Anna Pinder — Netball player, PE Teacher and Mother of 3 — sharing her perspectives on the importance of sports to mothers, being a role model to her children, and how to instill sports as a lifestyle in children 安娜‧皮德爾(Anna Pinder) — 投球運動員、體育老師 和母親 — 分享運動對母親重要性、如何作為孩子的模範和怎樣令運動成為孩子生活的一部份

Originally from New Zealand, Anna is currently a netball player with the Hong Kong Cricket Club and co-captain of the Hong Kong Netball team. Between 2004 and 2008 she represented Scotland in netball. She had left New Zealand for Scotland to pursue her big OE (overseas experience) – a traditional path many New Zealanders take – and to join her husband who was playing professional rugby for the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland.

Netball has always played a pivotal role in Anna’s life so naturally she immediately joined a club team in Glasgow upon arrival. After qualifying to represent Scotland, she was selected and played in her first test-match against South Africa. While representing Scotland in netball, she also played in the professional league in Manchester; she loved the game so much she was prepared to make the 6-hour round trip journey between Glasgow and Manchester for training during the week. She also traveled with the Manchester Thunder team on weekends to Superleague matches throughout England.

Prior to moving to Scotland she had played in the professional league in New Zealand. Her netball career highlight was representing Scotland at the Netball World Championships that was held in her native New Zealand: it was an amazing experience that she was able to share with family and friends.

After moving to Hong Kong in 2009 with her husband and their two and a half months old daughter, she focused on being a mum and discovering the vibrant lifestyle and many opportunities that Hong Kong offers. The best thing she did was join a netball club within that first month she arrived, as it opened up opportunities for new friendships, as well as enabled her to continue her passion for fitness and sport. Currently, she teaches PE at KGV, and on weekends she shares her passion for netball with her junior netballers from SCAA Causeway Bay Netball Club. Outside of teaching, coaching, netball practices, fitness training, and local and overseas competition, she’s a mother to three young children – Abby 8, Emma 6, Luke 4.

What has the experience been like playing netball in HK after having children? How does playing netball nationally for Hong Kong compare to playing in Scotland, England, and New Zealand?

I feel like each country I have lived in has encompassed a different stage of my life. Moving to Hong Kong was never on our radar until an opportunity was presented to my husband for a different career path. Moving countries and starting a new life journey with a baby was exciting and I was looking forward to enjoying being a mum, exploring a new country, and what the next chapter of our lives had install. I played club netball on and off between having two more children and kept coming back because of the friendships I had made through playing netball.

Last year I was selected for the Hong Kong Netball Squad in preparation for the Asian Championships in Bangkok. Preparing for a campaign like this is a huge time commitment; making myself available for the various weeknight evening and weekend trainings requires dedication and good time management. I enjoy being part of a team: working hard together, sharing common goals, experiencing highs and lows at the same time, and making some personal sacrifices, so I can perform at my best for my team creates everlasting bonds and memories that stay with me forever.

In Hong Kong, netball is still very much an amateur sport. Players don’t get exposure to regular top level competition, which makes a huge difference on the international stage. The number of people playing netball is growing fast thanks to some extremely dedicated and passionate individuals working to raise the profile of the game and secure funding to allow more opportunities for not only the Hong Kong squads, but most importantly for the grassroots level. It is an exciting time for Hong Kong Netball as more sponsors are wanting to support and be involved in the fast paced and skilful game.

With continued dedication and support, I believe Hong Kong Netball could grow to mirror countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and England where netball is one of the top female sports in these countries, and where there are dedicated High Performance Pathways for players to have access to high performance specialist coaching and fitness trainers. Some players are paid to be professional players, and games are televised live weekly – exciting prospects for our young players.

Outside of netball, you’re a PE Teacher. What are the some crucial sporting mindset and skills that you think sports can instill?

1. A positive, can do attitude – give everything 100%: Everyone leads busy lifestyles,  but make time for physical activity. Don’t just go through the motions or be a passive participant; fully engage in the activity and get the most out of it.
2. Respect: For yourself, your team/peers, your coach/teacher, your opponent, your parents/supporters, and for the umpire/referee. No matter what happens in the competitive environment, always act in a respectful manner.
3. Enjoyment: Find something you enjoy that is active and allows you to gain the benefits of a healthy active lifestyle. Life isn’t always about being the best at something, it’s about your individual progress and determination to be the best you can be. I think people are often put off trying something because they’re scared of failing. But change your mindset, don’t compare yourself to others, find something you enjoy doing for yourself, and enjoy the journey to improvement. Observe those that are further along the journey, learn from them, and progress.

