Wei Yining and Wang Yiyuan were part of the synchronized skating team that performed at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Shanghai Primary and Middle School Ice Sport Meet. (Ma Yue/SHINE)
Shanghai has four ice rinks that meet competition standards. The Feiyang Skating Center in Pudong was started by Yang Yang, a former Chinese short track speed skater and current member of the International Olympic Committee.
The center offers courses in ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating, taught by retired athletes, mostly from the northeast provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, where the climate is more conducive to winter sports.
Since Beijing was selected to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, China has been promoting winter sports in southern cities, including grants for public schools to set up courses for students.
"I'm originally from north China," said Tang Yu'an, the Shanghai father of twin boys involved in ice hockey. "So I support the promotion of ice sports in southern cities."
His 7-year-old sons Tang Xutong and Tang Xuxin are members of SMIC Private School's ice hockey team. The boys spend about 10 hours per week practicing on the ice and attending student competitions.
"Ice hockey is popular in some foreign countries, especially in North America," said father Tang. "For children who plan to study abroad someday, being able to play ice hockey might help them adapt to a new environment more quickly."
Aside from that, the sport builds character, he said.
"Ice hockey is a fast sport that requires concentration and quick reactions," he said. "Most parents at the school support it just as they would support football or basketball, but ice hockey is a small-crowd sport. If my sons were good enough and wanted to go professional someday, I would support them."
Tang said the family spends about 100,000 yuan on ice hockey every year, including the cost of lessons and equipment.
Tang Xutong and Tang Xuxin have participated twice in the Shanghai Primary and Middle School Ice Sport Meet. Another major competition in Shanghai occurs in May, involving about 10 schools with ice hockey courses.
That was reflected in September when the National Hockey League staged a pre-season game in Shanghai's Mercedes-Benz Arena between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks.
In November, the second annual ISU Shanghai Trophy was awarded, capping a tournament of speed skating, figure skating and synchronized skating. It was the first time the International Skating Union had incorporated the name of a city in a trophy.
"For the promotion of any sport, youth development is always key," said Zhao Yinggang, president of the China Ice Hockey Association. "The number of youngsters taking up winter sports is still small. For ice hockey or any other ice sport to expand, we need to build facilities, recruit coaches and develop management systems."
