The football team from Hai'an Bowen Senior High School trains for competition. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Following three consecutive wins in the Jiangsu Football City League, Nantong has become an online sensation for its football prowess. Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, is making headlines with progress in youth football development.

On June 19, the football team from Hai'an Bowen Senior High School will represent Jiangsu province in the national finals of the 2024–2025 Chinese National Youth Campus Football League (High School Boys Group).

Founded in 2022, the team comprises 29 members, including 26 student players. The team defeated several long-established powerhouses in its first appearance at the "Governor's Cup" KELME Jiangsu Youth Campus Football League in 2024. It clinched the runner-up title, setting a record for football in Hai'an.

The team returned to the 2025 Governor's Cup this May and advanced to the top eight without conceding a single goal in the group stage.

Coach Liu Yong attributes the team's success to individual talent and strong teamwork. "Our players focus on cooperation," he said. "Since the team's founding, they've trained six days a week for 90 minutes each day, rain or shine. No one complains, and everyone pulls together."

Unlike professional teams, school football must balance athletic training with academic performance. Coach Liu ensures that all players stay on top of their schoolwork, insisting that football and academics go hand in hand.

In recent years, Hai'an has advanced campus football programs and extracurricular training systems. The city now has 51 football-featured schools and kindergartens recognized at the municipal level or higher, accounting for 38.4 percent of all schools. A total of 72 school-level teams are established across the city.