An SCMP article in March 2016 referenced a study that indicated prisoners in HK get more outdoor exercise than our school children. It’s such a shame. What do you think we can do to improve this situation?

Educating parents and children on why being physically active is essential to not only children’s, but the whole family’s holistic wellbeing. Families grow up with different priorities and if we are not made aware of just how important physical activity is to our wellbeing, we will continue to prioritise other aspects of our lives.

I think early on we need to nurture physical activity into being good habits. This starts in childhood and carries on into adulthood. As a parent, your position as a positive role model is vital. If you promote regular exercise, your children are likely to follow suit. Kids love to be like their parents when they’re young and copy what they do. Choose activities you and your children find fun; trying to stick to something you find a chore to go to isn’t going to last or be beneficial.

Many kids are active in after school clubs in their younger years. Yet, I see often that when our senior students have extra stress and time restraints arising from examinations, the first thing to go from their schedule is physical activity. Students gain so much from staying active; not only the physical benefits but the mental benefits. Exercise allows them to refresh the mind between study sessions, and helps to relieve stress and tension. It also contributes to increased self-esteem/confidence, enjoyment of life, and a general sense of wellbeing. Students are under so much pressure that one way to alleviate this is by insisting students make physical activity part of their daily routine; it will definitely help them in the long run. Getting enough sleep is the other important factor in a daily routine, students need to identify when, and for how long they can study productively and have a regular bedtime. Daily exercise is necessary for better sleep, sharpened focus, improved memory, and a better mood.

What are some important life lessons you learned from sports that you hope your children will also be able to experience themselves?

I have learned many important life lessons through my experiences in sport from a young child right through to adulthood that are transferable into other aspects of life and I hope my children will learn them too:

Commitment, Self-discipline, Responsibility: I want to teach them that if they commit to something, they stay with it for the duration. I want to teach them to be disciplined in their approach and have the willpower to achieve and set goals. I also want to teach them they are responsible for ensuring they are on time, and giving 100% mentally and physically. This is a life lesson my dad strongly believed in that he has taught me: to put in the necessary time commitment, be prepared to work hard, and be disciplined enough to go the extra mile, even if it meant missing out on other things my friends were doing.

Be gracious and humble in success & defeat, and to learn to deal with disappointment: This is one very important life lesson I have always embraced from my mother and have passed onto my own children.

We often hear that mothers don’t have time for sports and activity when they have children. You have three. What do you do to set aside time for physical activity? Why do you think mothers should not deprioritize sports and physical activity?

Everyone leads a busy lifestyle and has different circumstances to factor into their daily routines. Since having children my time allocated to training has definitely decreased and I’m not performing at the level I used to, but I make sure I still fit in as much as I can and I make the most of each session to gain the maximum benefits.

For me I really value and enjoy being involved in sport and physical activity, since I was a child my daily schedule has always revolved around planning life around training rather than trying to fit it in somewhere. During the netball season my netball trainings and games are generally from 8pm on weekdays so it allows me to spend time with the kids once I’m home from work; playing, doing homework, dinner, bath and bed routine before I head out to practice. It does mean my day is very busy and I have to do work late at night once home from training, but the bonus of that is it keeps me organised.

I also enjoy running some mornings with my husband in the serenity of Hong Kong’s country parks, we keep each other going and the kids love to hear ‘who won’ when we return home.

