In 2021, the Shanghai School for the Blind partnered with the Yarkand County Special Education School to form the first football team for the blind, which it named "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team". The name also became the team's march and was also the brainchild for the documentary of the same name. Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team" is the first documentary about a junior blind soccer team in my country, and it is currently in production. Although the documentary is not yet complete, there is a good chance that this team will take to a bigger stage in the future. Their shouts of "Hey, Hey, Hey" on the pitch became a unique appeal for the blind foot teenagers, and also witnessed the creation of the "Hey, Hey, Hey" football team and the birth of the documentary of the same name.
Su Yiyan, the producer of "Hey, Hey, Hey Football Team", didn't know much about the blind children's football project at first, until she watched a game by chance, and she was deeply moved. She was impressed by the sight of the players helping each other onto the pitch, which made her feel warm. Su couldn't help but ask a player why they wanted to play, even though it was a tough thing for them. The team replied lightly that only on the pitch did they dare to let go;Another member of the team also added that when he ran up, he felt the wind blowing on his face, as if he was flying. It was a conversation that touched the hearts of the whole team. At first, I was just looking for a lead actor for the documentary, but I didn't expect to unexpectedly form the first blind children's football team. This move makes people see the real dreams and love of football of these children.
The filming team of "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team" found that the threshold of blind football lies in "running". Unlike us ordinary people, blind people are accustomed to the posture of slightly spreading their hands and leaning back with their body center of gravity. Even when they know that the ground ahead them is flat, they feel instinctive fear that is difficult to overcome. So in training, they need to put in more time and effort. Director Li Zhiwei said with a smile that the documentary was made into a summer camp because during the filming in August, the blind foot teenagers were specially taken to visit places such as Shanghai Wild Animal Park and Bear Paw Cafe. Despite the tight budget for the project, the team overcame various difficulties. In order to allow this meaningful thing to continue, sometimes director Li Zhiwei even discussed with the team members that they would not get their salaries first, and use the only expenses for necessary transportation, food and accommodation. After going through difficult moments, everything goes smoothly when everyone believes that they are doing something meaningful and will be helped by more people.
At present, the filming of "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team" is halfway through, and the film crew is stepping up filming. In addition to the documentary production, they also hope to help the 13 team members realize one wish: to represent Xinjiang in the 2025 National Paralympic Games. The realization of this wish is not only a recognition of their efforts, but also a demonstration of their fearlessness and perseverance through sports. No matter what the future holds, their stories and dreams will always inspire many more.
Through the documentary "Hey, Hey, Hey, Soccer Team", we can feel the efforts of the blind teenagers on the road to chasing their dreams. Despite the many difficulties and challenges they face, the love and fearlessness in their hearts drive them to persevere. The birth of this documentary also shows us the team's dedication and pursuit of authentic records. I hope that "Hey, Hey, Hey, Football Team" can get more attention and support, and in the future, give this group of blind teenagers more opportunities and the possibility to change their fate. At the same time, we hope that this documentary will inspire more people to pay attention to the cause of sports for people with disabilities and create more opportunities for them to showcase their talents and tenacity.