Wang Chunyan, who lives in Qingdao's Chengyang district, doesn't need to leave her office chair to catch her fifth-grade daughter Zhai Huiru's soccer game.

With the use of an app on WeChat, the popular social messaging and media platform, she recently watched one of Zhai's games live with her colleagues.

A game this week was especially important. Zhai Huiru and her teammates were vying for the Mayor's Cup, organized by the Chengyang Bureau of Education.

"In the past, we needed to ask for leave to watch our children's soccer games. But now with live online broadcasting, we can watch it in the office." Wang said. "I am impressed with the high resolutions ... it is like a professional game."

Wang Wen, an official at the Chengyang Bureau of Education, said the programming is a result of upgrades to facilities in the district's schools in the beginning of the year.

"We are the first district that launched the Internetplus soccer education reform in Qingdao. By leveraging the mobile Internet live broadcasting system, our football development is getting more professional," said the official.

Soccer is popular in Chengyang. From 2011, the district invested 470 million yuan ($72.4 million) in 30 football venues, all of which are open to the public for free. Together with soccer fields in schools, residents can play the sport in about 100 venues, meaning a field for every 4,000 people.

Wang Wen said that although the hardware in Chengyang is reaching levels seen in developed countries in Europe, officials still need to put greater efforts to improve the district's services.

"Now children often watch video records of their games to review and learn their lessons and parents are excited to post scores and photos of the games. We have cultivated a love of soccer with involvement and attention from a wide range of people," said the official.

Wang Wen said more than 5,000 people were watching live broadcasts on the second day of the Mayor's Cup and that the website for the game received more than 50,000 visits in two days.

(China Daily 12/30/2015 page10)