From June 10th to 11th, the 2023 Hunan Sunshine Gymnastics Festival was held at the Hunan Normal University Gymnasium. The Sports Dance Team, Aerobics Team, and Social Dance Team from Xiangtan Institute of Technology were invited to participate. In the end, among the 32 universities participating, Xiangtan Institute of Technology achieved outstanding results by winning the "First Place in Team Total Score" and was awarded the "Best Organization Award." He Xin, a young teacher from the Department of Public Physical Education, was awarded the "Special Contribution Award" by the competition organizing committee.

The Xiangtan Institute of Technology delegation for this Sunshine Gymnastics Festival was led by Professor Li Yixiang, the director of the Department of Public Physical Education. The three teams had a total of 65 athletes participating. Both in terms of the number of participants and the variety of events, Xiangtan Institute of Technology ranked at the forefront among participating schools, once again demonstrating its achievements in provincial sports events.

The School Dance Team, coached by He Xin and Liang Ruojin, won 23 first prizes, 16 second prizes, and 5 third prizes in the competition. The Aerobics Team, coached by He Xiaomin and Zhang Yuwei, secured 4 first places and 3 second places. The Social Dance elective course student team, coached by Chen Qingxia, received 9 first prizes, 4 second prizes, and 5 third prizes.

The 2023 Hunan Sunshine Gymnastics Festival was hosted by the Hunan LaLa Sports Association and the Hunan Sports Dance Association, with the Hunan Normal University School of Physical Education as the organizer. During the competition, Xiangtan Institute of Technology athletes showcased a vivid performance of the perfect combination of beauty and strength, elegance and enthusiasm. This dynamic display earned high praise from the organizing committee.

Outstanding Password: Persistence, Dedication, Patience

The Department of Public Physical Education is the main department responsible for organizing public sports activities in the university. It has organized and managed sports dance teams, aerobics teams, and more, creating a positive atmosphere for sports and achieving remarkable results in major competitions. It has become the "strongest team on campus" in the hearts of students and faculty.

In the 2021 Hunan Sunshine Gymnastics Festival, the Xiangtan Institute of Technology Sports Dance Team achieved excellent results with 18 first prizes, 13 second prizes, and 4 third prizes. In the 12th Hunan Provincial College Student Games held in September of the same year, the Sports Dance Team, participating for the first time, won the third place in the group dance category and the third and fourth places in the fitness social dance couple Latin dance category, bringing home two valuable bronze medals. Similarly, in the 2022 Hunan Sunshine Gymnastics Festival, the Aerobics School Team, also formed by the Department of Public Physical Education, won three championships in the Youth Class B "Flower Ball LaLa Routine Level 2," "Campus LaLa Routine Set 3," and "Street Dance LaLa Routine Level 2."

Behind these achievements is the hard work. "As a sports dance team, our training process mainly focuses on Latin dance, with modern dance as a supplement. Of course, social dance is also part of our regular training. The biggest challenge for our team members is that they had almost zero foundation. Starting from scratch and reaching a relatively professional level is a long process. Therefore, it requires a lot of patience and continuous refinement of one's will. Fortunately, our team members are very persistent. In their regular training, they train until after 10 p.m. almost every night, making full use of every spare moment," said Liang Ruojin, the coach of the dance team.

He Xiaomin and Zhang Yuwei, who are primarily responsible for guiding the Aerobics School Team, share a similar sentiment. "We are deeply moved by the students' hard training during their daily routines. Their training period is not long, but their training time every day is very fulfilling. They give their all to both training and competition. Whether it's for the competition or regular training, the students are unified and dedicated, even in terms of costumes and makeup, reflecting their dedication. Of course, in these aspects, the coaching teachers are also wholeheartedly dedicated and provide careful guidance!"

"Driving Force for Progress: Passing On, Helping Out, and Supporting Each Other

Achieving success not only relies on the athletes' dedication and the coaches' sincere efforts but is also inseparable from the strong support of the department and the school.

"Before each competition, Professor Li Yixiang, the head of the Public Sports Department, holds meetings with us to discuss competition plans, advance training schedules, and set goals. Initially, they organize a meeting for us coaches and then convey the information to the students through us. During the actual competition, they personally go on the field to cheer and support the students. Of course, we believe that Professor Li's greatest support to us is telling us to do our best, unleash our full potential, and teach everything we can to the students. At the same time, we feel that as long as the teachers teach with dedication and willingness, the students will undoubtedly show excellent results. In general, Professor Li is like an elder, unconditionally supporting us, and this is the greatest support for us!"