Recently I’ve started training early mornings three times a week with a friend who also has a young family of three. The alarm goes off early and because we’ve committed to attending a class together, we can’t just turn off the alarm and go back to sleep. The things that make it work for me are:

• It’s easier to motivate myself to exercise when I have a friend doing it with me
• My workout is done for the day, I don’t have to worry about scheduling time after work
• I’m back home by 6:30am, breakfast and showered
• I have time to spend with the kids before I head to work and they head to school
• After work the evening is free to spend with my children and husband
• I enjoy the workout, it’s something I’ve always wanted to try, it’s challenging and takes me out of my comfort zone, I’m learning new skills, the trainers are inspiring, and I enjoy the group dynamic
• I feel great after the class, it’s hard and I’m knackered after completing the session, but I head to work with a bounce in my step
• I sleep well at night after having a good workout

In our family physical activity is part of our daily lives, the kids have their classes they attend but most importantly we enjoy doing activities together. Whether it’s practising gymnastics in the lounge, going to the local park to have running races/ride bikes/skateboard, swimming, touch rugby on the beach, throwing a ball around, hiking, my husband wrestling with the kids, we just enjoy each other’s company and being active together. We also enjoy entering family fun runs and events. Most recently we did the Spartan Race which we all got a huge buzz out of completing.

Being a positive role model to my children is really important. I want my kids to be proud of me as much as I’m proud of them. Above all, I love to see the satisfaction my children get from being active, and that spark in their eye when they do something for the first time or meet a goal they have been working toward.

I value the skills my children gain through physical activity and sport, not just the physical skills but practical day to day life skills – packing their bags and ensuring they have the correct equipment, being on time, using their manners and being respectful to their coach, communicating in a positive way with their siblings and peers, learning to take advice and act on it, dealing with conflict, and being committed even when they’re too tired to go to a training session.

WISE HK was at a primary school a while ago and while chatting to a group of five students, asked what the sports participation among their parents were like. All fathers played sports in some capacity, but only one mother played sports (running and hiking). It’s only one anecdote, but if that is somewhat representative of HK, we could say that there are fewer “sporty / active” mother role models than fathers. We want to encourage more mothers to become “sporty / active” role models. How would you encourage mothers to do so?

Get involved in coaching or assisting at a club; if you’re new to an activity go along and watch a few sessions to get a better idea of what’s involved. Offer to help out in some way – scoring, timing etc. Even though our lives are busy, it is important to my husband and I that one of us, if not both, are at our children’s activities to see them participate, learn and develop, and enjoy themselves.

Both my husband and I had very supportive parents who took us to all our activities and competitions, helped coach or support in some capacity, took other kids to activities, and best of all engaged with us after the activity, giving us feedback on what we did well and what we needed to work on, and supported the important life lessons like being gracious and humble in success and defeat, and being committed even when too tired or the weather was bad.

My husband and I started a Junior Netball Club (SCAA Causeway Bay) when my eldest daughter was five years old so we could teach her the basic skills of netball and the fundamental skills needed to be successful in sport. We had like-minded friends and by word of mouth our little club has grown. The main aim of our sessions is for the girls to have fun while learning fundamental skills through adapted games, full court netball, and we also play in the HK Netball Association league on weekends.

We promote a family friendly club where we encourage parent involvement, each session we ask parents to join in the warm-up and help as taggers and defenders, and assist with passing and catching skills with their daughter. Some parents are new to the sport so it is a chance for them to learn skills, rules, and strategies alongside their child. If we’re short of players parents often fill the vacant positions and play netball with the girls. It’s always a laugh to see parents competitive side come out! It’s a great social element for everyone, the little brothers and sisters sometimes join in the warm-up, or make up their own games on the side-line, or sit and eat snacks together. After training families often go for lunch together. At tournaments parents are actively involved in umpiring, scoring, timing, and bringing snacks for the players to share together between games. We have a wonderful group of families who prioritise sport for their children and value fun and a fair play attitude.[:zh]來自紐西蘭的安娜現屬香港紀利華木球會投球隊，她更是香港隊隊長。她曾於2004至2008年代表蘇格蘭隊。她與一般新西蘭人一樣，離開家鄉到蘇格蘭增廣國際經驗，她更為了她的專業欖球員丈夫，而選擇他球隊格拉斯哥勇士(Glasgow Warriors)的所在地.

投球在安娜生活中擔當著一個重要角色，所以她一到步便找了支球隊加入。當她能夠資格代表蘇格蘭出賽時，剛好獲選成為國家隊，並打了她首場國家賽事，對手是南非。在代表蘇格蘭的同時，她也參加在曼徹斯特的職業聯賽。她非常喜受這個比賽，為了每星期的訓練，她願意花6小時的往返格拉斯哥和曼徹斯特，週末還和曼徹斯特雷霆隊一起去了英格蘭各地進行超級聯賽.

