In 2021, the Shanghai School for the Blind cooperated with the Yache County Special Education School to set up the first blind football team in Xinjiang, named "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team". The name "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team" is not only the team's slogan, but also the brainchild for the documentary of the same name that they will be giving**. The establishment of this team is inseparable from the promotion of the public welfare documentary "Hey, Hey, Hey, Football Team", which is the first work about the junior blind football team in China. Currently, the documentary is still in the process of filming and production, but it is expected that in the near future, the team will be able to take on a bigger stage.
The sound of the "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" football team from Xinjiang on the pitch became their march. This slogan not only became the name of the team, but also represented the perseverance and self-confidence of this group of blind foot teenagers. In the introduction of documentary filmmaker Su Yiyan, she said that the moment she saw the players walking into the stadium with their shoulders in their arms, her eyes moistened. She couldn't wait to ask one of the players why blind people were eager to play, it was such a difficult thing to do. The players replied that they could only run on the pitch and that playing football was liberating for them. Another member of the team also said that when he ran, the wind blew on his face, as if he was flying. Su Yiyan was deeply moved by these answers, and also prompted her to decide to document the process of these children chasing their dreams in the form of a documentary.
The reason why these blind foot teenagers shouted "Hey, hey, hey" was first and foremost to boost the morale of themselves and their teammates. In blind football, sound becomes a means of communication between them and their teammates, and shouting allows them to perceive each other's position and the situation on the pitch. Yelling also helps them build their opponent's positional awareness so they can better defend and attack. In addition, shouting can also help them better adapt to the stadium environment and play a more coordinated game. By shouting, "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team" combines on-field perception and movement, allowing them to express their skills and tactics more smoothly during the game.
The project was initially just looking for a starring role, but instead accidentally formed a blind children's football team. Producer Su Yiyan and deputy general manager Li Yang said they didn't know anything about the blind football project when they first started to learn about it. However, when they played their first blind foot match, they were deeply moved by the charm of the sport and the mental state of the blind players. They decided to make a real documentary about these children chasing their dreams, rather than letting them play themselves. They hope that through the filming of the documentary, more people can see the love of these blind teenagers to play football, and at the same time, they hope to give them more support and help.
Director Li Zhiwei, who participated in the filming of the documentary, also shared the difficulties encountered by the team during the filming process. Due to the limited funding of the project, the team had to overcome various difficulties to complete the filming of the documentary. They even had to temporarily forgo their salaries and spend their limited funds on necessary expenses, such as transportation, room and board, etc. Although it has been a difficult time, the team members are all convinced that they are doing something meaningful, and they believe that this project will eventually be helped and supported by more people. Now that the documentary is halfway through filming, the team is stepping up filming and hopes to help the members of the "HeyHey Football Team" realize one wish, which is to represent Xinjiang in the 2025 National Paralympic Games.
Unlike the average sport of football, blind football has its own unique training methods and challenges. In blind foot competitions, running has become the most basic threshold for participants. When running, ordinary people will lean forward with their center of gravity, the forefoot on the ground, and their arms close to their body, making consistent movements. For the visually impaired, they are used to crossing the river by feeling the stones, so their hands will be slightly open, and the center of gravity of their body will fall backwards. Even when they know that there is open ground ahead, it is still difficult for them to overcome their instinctive fears. Therefore, in their daily training, they need to spend more time and energy to overcome this dilemma.
In the process of blind foot training, the team members need to constantly demonstrate and explain. For the average person, they can quickly learn a movement by looking at it, but for the blind person, they may need to imitate your movement by touch, and then combine it with an explanation. For example, when shooting, the coach will demonstrate how to swing the legs, where to position the feet, and how to exert force. Since each player's coordination and characteristics are different, coaches need to explain and train individually according to their situation. This requires patience and carefulness on the part of the coach, as well as repeated demonstrations and exercises along the way to help the players better grasp the skills and movement essentials.
Although the filming of the documentary "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team" is progressing well, the project team is also facing many difficulties and challenges. First of all, there is the issue of funding, which requires a lot of money to shoot a documentary, but the limited funding of the project has limited the team's activities. In addition, the location of the documentary was limited due to the limited funding of the project. However, despite these difficulties, the team members remained committed to what they believed in, believing that they were doing something meaningful and that the project would be helped and supported by more people. In the process of overcoming the difficulties of the team, they not only received more support and help, but also had the opportunity to fulfill some special wishes, such as helping the team members visit the Shanghai Wild Animal Park and the Bear Paw Cafe. As the production of the documentary progresses, the team hopes to help the members of the "Hey, Hey, Hey, Football" team complete a more challenging wish, which is to represent Xinjiang in the 2025 National Paralympic Games. This aspiration not only represents the personal growth of the players, but also demonstrates the development potential and influence of blind football in China.