Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.I am responding to the special report “Not just a game: why teaching sports is key” (December 22), which concluded with the message that “parents shouldn’t put pressure on children to focus on excelling at any particular sport”. This statement resonated with me deeply.

As a performance coach, I have received numerous inquiries about sport-specific strength and conditioning training for children, some as young as seven. While children can begin strength and conditioning training at a young age, sports-specific conditioning at age seven is not only premature but possibly detrimental. Hyper-specialisation at a young age can lead to mental fatigue and cause overuse injuries from repetitive practice.

Parents eager for their children to thrive in sports should expose them to a variety of activities that cultivate unique physical and mental attributes. Ice skating can enhance balance and lateral strength, athletics helps refine running techniques and dancing improves coordination, just to name a few. Different physical activities also foster mental attributes such as fortitude, collaboration, discipline, accountability and the ability to navigate setbacks and defeats.

In fact, high-profile athletes such as LeBron James and Roger Federer are known for their early exposure to different sports, which helped them develop well-rounded athletic skills. Sport-specific strength and conditioning should be introduced in middle school, when children are more physically and mentally prepared. Until then, experiment with different sports and empower them through encouragement along the journey.

Remember that it is the breadth of sporting experiences, rather than early specialisation in a single sport, that sets the foundation for future success.

Andy Tsz Chiu Chan, performance coach, Human Performance Hong Kong

Messi could make amends with charity match

In the wake of Lionel Messi’s failure to play during Inter Miami’s match in Hong Kong and amid the angst and political turmoil that it has caused, I would like to offer a suggestion for the Argentinian football idol.Clearly Messi is back to fitness as evidenced by his turn-out in Japan. When he is next back in Asia, he should offer to fly back to Hong Kong at his own expense – and on his own – to play in a match as a member of one of our weaker local teams languishing at the bottom of their league against the team at the top of the table. Imagine the interest this would generate and the benefit that would arise for our local football scene.

The match could be played at one of the local stadiums, such as Mong Kok Stadium, and tickets given for free to schoolchildren and deserving members of the community. I feel sorry for the fans who paid so much money for their tickets, but hopefully this would be one way of recouping the losses for a charitable cause and hopefully redeem the superstar’s reputation.

Thomas Tang, Mid-Levels

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