在搬到蘇格蘭之前，她曾亦參與新西蘭的職業聯賽。她的投球生涯中最具代表性的一頁，莫過於代表蘇格蘭出征世界錦標賽，因為賽事在她家鄉新西蘭舉行，所以她可以與家人和朋友分享這個光榮的時刻，這次對她來說是一個很特別的體驗.

2009年，她和丈夫及兩個半月大的女兒移居到香港，其後，她便專注於當母親及探索香港不同的生活方式和機遇。她覺得最滿意的一件事，就是來香港的一個月內便加入了投球會，這個決定幫助她建立了新的朋友圈子，並延續了她對健身和運動的熱情。目前，她在英皇佐治五世學校教體育，週末時，她會到銅鑼灣南華會的投球會(SCAA Causeway Bay)教投球，跟初級學員一起分享她對投球的熱情。除了教學、投球訓練、健身訓練、本地和海外比賽之外，她還是三個孩子，艾比Abby(8歲)、艾瑪Emma (6歲)和盧克Luke (4歲)的母親.

有了孩子後還繼續打球是一種怎樣的體驗? 在國家隊層面，香港的投球運動文化相比起英格蘭和新西蘭有什麼不同?

我覺得我所生活過的每個國家都概括著我人生不同的階段。香港這個地方原本從來不在我們的計劃中，直到我丈夫有機會來到香港發展他的另一種事業，我們才搬過來。帶著我們的新寶貝移民，開始一個新的人生旅程，實在令人很興奮。我一向都對母親這個角色充滿憧憬、期待探索一個新的國家和我們下一個生活章節。我迎接我另外兩個寶寶的前後我都有維持投球運動，而當中的友誼情便是把我留下的力量.

去年，我被選入香港投球隊，參與在曼谷舉行亞洲錦標賽。為這樣大型的賽事作準備需要花極多的時間和心機。我需要良好的時間管理及強勁的決心去確保我能精神奕奕地出席晚上的訓練。我喜歡團隊精神，一起向共同目標而努力、一起經歷高峰和低谷和一起為團隊做出個人犧牲。因此，每次我都會盡力表現到最好，為我的團隊創造永恆回憶和友誼，讓大家能永存於心.

在香港，投球還是一項業餘運動，本地球員比較少經歷到頂級賽事，這令到她們在國際舞台上有顯而易見的差別。幸運地，香港有一些對投球非常有熱誠人，致力於提升這項運動的知名度和籌集資金。她們不僅為香港隊提供更多訓練機會，最重要的，是向基層人仕，至各個社區發展投球，所以投球的參與率正在快速增長。越來越多的讚助商都希望支持這項既節奏快，又講求技術的運動，這對於香港投球來說，是令人亢奮的消息.

在各個單位不斷的奉獻和支持下，我相信香港投球要媲美新西蘭、澳大利亞和英格蘭這樣的國家，一定指日可待。在那兒，投球是國家頂級的女子運動之一，運動員有薪水，並受訓於專業教練和健身教練，每週都有電視直播比賽，但這都可以是我們年輕球員的前景.

在投球場以外，你是一位體育教師，你認為運動能鍛鍊出我們什麼重要心態的和技巧?

1. 「全力以赴」、「 我做得到」的態度 — 每人都忙著自己的生活方式，但都需要花時間去鍛煉身體。訓練時不要只是為做而做或成為被動的一員，相反，要認真練習，充分利用每一刻.
2. 尊重 — 尊重對自己、隊友、教練、對手，父母、支持者，以及裁判。無論在競技中發生什麼事，都要以一種尊重彼此的方式行事.
3. 享受 — 找一些你喜歡做而它能使你有一個更健康積極人生的事。生命的厚度不是來自你是否做了最出色的那個人或事，而是來自你獨特的步伐和你有多大的決心去做好一件事。人們經常因為害怕失敗而不願嘗試，我認為他們要改變一下思維方式，不要把自己跟別人比較。找一種自己喜歡做的事情，享受進步的旅程；又或者，向那些同路而較有經驗者學習、並進步.

