Sport has the power to make a man out of a boy.

There is no better proof of this than Cong Peien's upbringing that allowed him to become, at a young age, CEO of a sports-language education business.

When I first saw Cong on a bright Sunday afternoon on Tsinghua University's baseball field, the graduate of Beijing 101 Middle School looked no different from other teenagers in his black T-shirt, sports shorts and worn-out sneakers. Only his gel-fixed hairstyle and sun glasses made him stand out.

However, after talking to him and watching him organize a group of fellow students, Cong's maturity and confident approach made an impression.

When he passionately explained his plans to develop the program, KanKan Sports, into a sustainable business and his vision to eventually influence China's exam-oriented education system, he reminded me of seasoned executives with high-profile sports organizations that I interviewed.

"I am a lucky guy who had a chance to get involved in team sports like baseball and ice hockey at a very young age," said Cong, who started his undergraduate study in environment science and policy at the University of California, Berkeley, in September.

"Playing sports taught me things that you can't learn in the classroom like teamwork, discipline, how to get along with people and how to remain upbeat despite facing adversity."

Since joining the baseball team of his primary school attached to Peking University when he was in third grade, Cong has learned to make room in his overloaded academic schedule for sports.

He even persuaded leaders of 101 Middle School to add an optional ice hockey course to the school's weekly syllabus.

His high marks on the TOEFL and SAT exams were proof that sports can develop both the body and the mind.

However, Cong remains a unique case as most students in China have to fully focus on homework, tests and tutorials and have little time for sports.

According to a recent national health survey, Chinese children's fitness levels have been declining since 1995 as they lead a more sedentary lifestyle.

Meanwhile, a lack of hands-on participation in extracurricular activities also hampers Chinese students' social skills and may impair their ability to handle problems.

Wang Tao, vice-president of 101 Middle School, fully agrees.

"Doing well in exams seems to be the only way that Chinese students can please their parents and prove themselves while children in other countries are encouraged to excel in every possible area. We should cultivate people who are good at figuring out problems in life not just on paper."

Cong's mother Zhu Dan said freedom was the best support that she could give her son to help him grow, despite setbacks he might face.

"I wasn't surprised at all (when he told me the idea to run the program). What he went through made him want to do that, and what we can provide is respect by not tying his hands."

Thanks to his open-minded parents and schoolmaster, Cong was lucky enough to grow up exposed to the positive impact of sports. But will more Chinese students be able to live the same way?

(China Daily USA 10/24/2013 page7)