Chapter 250: Go To the USA
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Dong dong dong…"
Dai Li was knocking on the door of Weidong Chu's office.
"Come in, please!" Weidong Chu answered from inside. Dai Li then pushed the door open, and walked in.
"Coach, you were looking for me?" Dai Li stepped forward.
"Li, have a seat." Weidong Chu pointed at the chair opposite the office door , as he lowered his head in search for something from a pile of paper in front of him.
After a while, Weidong Chu found something that looked like a sheet, and raising his head, he asked, "Li, do you know UCLA?"
"University of California, Los Angeles? That's a top school in America!" Dai Li responded.
"Yes, University of California, Los Angeles." Weidong Chu continued saying. "There is an Institute called AP, short for Athlete Performance. Have you heard of it before?"
Dai Li gave it a thought, then asked, "Are you talking about that AP training center? The one in Arizona? That's one of the most famous athlete physical fitness training centers in the world. Numerous sports brands are their sponsors, including, Adidas, EAS sports nutrition, Gatorade sports drinks, and more."
Weidong Chu nodded, "That's right. But this AP physical fitness training center not only exists in Arizona, but the training bases are also located in Carson, California, and at Andrews University in Florida, as well as in the Fries section in Texas. However, the facilities in California are the most advanced."
Weidong Chu paused, then asked, "Li, are you interested in going to the USA?"
"Go to the USA? You mean, go to California? UCLA? And AP?" Dai Li asked in surprise.
"Yeah, California," Weidong Chu said. "Now here is an opportunity for you. There is an informational event covering how to get further study in the USA, organized by our sports bureau. It takes around 10 days. The main studying spot will be in the UCLA and AP physical fitness training center. UCLA is a top comprehensive university, and is also the cradle of the American economy, high technology industry, and film and art. This public school is always in the top three list of American universities, and in the top 10 in all-American, and even in the top 15 all over the world! UCLA has even produced 16 Nobel Prize winners."
"As for sports, UCLA has made great achievements. If you watch the NBA, you will know that many sports stars come from UCLA. And, this is just a tip of the iceberg. The students or graduates of UCLA have won 233 medals in totality since 1928, among which, there are 123 gold medals." Weidong Chu continued his introduction.
"Really…233 gold medals? I remember that we've only won less than 200 gold medals, since we joined the Olympics! UCLA is just a university, but it's sports performance is surely better than most of the countries in the world," Dai Li said, awed. He knew UCLA was really good, but he didn't realize UCLA was this good.
"That's why we would choose UCLA as our place of further study," Weidong Chu explained. "The AP physical fitness training center was established in the late 90s, when the private training industry in America wasn't that developed yet. Hence, the athletes mainly relied on their teams and the specialists in the university to train and support them."
"Later, a Sports Science Professor established the AP training center under the sponsorship of Adidas. He gathered a group of specialists from different fields, including coaches, doctors, physical therapists, nutritionists, human soft tissue experts, and sports psychology experts, to provide the athletes with scientific training methods and excellent services. Due to the advanced theories and reasonable training offered there, the AP training center attracts a lot of great American athletes."
"But, the moment the AP training center received its fame, was when they cooperated with the NFL, which stands for American National Football League. Back then, the AP held a pre-training program, and asked those athletes, who were potential qualifiers for the football league, to join in order to get ready for the tryouts for NFL. Now, every year, seven or eight athletes, who have been training in the AP, will be selected by the NFL."
"Later, the AP training center started working with the AEG Company. The AP training stadium in Carson, California, was built by the AEG Company. Thanks to the resources of the AEG Company, the AP training center has become the premier training base for American top athletes and future sports stars. You have heard of the AEG Company, right?"
Dai Li nodded. The AEG Company was the top sport and entertainment company in the entire world. Many people thought that AEG was just a magnate in the entertainment industry, but AEG was also a sports industry magnate. It controlled the most American stadiums, and owned a wealth of shares of the four major league teams in the United States. Therefore, the athlete resource that AEG had to offer, could really help the AP training center to be the best in America.
Weidong Chu continued, "Then, the AP training center worked with the Germany National Sports Team, and offered the athletes individualized training plans. In the World Cup that year, the Germany Team won second place, and the AP training center had now become a world famous training center."
Dai Li was a little bit hesitant, and he said, "UCLA and the AP training center are all super awesome places. If I really can visit there, I would be over the moon. But would they be happy to let us come to their fancy place?"
Dai Li thought he didn't really have a chance at this. He had stayed in the national team before, but even coaches in the national team wouldn't have the opportunity to have further study in places like UCLA or the AP training center. And the Hanbei sport team was just a provincial team, so how could they be lucky enough to have this chance?
Weidong Chu explained, "Our provincial sports bureau can't do this. It was the AEG Company. AEG always wanted to be involved in the domestic sports industry, and wanted to invest in our provincial sports stadium. Helping us contact UCLA and the AP training center was a nice gesture, aimed to show their sincerity. This is why we now have the opportunity to go abroad. UCLA and the AP training center have numerous visitors every year. Getting there is difficult for us, but a piece of cake for AEG."
"Do I need to pay for this?" Dai Li asked in a low voice.
"You don't have to, our bureau will pay for you," Weidong Chu explained. "AEG is only responsible for contacting UCLA and the AP training center. All the costs during this trip, including tickets and accommodation, will be covered by our bureau."
"Are there a lot of people coming?" Dai Li asked again.
"Not many, most likely over 20, but less than 30." Weidong Chu continued saying, "There is a limit to the number going abroad. We've factored the budget, and it costs about 100000 yuan for one person to go. Therefore, apart from those leaders in our bureau, there is only one place for one team coach. And I decided to let you take the opportunity!"
"Coach, are you sure? I don't think this is appropriate. We have so many excellent coaches in the team, who are all more experienced than I am…" Dai Li declined the offer in a subtle manner, but really, he was testing the waters to see whether Weidong Chu truly meant what he said.
Can experience win gold medals in the National Games for me?" Weidong Chu replied, his mouth twitching.
"I am just worried that the other coaches might not be happy!" Dai Li said.
"Don't worry about it," Weidong Chu said. "Actually, this opportunity is for the main lead coach in other teams, and as a main lead coach, I am supposed to go to the USA. Now, I've decided to give this chance to you, so they won't be unhappy."
Dai Li was very moved by this gesture.
Weidong Chu handed the sheet to Dai Li, saying, "Fill in your personal information first. I will sign you up later. Oh, right, don't forget to get a passport. You won't be able to go abroad, if you don't have a passport!"