南華早報 於2016年3月發表的一篇文章提到，一項研究發現，香港的在囚人士比學生得到更多的戶外鍛煉。這令人很羞愧，你認為我們能如何改善這種狀況?

首先，要教育父母和孩子積極運動對健康家庭生活的重要性。這不僅關乎孩子的健康，而且是整個家庭的整體幸福。每個家庭都有自己重視的東西都不同，但如果我們無法意識到運動對我們的健康有多重要，我們的成長元素將繼續被其他方面覆蓋.

我覺得我們要從小養成體育鍛煉的習慣。從童年開始進行到成年。作為家長，您的角色就是豎立良好榜樣，如果你經常鍛煉身體，你的孩子很可能會仿效。孩子們喜歡模仿父母，做他們愛做的事情。你只要找到一項你和孩子都感到樂趣的活動，堅持下去，相信你們能從中有所得著.

許多孩子年幼時都參與很多課餘活動，然而，我經常留意到，高年級時，學生因考試壓力和學習時間緊迫，運動訓練卻是他們第一項從時間表中去的活動。積極活躍的生活不僅對學生身體有好處，心理亦受益。運動可以讓他們的腦部暫時放鬆，再學習時頭腦更清醒，運動亦有助舒緩壓力和緊張情緒，有助於增強自信和整體生活的幸福感。學生承受著如此大的壓力，其中一種減壓的方法，就是堅持讓學生把體育活動變成日常生活的一部分。長遠而言，這肯定會對他們有幫助。此外，充足的睡眠是另一個生活習慣的重要部份，學生需要知道何時可以有效地進行學習和這段時間可以維持多久。每日的運動鍛煉對於改善睡眠、提升專注力、增強記憶和情緒控制是十分有效的.

你從運動中學到了什麼重要的人生道理而你亦希望你的孩子能夠體驗的?

我由從小到大的運動經歷中學習了許多重要的人生哲理，它們全都能被活用於生活的其他方面，我希望我的孩子們也能學:

承諾，自律，責任感—我希望教導他們，若果他們投入在一件事情上，他們要堅持到底。我希望他們有自律能力，懂得設立目標，並有實現的決心。我也想他們知道，他們有責任每次守時，並在精神上和身體上都全力以赴。這是我父親一直堅守的人生宗旨，他教導我：「凡事要成功必須要付出時間、要做好準備功夫，並且要有足夠自律能力去超越自我，即使這意味著，可能要犧牲與朋友一起的時間。」

無論成功或失敗都不卑不亢，學會處理失望— 這是我從母親身上學習到的一個非常重要的生活宗旨，並已將它傳給了我的孩子.

我們經常都聽到女士們說，要照顧孩子的時候就無法運動。你有三個兒女，你如何分配時間給運動? 為什麼你認為母親們不應該忽視運動/體育訓練?

每人都過著繁忙的生活，周遭的環境或多或少都會影響我們的生活習慣。由於擁有了孩子，我能分配給訓練的時間明顯減少，我的表現水平也大不如前。雖然如此，但我仍然盡可能參與訓練，並充分利用每次訓練的時間，務求有最大的得著.

對我來說，我真的很重視和喜歡參與運動及體育活動。當我還小時，我每天的日程都是圍繞訓練而不是其他地方。現在，投球賽季期間，我的訓練和比賽一般都是晚上8點才開始，所以一下班回家我會陪伴孩子們做功課、吃飯、洗澡。他們睡覺後，我再出去練習。從球場回家後，我就在深夜工作，這代表我的一天是非常忙碌，但好處就是能催逼我要有良好的組織力，把每一項工作安排得妥妥當當.

除此之外，我也喜歡和我的丈夫在香港的郊野公園裹靜靜地晨跑，我們會互助鼓勵加油，當我們跑完回家時，孩子總愛問我們倆誰贏了.

