热血！纪录片《迎篮而上的女孩》火了，网友：每个女孩都有实现梦想的机会

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Squeaking sneakers, the thudding sound of a bouncing basketball and the shouting of coaches echo through the hall as players strain every sinew to get the ball through the hoop.

The action is frenzied and hectic. High school five-on-five basketball matches are no place for the fainthearted.

图源：《迎篮而上的女孩》

When director Zeng Le decided to document how female players from the High School Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University climbed up the 2020-2021 Chinese High School Basketball League, he prepared himself for the team's possible elimination.

"What matters in stories about youth sports is the process rather than the result," says Zeng.

He planned to follow the team's training and matches, then produce a documentary based on the players' experience in pursuit of their goal－a shot at the title.

Zeng had to be prepared for one of two possible outcomes－defeat or victory, and the production unit would formulate different strategies in advance.

▲ Guo Xiaoni (left) and her teammates of the High School Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University team work their way up the Chinese High School Basketball League. Photo Provided to China Daily

But then, as if following a preordained script, the team roared into the finals and claimed the championship with a 91-81 victory over the No 1 Middle School of Linyi, Shandong province, on May 20, 2021.

The documentary, Hoop Girls, aired on the video streaming platform Youku this month. Chinese basketball player Yang Shuyu, a member of China's women's 3x3 basketball team, which won the bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games this year, promoted the documentary in a short video, saying that viewers can learn a thing or two about the growth of female basketball players from the documentary.

It's rare to see a documentary that follows a high school girls' basketball team for a whole year in China. This documentary shows their passion for the sport along with the ups and downs they encounter throughout the tournament.

图源：《迎篮而上的女孩》

Zeng is the co-director of the series.

What sparked his interest in the subject was a high-intensity clash between the basketball team of Tsinghua University High School and that of Beijing No 4 High School in 2019.

"The players on the court and the spectators in the stands, both showing respect and pure enthusiasm for the event, created the best sports atmosphere I'd ever experienced in China," Zeng recalls.

The match inspired him to dig out interesting stories about high school basketball players in China.

The following year, he went back to Sichuan province to follow a high school basketball tournament. He interviewed young hoopsters from different high schools and captured their performances in the games. 

Zeng noticed that coach, named Shi Jing led a promising team who displayed versatility and a solid skill set.

Zeng struck up a conversation with Shi and found out that she has put her heart and soul into cultivating the youngsters in the basketball team of the High School Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University.

图源：《迎篮而上的女孩》

He decided to film the players' journey at the Chinese High School Basketball League tournament in their senior year and then produce a documentary.

Playing competitive basketball is not just about what happens on the court. A lot can ride on it, possibly, even the future. Students who perform well in the tournament are likely to receive offers from first-tier universities.

The documentary records the grim reality of punishing training schedules, loading up barbells, doing grueling core strength exercises and practicing dribbling drills over and over again to reach peak physical condition.

"I hope that their stories can motivate more hoop-loving youngsters to work harder to equip themselves with better skills in order to help tap the sport's huge grassroots potential," says Zeng.

▲ Female players from the school relax on the playing field. Photo Provided to China Daily

The documentary also depicts the connection between the coach and the young players in their daily lives.

This is a crucial relationship. Shi is definitely a strict disciplinarian when it comes to her coaching style. However, Shi and her mother, Han Guiye, a retired basketball player, generously love the players. They care for their health, happiness and academic performance.

In Zeng's views, this spirit of togetherness, of one for all and all for one, is passed down from Han to Shi and then to the team.

"Stories about women in sports deserve much more attention from the public," he says.

图源：《迎篮而上的女孩》

For Shi Ke, the other co-director of the documentary, what initially motivated her to film the subject was its female-oriented perspective.

"I hope more people will get to know the problem faced by a woman as she grows up," she says.

As a female director, the empathy she bears enabled her to have heart-to-heart communication with the youngsters and better read their emotions. The rebellion, fragility and sensitivity of adolescent girls, as well as their pursuit of beauty, have been captured in detail by the documentary.

Song Ran, the documentary's executive producer, says that there's a widely held stereotype in China that only those who do badly in lessons would choose to be student-athletes.

"We want to break that stereotype," Song adds. "We also want to encourage youngsters to find their passion and make it happen."

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编辑：李金昳 周婵

记者：邢雯

录音：Stephanie Stone

实习生：舒好

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