On the other hand, according to many people, other localities will also teach or organize Aerobic competitions, because this is a subject included in the competition program of the Phu Dong Sports Festival at all levels. From there, I determined to learn and study more knowledge about Aerobics so that when I have the opportunity, I can return to teach it to students in my hometown of Quang Tri. The more I learn about this subject, the more passionate I become without realizing it."

In the early years of teaching at Dong Giang Primary School, in addition to doing a good job in physical education, Mr. Thuy also focused on selecting talented students to form an Aerobics team and organize training sessions. He said that at that time, implementing Aerobics training encountered many difficulties. At the school, most students had little access to arts and sports, so selecting talented students from the beginning was like "looking for gold in the sand".

Therefore, Mr. Thuy only focused on selecting a number of students who met the criteria of physical strength and appearance, then started to train and practice intensive aerobic exercises for them. At that time, in Quang Tri, aerobics was not popular, so there was no facility that rented costumes or specialized in selling shoes, accessories, or exercise mats; most schools, gyms, and sound systems were lacking.

Understanding that, Mr. Thuy always encourages students to be diligent, to practice continuously and not to be discouraged. He proactively borrows the school gym and the neighborhood cultural house yard to help students complete their exercises.

At the same time, he also constantly learned, asked lecturers in Ho Chi Minh City for additional knowledge support, bought many books as well as asked for experience from colleagues specializing in Aerobics outside the province.

When implementing an exercise for students, Mr. Thuy always consults music teachers about how to choose songs so that when performing movements, they must be rhythmic, beautiful, and in sync with the music...

In addition, thanks to his expertise in physical education, he knows how to supplement the children with advanced physical exercises such as jumping rope, jogging, push-ups... to apply to difficult aerobic movements.

A teacher dedicated to aerobics

A performance by athletes from Dong Giang Primary School in the Dong Ha City Aerobic Team competing at the 2024 Provincial Phu Dong Sports Festival - Photo: DC

Through the training and coaching of Mr. Thuy, by 2018, Dong Giang Primary School had an Aerobic Gymnastics team that regularly performed for important activities and events of the school and the Department of Education and Training of Dong Ha City; participating in performances at city and local level programs and competitions.

He is also in charge of selecting and establishing the school's sports team, training students to compete in many different sports at sports tournaments, Phu Dong Sports Festivals at all levels, achieving many high achievements...

Make Your Mark with Aerobics

In recent years, many people were quite surprised to see Mr. Thuy, a physical education teacher, often present on the field to train and direct athletes and students in competitions and aerobic performances.

Because up to now, most of the Aerobic coaches in the province are female teachers with music expertise. Perhaps, because of that difference, he and his students have left many good impressions in the hearts of the audience through each competition or Phu Dong Sports Festival.

In 2020, Aerobics was officially introduced to the competition at the Phu Dong Sports Festival in Dong Ha City. The Aerobics Team of Dong Giang Primary School participated and won 2 Bronze Medals in the content of the 4-5 year old group and the optional group for groups 1, 2, 3; ranked third in the Aerobics team.

With that success, Coach Ho Ngoc Thuy and 2 athletes who are students of Dong Giang Primary School were called to the Dong Ha City Aerobic Team to participate in the 2021 Provincial Phu Dong Sports Festival. As a result, the team won 1 Silver Medal, 2 Bronze Medals, ranked third in the Aerobic team, Provincial Phu Dong Sports Festival.

After this achievement, Mr. Thuy was called to the provincial team to participate in the National Phu Dong Sports Festival. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this sport was not organized, so he had to miss the appointment with many regrets.

In addition to doing a good job of training, whenever participating in any competition, big or small, Mr. Thuy always follows the athletes like a "nanny", taking care of everything from costumes, shoes to eating, resting, and ensuring their health.

“It takes months of hard training to complete an Aerobic competition but only a few minutes to compete, so I am always there to remind the students to try their best and be meticulous in every step. Before the competition day, we also proactively coordinate with parents and school health workers to prepare well, minimizing factors that affect the students’ psychology and health,” he said.

With the dedication and seriousness in training of Coach Ho Ngoc Thuy, at the 2024 Phu Dong Sports Festival in Dong Ha City, the Aerobic team of Dong Giang Primary School participated in 6 competitions, with 27 athletes, excellently won 3 Gold Medals, 3 Bronze Medals and ranked first in the Aerobic team.

After that, Mr. Thuy and 18 athletes from Dong Giang Primary School joined the Dong Ha City Aerobic Gymnastics team to compete at the 7th Provincial Phu Dong Sports Festival in 2024. As a result, they won 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal, 1 bronze medal, and ranked first in the Aerobic team.

In addition to class time and aerobics time, Mr. Thuy also actively participates in grassroots sports activities in the province.

In particular, he is a referee for official provincial sports tournaments and football tournaments organized by amateur and amateur football communities. With deep expertise in football, prestige and high responsibility in his work, he is recognized and highly appreciated by the organizing committee, players and many football lovers.

Mr. Thuy shared: “I am currently taking on the role of head coach along with 2 other coaches and 17 athletes who will compete in the Aerobic event, the 2024 National Phu Dong Sports Festival Region III taking place in Quang Nam. The whole team is actively practicing with the determination to make their mark with high achievements in the first time Aerobic Quang Tri reaches out to the big playground.”

Hoai Diem Chi

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