Welcome to the Shanghai Lions, the best amateur football club in Shanghai. Since 1996, we have tried to build a “Club Structure” for the Shanghai Lions FC. By having a multi-level structure in place, we have created a competitive environment where all players are able to grow and improve their game at the level that is suitable for them.
Mini Lions
At the base, we have the Mini Lions. This segment is for boys and/or girls aged between 5 to 9 years old. The aim here is for them to learn the basic skills of football such as ball mastery, shooting, passing, dribbling as well as the first steps into team play. For this segment, pieces of training are supervised by our own Lions coaches. They will also be able to play in 5 aside league matches on the weekend.
Junior Teams
The second segment is the Junior Lions
- For boys and/or girls aged between 10 to 13 years old. This age group is still under development but it's just a matter of time. For instance, we know that the Mini Lions will end up in this group with time. Same as for the Mini Lions, we will organize training sessions and 7 aside league matches on the weekend.
- For boys and/or girls aged between 14 to 18 years old. This segment dedicated to High School students is already very mature within the club. For this age group, we have more specific training where we focus on the physical aspect of the game. Therefore it also means building sessions without the ball to get more power and strength as well endurance. Matches are also held over the weekend; mainly 11 aside. This age group is very important as the older players will have the chance to play in the first team if selected. This is definitely an invaluable opportunity for them to have a first experience with Senior Football.
First Team
The third segment of the club is the Senior Team. Currently, we play 11 aside on Saturday in the Shanghai International Football League (SIFL). Pieces of training are also organized once a week by our own Lions coaches.
This is the historical backbone segment of the club as this team has been playing ever since 1996, winning numerous titles in various Shanghai amateur leagues. Among others, this is also the reason why we'd like to claim ourselves the best amateur football club in Shanghai.
Veteran Team
This is the last segment of the club. Our legends are playing 11 aside on Sunday in the SPL Veteran. To play in this league, you need to be over 35 years old. On the other edge, there is no age limit and some of our legends are still enjoying playing football games close to their 60's.
With this structure in place, we're very proud to have players from 5 yo all the way up to 60 yo being part of our Lions Family. Over the years, many foreigners have left China and fewer new ones are now coming (especially during the Covid-19 time). Therefore, we are more than happy to get local talented players to join us. It makes our club a special place where you can meet and make friends with players from all over the world.
Cheers,
Freek Boelen
Shanghai Lions FC President
