Youth Sports | Policy Guidance, Witnessing the Rise and TranIn recent years, the government has significantly increased its emphasis on youth sports, introducing a series of policies and regulations. These efforts have formed a comprehensive "combination punch" to continuously strengthen school sports programs, clarify the "health-first" educational philosophy, and promote the coordinated development of cultural learning and physical exercise among youth. This has effectively enhanced the physical health of young people, laying a solid foundation for a healthy and strong nation.

 2014: National Student Physical Health Standards  

The Standards specify the items and criteria for student physical health testing, including height, weight, lung capacity, running, pull-ups, and more. Schools are required to conduct annual physical health tests for students and incorporate the results into comprehensive student evaluations. In recent years, there has been a push to include physical education in middle and high school academic proficiency exams, gradually increasing its weight in assessments. This further solidifies the role of physical education in the curriculum. Standardized testing has driven improvements in youth physical health.

 2016: Healthy China 2030 Plan Outline

The Outline emphasizes integrating health education into the national education system and promoting the regular participation of youth in sports activities. It sets a target for over 25% of students to achieve an "excellent" rating in the National Student Physical Health Standards by 2030. For the first time, youth sports and health were elevated to the level of a national strategy, prompting education departments and schools at all levels to place greater importance on improving youth physical health.

 2020: Integration of Sports and Education

This policy promotes the deep integration of sports and education, making physical education a core component of school curricula. Schools are required to offer sufficient physical education classes and ensure students engage in at least one hour of physical activity both inside and outside school each day. It also supports schools in developing unique sports programs and encourages private sector involvement in youth sports training. This marks the comprehensive implementation of the sports-education integration initiative.

 2021: "Double Reduction" Policy

This policy aims to reduce the total amount and duration of homework, alleviating the excessive academic burden on students and increasing time for physical exercise. Schools are encouraged to provide after-school sports services and enrich students' sports activities, creating more opportunities and space for youth to participate in sports.

 2025: Education Powerhouse Construction Plan Outline

This plan aims to improve the comprehensive development system for youth, focusing on moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education. It addresses the shortcomings in physical, aesthetic, and labor education, cultivating well-rounded talents. The Outline explicitly mandates that primary and secondary school students engage in at least two hours of comprehensive physical activity daily, ensuring both "quantity" and "quality." Physical education has become a vital means of promoting students' physical and mental health. By increasing physical activity time, students not only improve their physical fitness but also effectively relieve academic stress, fostering teamwork and a competitive spirit.

 In recent years, the nation has driven the development of youth sports through a series of policies and regulations, covering physical health, sports education, sports-education integration, and facility construction. These policies not only provide more opportunities for youth to participate in sports but also lay a solid foundation for cultivating well-rounded talents in the new era. The thriving development of youth sports equally relies on the joint support of society and families. In this new era, with increasing societal attention to youth health, young people will enjoy a healthier and happier growth environment. This not only lays a solid foundation for their comprehensive development but also injects continuous youthful vitality into building a strong sports nation and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.