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Organised by the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC) and participated by over 1,800 local secondary and primary schools teachers since its inception in 1998, the Hongkong Bank Foundation School Coach Accreditation Programme (SCAP) will launch a new course in late October.

Excellent teachers not only motivate students to study but also take every chance to broaden their own horizons through continuous learning so as to uplift their teaching skills for nurturing a higher quality generation for Hong Kong. Teacher Fok Ming-fai from the Society of Boys' Centres Chak Yan Centre School (Primary Section) has demonstrated a good example on this.

Serving at a special school for maladjusted children with specific learning difficulties, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and emotional instability, Teacher Fok believed that sport could help build up students' team spirit and cooperation skill that benefits their personal development. In addition, sport can also act as a bridge for enhancing the relationship between teachers and students, just like the kinship established between top cycling coach Shen Jinkang and his fellow Wong Kam-po to name as an example.

"Apart from teaching, the most important task of a teacher is to educate our students to develop positive learning attitude and communication skills through various channels including sport," said Teacher Fok. Being a non-PE teacher at school, he has acquired professional coach training in Sports-Specific Skills (basketball) and Sports-General Theory through the Hongkong Bank Foundation SCAP this summer. He aims to go through the 30-hour practicum in basketball at school to get the Accredited School Coach status. This practical experience would eventually help upgrade his coaching standard and benefit his teaching in the long run.

Teacher Fok affirmed that the SCAP was surely a stepping-stone for him to become a sports coach. He said that the course has provided him with a chance to understand different training methods in basketball and the skill in searching useful sport-related information through various channels. All these help boost his confidence in teaching, making his communication with students more effective and the training enriched.

Teacher Fok thinks that the traditional training format is quite superficial and routine, more on one-way communication which discourages students' interest. It would not only defeat the training targets but also be disadvantageous to the relationships between teachers and students. Thanks to the SCAP course in summer that has changed the situation. The course gave him a lot of ideas in coaching students during sports sessions. For instance, the typical problem that most of his basketball fellows faced was the lack of shooting strength. In addition to the traditional way of explaining how to improve their shooting skills, Teacher Fok would use different games and activities to elaborate, and also search up-to-date information to devise a training plan to expedite the learning process. As a result, the playing skills of students can be improved and both the teachers and students could enjoy the training process and outcome.

While Hong Kong is in full force preparing for the hosting of the East Asian Games (EAG) for the first time, many local secondary and primary schools have expressed their support to the Games by all means. Besides launching torch relay at schools, some schools will be granted free tickets for watching the EAG and supporting our athletes. Being a teacher responsible for this project in school, Teacher Fok plans to accompany his students to enjoy such high level competitions which will give them an unforgettable sporting experience. He also sets his sights on coaching his students to represent Hong Kong at the international competitions in the future. He said, "The Programme has offered me an opportunity to enrich my coaching knowledge in both theoretical and practical aspects which I am sure can benefit my students. I'll also work hard with my sport team members to achieve our goal."

The Hongkong Bank Foundation SCAP will have its new course organised at the end of October on three sports training courses, namely football, tennis and volleyball which are also EAG sports. Local secondary and primary schools teachers are welcome to apply and submit the application form before 2 October (Friday). Since the SCAP will organise several courses every year, interested parties may visit the HKCC website on www.hkcoaching.com for more details. The HKCC was established in July 1991 to formulate short-term and long-term strategies for the development of coach education and accreditation programmes in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Coach Education Programme (HKCEP) has been funded by the Hongkong Bank Foundation with a total commitment of more than HK$2,100 million since 1992. Throughout the years, over 20,000 coaches have benefited from the training and recognition programmes in the HKCEP. Apart from the SCAP, other major components of the HKCEP include Hongkong Bank Foundation Coach Accreditation Programme, Hongkong Bank Foundation Continuing Coach Education Programme and Hongkong Bank Foundation School Coach Continuing Education Programme, as well as Hongkong Bank Foundation Coaching Awards.