Pingjing - Our Sky

Who would have thought? After a chance encounter on campus, after unleashing our wild side on the playground, after weeping bitterly on the bus, after we graduated and went our separate ways to the schools we longed for, we could come together again, fight side by side, and struggle together. We will never forget each other. This was our first time: the first time facing a formidable opponent, the first time feeling the power of unity, the first time enjoying the happiness of victory, the first time enduring the pain of defeat, the first time crying together. The slogan "We are the champions" will always echo in our hearts!

From Coke bottles to soccer balls, from school uniforms to team uniforms

Sports are always captivating, enchanting us, and indispensable in school life. Under the sky of middle school, we started by kicking Coke bottles. That was where our dreams began—a concrete field. And a Coke bottle, covered in scratches, became our simplest football. At that time, the school was under renovation, and the football team wasn't officially formed. No matter how scorching the sun or how heavy the rain, we always played together with this unassuming Coke bottle. Gradually, we got to know each other and became friends.
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Finally, one day, Teacher Zhu brought us together, and we joined the football team—a group of energetic students. Dreaming of winning the championship, after training under the scorching summer sun, the day of the competition finally arrived!

A sense of happiness arises spontaneously when one is in it.

The reality wasn't as simple as we imagined. Our carelessness and youthfulness pushed us to the brink. In the final group stage match, unless we won, we faced early elimination. A light rain was falling; victory doesn't come easily, and we knew that: Li fought until his nose bled, Zhang roared. And everything seemed to be orchestrated; a last-minute goal sent us into the semi-finals. After that, we played better and better. As captain, I felt a warmth in my heart amidst the chilly autumn wind—a feeling that can only be understood by those who experienced it. After the district won the championship, Zhang said to me, "You know what? When we woke up this morning, we looked in the mirror and said we were champions, and we actually became champions!"

That's how we won the championship. We sang "WE ARE THE CHAMPION" and rode the bus back to school. It was the first time we had ever won a championship. Who could forget that?

The boy on the bus shed tears after being mistakenly judged as the one who would win the championship.

Having experienced the district competition, we were even more ambitious. Facing the competition in Hangzhou, we were even more fearless. The successive victories made us feel the breath of the championship, but at this moment, an accident happened.

On a bright and sunny afternoon, on the playground of the High School Affiliated to the Normal University, we faced our toughest opponent yet. This should have been a thrilling match. But this time, Lady Luck forsaken us. A penalty kick that shouldn't have been awarded but was, and a penalty kick that should have been awarded but wasn't, cost us our victory, and we lost the championship!

This was our first loss, and our first time experiencing injustice. Our fragile hearts could no longer bear it. We forced back our tears and boarded the bus. As we left, sobs filled the bus. Who could endure such humiliation? We broke down in tears...

After that, we parted ways. It was a sunny afternoon, and we said goodbye to each other.

High school campus brought us together

After the high school entrance exam, we went to our respective schools: Li went to No. 2 High School, Zhang went to Electronics High School, and I came to the place where we had once stumbled – the High School Affiliated to the Normal University!

Standing in a corner of the playground, the scenes from back then are still vivid in my mind. This is where we fell, and I should get up here! High school life is different from junior high: here there is more intense study, and we don't have much free time to do. But there is a strong club culture here. Gradually, I got used to it. Under the influence of the club culture here, I had the idea of us getting together again.

The winter of 2006 wasn't too cold, and we returned to the playground where we had fought so hard. Our passion hadn't been extinguished by the cold snap; we decided to establish a football club!

At the time, I happened to have a website. After discussion, we decided to use my website as a base, add a nice-sounding suffix, and that's how Pingjing Paradise became our new code name.

This is our own organization, our own sky. We strive to find our old comrades, expand our circle of friends, and begin our own football journey.

Amateur leagues return to rationality

In April 2006, we joined the Zhejiang Amateur Football League and participated in the subsequent Division C League. Reunited, we dreamed of making a name for ourselves here, and our goal was to become the champion!

But we later realized that this was not very realistic. Our spare time was not entirely free time: we had heavy study tasks, and in order to take care of the team members' studies, our lineup was broken up and we did not have a complete lineup. Naturally, we did not achieve good results, and the final result was that we were eliminated.

It was then that we realized: passion alone cannot accomplish everything, and roaring on the field does not guarantee victory. We began to think rationally. Victory is the result of a combination of factors. Two years have passed; we have grown up and understood some things.

The Battle of Jiangsu: Young and Fearless

After a disappointing league season, we re-examined ourselves and found the reasons: our slender bodies couldn't compete with the tall adults, and the time we had as students couldn't compare to that of working professionals.

But opportunities always come unexpectedly. During a casual conversation, we learned that the Jiangsu Football Association had brought their youth team to Hangzhou for training and were looking for opponents of the right age, and we were a perfect fit.

On August 3rd, under the organization of Greentown, we faced the Jiangsu Lianyungang Youth Team, which was also a memorable match for us.

This was our first time playing an 11-a-side match, our first time receiving a red card, and our first time being completely overturned.

At this point, we were no longer saddened by the loss; we were happy to have faced such a high-level opponent.

And our voice as champions still resounds across the football field.

I hope that one day, we can sing on the biggest stage: We are the champions.

High school league: each team plays for their own interests

Now in our second year of high school, we've all found our place in our respective schools. Faced with the choice between our old comrades and the alluring prospect of victory, how should we decide?

Li said: "If we meet in a match, we should not care about the other side and play to our hearts' content. No matter who wins in the end, we will always be friends."

Fortunately, my school, the High School Affiliated to the Normal University, wasn't in the same group as them, but Zhang and Li met in the group stage.

The match was held at the High School Affiliated to the Normal University. Li was still fighting hard, and Zhang was still roaring. On the same field, in two different positions, the same slogan appeared: We are the champions.

Indeed, the final result is not important, because we did our best. We were not fighting amongst ourselves; we were fighting for our own honor and the honor of our school. Whoever wins is a victory for us!

In the semifinals, the High School Affiliated to the Normal University defeated the Vocational High School of Electronics. After the match, Zhang came to congratulate me: "You are more capable than us. Your dream of winning the championship is yours to realize. We will stand by your side!"

From the farewell match to the Spring Cup, this is our sky.

The first campus farewell tournament was held in July 2005, the second in August 2006, the first Spring Festival Cup in February 2007, and so on... 2008...

These are all activities we have successfully organized or are about to organize, but our journey is still long! When we received our awards in junior high, we watched the high school soccer final between the Affiliated High School of Normal University and the Electronic Vocational High School. Looking at the vast sky, I was filled with anticipation for the future. On my first day at the Affiliated High School of Normal University, I ran to the playground and shouted: "This is our sky! Our future is up to us to fight for! Victory belongs to a united, friendly, supportive, and hardworking team!"