Inheritance can breathe new life into good traditions. In the dance team, a mechanism for passing on traditions has been established — a mentoring system where experienced members mentor newcomers. Teachers instruct students, and students instruct each other. In this way, "mentoring groups" emerge in the dance team like spring shoots, allowing new members to quickly integrate, while the experienced members also receive good training. "This year, our dance team's first batch of members, led by student Wu Yutong, crossed disciplines and got admitted to Hainan Normal University's sports major. Under her influence, five new members are planning to take the sports major in postgraduate studies, which is also a form of inheritance. We will provide targeted guidance to these students," says Liang Ruojin. "Currently, the dance team has nearly 30 members, and we believe that in the future, it will continue to grow and become more outstanding!"

He Xiaomin believes that team cohesion is crucial. Helping each other and training together during regular practice, the team is like a family with a common goal, possessing strong centripetal force. "Our members often say, 'My best friends are in the team, and the happiest thing is being in the team.' This atmosphere that makes students feel enjoyable is precious!"

Now, under the guidance of the Public Sports Department, Hunan University of Technology has promoted the "One Hour of Exercise Every Day" activity, which has received widespread response among students and faculty. Every morning and evening, students open the "Flash Campus" app to engage in running check-ins on campus. Meanwhile, basketball, football, volleyball, table tennis, tug-of-war, and other sports events are regularly held on campus. "At Hunan University of Technology, the goal of organizing sports activities is not just to win awards but to truly implement the great call of 'developing sports and enhancing people's physical fitness.' We aim to make exercise a habit for students and faculty, striving to achieve 'healthy work for fifty years, happy life for a lifetime.'"

Student Insights: Strive for Excellence and Anticipate Greater Achievements

"This Sunshine Gymnastics Festival was the first competition for the new members of the 2022 level after joining the team for nine months. Months before the competition, the participating members began intense training—utilizing their rest time for six training sessions per week," explained Liang Ruojin. It is this rhythm of seizing time for rigorous training and the team's commitment to the school motto of "unity of knowledge and action, striving for excellence" that inspires the members to progress and strive for higher goals.

Liang Huiqin from Tanzhou Academy won first place in the Ordinary Group Women's Singles R and second place in the Ordinary Group Social Dance Singles Rumba at this Sunshine Gymnastics Festival. She admits that, during the training process, continuous self-improvement and refining movements, coupled with daily practice, turned all the actions into muscle memory, culminating in the best performance on the competition stage. "The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold! At the moment of affirmation, I feel that all the efforts are worthwhile!"

Tan Rong from the School of Foreign Languages, English 2101, won first place in the Professional Group Formation L, first place in the Ordinary Group Women's Singles R, first place in the Ordinary Group Women's Singles J, and third place in the Ordinary Group Social Dance Singles Rumba as a team member at the Sunshine Gymnastics Festival. "In the two years of joining the dance team, I have grown a lot and gained a lot. The process of learning dance may be dull and tedious, but the results are beautiful. Each competition witnesses our growth, and behind each passionate performance is the accumulation and sedimentation of countless days and nights. Being together in the dance studio day and night has enhanced our teamwork. On the night before the competition, we helped each other with makeup and hairstyling, and even until dawn, we strived to make each person perfect. When our team members were on the stage, we all gathered together, loudly cheering for them and recording their most beautiful dance moves, because we are a team!" Tan Rong said emotionally.

Yin Lixia, a member of the 2021 class of the School of Business Administration, achieved first place in the open youth category C collective street dance and cheerleading optional movements and second place in the open youth category C paired flower ball cheerleading prescribed movements - level 3. She openly admitted that the two years of practicing aerobics have been beneficial for her. "Joining the aerobics school team has allowed me to grow rapidly. Through repeated training, performances, and competitions, I have honed myself to present the best version of me. Every night, the coach accompanies us in practice until very late, meticulously refining details and checking each project's outcome over and over again. Thanks to the encounter, thanks to the teacher's guidance, daily training and the baptism of competitions have enabled us to remain humble and steadfast in victory and prosperity and resilient in difficulties and adversity!"

"Aerobics is a sport that integrates gymnastics, dance, and music. As a beginner, I couldn't capture its vitality, nor could I execute its techniques. The twice-weekly training was not enough for me to remember the complex and varied movements, so I started practicing more with my friends," said Chen Lu, from the 2201 class of the Tanzhou Academy of Marketing. "I am grateful to our coaches, Teacher He Xiaomin and Teacher Zhang Yuwei, who guide us even after full classes at night. In this Sunshine Gymnastics Festival, we eventually achieved a good second place! Through this gymnastics festival, I love aerobics even more, love its passion, love its vitality, and love our vibrant and upward family!"

As the recipient of the "Special Contribution Award" in this Sunshine Gymnastics Festival, He Xin believes that this award not only belongs to individuals but also, in a larger sense, represents recognition for the school, the team members of the dance team, and the Public Sports Department. "Our students have shown great spirit at the Sunshine Gymnastics Festival, with excellent professional performances, showcasing their fantastic selves. This makes us feel gratified, leaving a good impression on the organizing committee. I believe that in the future, our students will continue to showcase themselves on increasingly higher platforms, and I will continue to work hard, not disappointing the students' needs and expectations!"