最近，我與朋友相約一起進行晨操，每週三次。朋友都剛建立了家庭，鬧鐘很早便響起，但是我們並沒有一次關掉鬧鐘，然後回去睡覺，相反，我們都很雀躍，因為我們是要上課的，所以不能缺席。我覺得這個方法很適合我，因為:

• 朋友的陪伴是我鍛鍊的推動力
• 鍛煉完才上班，我不必再安排下班後的時間運動
• 早上六點半回家，梳洗和吃早餐
• 我能趁孩子們上學前的時間陪伴他們，然後上班
• 晚上下班後的時間變得自由，可以跟孩子和丈夫一起度過
• 我喜歡鍛煉身體，這是我一直想嘗試的東西，它十分有挑戰性，能帶我踏出安舒區。我正在學習新的技能，教練很會鼓舞人心，我亦很喜歡一組人一起訓練的感覺
• 雖然訓練艱苦，課後我走得一拐一拐似的，但感覺很爽
• 晨操後，我每晚都睡得很好

在我們的家庭，體育活動是我們日常生活的一部分，孩子們有自己的活動，但最重要的是，我們喜歡一起做運動。無論是在休息室練習體操，到公園跑步、騎單車、踩滑板，在海灘游泳、玩觸式欖球、扔球、遠足，或是我的丈夫跟孩子們摔跤，我們只是享受彼此的陪伴和一起玩活動。我們也喜歡參加家庭繽紛跑等競技賽。最近，我們參加了斯巴達人跑步競賽，我們很高興地順利完成了.

當孩子的良好榜樣是非常重要的，我希望我的孩子能為我感到自豪，就像我為他們感到驕傲一樣。最重要的是，我喜歡看到他們從運動中得到滿足感、努力達成目標時眼中閃爍著的光芒。

我重視孩子們通過體育活動和運動所獲得的技能，不僅是身體技能，還有實際的日常生活技能 ，如: 執拾背囊，確保他們帶正確的用品、守時、尊重教練、以正面積極的方式與兄弟姐妹和同齡人溝通，學會聆聽意見並行動、處理衝突，甚至在很累的時侯都要堅持出席訓練.

早期，WISE HK在一所小學，與五名學生交談，訪問他們父母的運動參與程度，發現所有的父親有運動習慣，但只有一位母親有跑步和遠足的習慣。雖然這只是個別例子，但如果這代表香港，即代表香港的母親運動榜樣比父親少。我們希望鼓勵更多的母親成為「 積極運動」的榜樣。你會如何鼓勵母親們?

她們可以成為教練或參與一些球會或俱樂部的運作。如果你是該運動的新手，就繼續觀察多幾個課堂以了解更多所涉及的內容。起初，你可以提供簡單的協助，例如: 計分、計時等。儘管我們的生活非常忙碌，但對我和我的丈夫來說，我們當中至少要有一人去親身見證孩子在活動學習、進步，並享受自己，這是非重要的。

我和我丈夫都有一對非常支持自己的父母，所有的活動和比賽他們都有出席、給予指導和者支持，令我們知道那裡做得好，那裡需要改善。他們也會帶其他人的孩子參加活動，在活動之後把們融入其中。一些重要的人生哲理都是他們身上學到，包括「 要不卑不亢地面對成功和失敗」和「 在心力交卒時也要堅持到底」.

在大女兒五歲時，我和丈夫與南華會(銅鑼灣)俱樂部合作，開辦了一個青少年投球會，這樣我們就可以藉此教她投球技能和運動所需的基本技巧。我們靠志同道合的朋友口口相傳，小俱樂部已經日益壯大。我們課程的主要目的是讓女孩們透過投球比賽，學習基本運動技能。球隊正參與香港投球總會在周末舉行的聯賽.

我們是一個推廣家庭樂的投球會，為了鼓勵家長參與，每次我們都請家長們一同參與賽前熱身，當熱身遊戲的防守者、跟女兒做傳球練習得等。有些家長是這項運動的新手，這正好讓他們跟孩子一起學習運動技巧、規則和策略。如果我們球員不足，那麼父母就會填補空缺的位置，與女孩們打球。父母打球時會展現他們好鬥的一面，場面十分搞笑！另一方面看，這可是一個很棒的社交活動呢喃!有時侯，女孩子的兄弟姐妹都會加入一起做熱身、在場邊自娛一番玩，又或者坐在一起吃零食。訓練結束後，家庭會一起吃午飯。在比賽中，父母們會積極參與裁判，計分，計時等工作，並為女孩子們準備零食共享。我們有一隊很好的球隊，他們的家庭都把運動體育成為孩子的優先考慮，並且重視運動的趣味性、公平競爭性和體育精神.