Students at Luqu Tibetan Middle School participate in a variety of sport activities, in Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Northwest China's Gansu province. [Photo by Chen Bin for China Daily]

To maximize student engagement, the school has established a class soccer league. "Student participation is extremely high," said Jing Yaocheng, a member of the school's leadership team.

"Every weekend, students come out to cheer for their classmates and enjoy the matches," added Physical Education teacher Ren Zhonglin. With over 2,500 students, the league operates in a round-robin format throughout the year, ensuring every student has the chance to participate and support their team, except for students at senior grades who usually miss the fun games to devote themselves in studying for high school and college entrance exams.

"Being a boarding school, students can't go home often, so we use the soccer games to balance their lives and keep them engaged," Jing said.