June school holidays 2025: Little feet, big dreams
SINGAPORE – Football is a popular sport in Singapore. Many young people dream of playing in the big leagues. Several football academies, including some brand-name ones, are dedicated to training young players, helping them take their skills to the next level.
In this episode of nine2twelve, a video series for kids aged nine to 12 , The Straits Times and a guest reviewer visit F17 Football Academy to find out how it gets kids outdoors.
View the video at str.sg/tWXX, then come back and try this crossword puzzle below.
ACTIVITY 1
Fill in the crossword puzzle with football-related terms based on the clues provided below.
DOWN
1. The break in the middle of the match, usually 15 minutes long.
3. When a player falls to the ground and, often, pretends to be injured to give the impression that a foul has been committed.
5. The player who plays in the middle of the field. He helps both in attack and defence, passing the ball and controlling the game.
6. A player who is mainly responsible for trying to score goals.
8. The person who trains the players, teaches them techniques and helps them get better at their sport.
9. The leader of the team.
ACROSS
2. The player who stands in front of the goal and tries to stop the other team from scoring. He wears gloves and usually stays near the goal area to catch the ball or block it from entering the net.
4. The act of moving the ball by kicking it with small, quick touches while running.
7. To describe the act of a player who stops or takes the ball away from the other team by getting in the way of their pass or shot.
10. When a player breaks the rules, the opposing team is often awarded this free kick, which means the player can try to score a goal, defended only by the goalkeeper.
Answers: 1. Halftime. 2. Goalkeeper. 3. Dive. 4. Dribble. 5. Midfielder. 6. Striker. 7. Intercept. 8. Coach. 9. Captain. 10. Penalty
ACTIVITY 2
Match the faces of legendary football players to their names. Each player has a story, a signature move and a place in football history. Tell us who your favourite player is and why at stdot@sph.com.sg.
Lionel Messi
PHOTO: AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo
PHOTO: AFP
Karim Benzema
PHOTO: REUTERS
Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Bernard Hinault backs ‘complete rider' Tadej Pogacar for Tour de France glory
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Yffiniac – With the Tour de France set to get underway in Lille on July 5, French cycling legend Bernard Hinault has thrown his voice firmly behind Tadaj Pogacar, saying the Slovenian can go on to break his record for Tour victories. Hinault is one of four riders, along with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain to have won the Tour five times but he believes Pogacar can close on that group by adding to his victories in 2020, 2021 and 2024. 'For me, yes, he is the favourite, unless he has a major breakdown but I don't believe that at all,' Hinault told AFP. 'When you see what he was able to do in the Dauphine, he was in control, he did what he wanted, when he wanted. 'Pogacar, when he sees that he has the chance to pull the trigger, he pulls the trigger – a bit like Eddy (Merckx). 'When he attacks, as he did at the world championships, with 100km to go, everyone says: 'What a stupid thing to do'. At the end, he won. And that's fabulous to see.' The UAE Team Emirates rider started the season by taking his 'home' UAE Tour, then won four one-day races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finishing on the podium in three others. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 out of 4 in Singapore cannot identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore Three hair salons raided in clampdown on touting, vice, drugs in Geylang and Joo Chiat Singapore New $7.5m fund to encourage social service agencies to track impact of their programmes Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July Singapore Police looking into claim by driver who caused teen's death that he was an NUS student Asia Dalai Lama says he will have successor after his death Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord He ended his Tour preparation with a brilliantly controlled performance in the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine, when he beat Jonas Vingegaard – his main rival for the Tour and himself looking for a third title – by 59 seconds. The 26-year-old Slovenian goes into the 2025 Tour, his sixth, with an extraordinary record in his previous five, having clocked two second-places behind Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023 to go with his three victories. Hinault, 70, sees him as a genuine challenger for the record of Tour wins. 'I think that Pogacar will really leave his mark on cycling for a few years to come,' says Hinault. 'He is perhaps the only one who will be able to beat the record. 'He is only 26 years old. When you look at the list of victories he's already won, he's well on schedule. 'He's already won three Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the world championship title, the Classics... He's a complete rider.' Hinault – known as 'The Badger' during his career – was less hopeful that the 2025 race might yield the first French winner since his last victory 40 years ago in 1985. 'We're a bit sad that we haven't had a Frenchman win the Tour,' he said. 'We're still a cycling country, we still have some of the best races in the world, and then all of a sudden, nothing. 'That's life, that's the way it is. We don't have super champions with extraordinary physical abilities, like some nations. 'When you look at it, everyone else would have to fail (for a Frenchman to win).' AFP
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Line judges missed at Wimbledon as AI takes their jobs
More than 450 cameras have been installed at the All England Club - which hosts Wimbledon - to make the decisions previously made by line judges. PHOTO: AFP LONDON - Line judges were as much a part of the Wimbledon tennis championships as strawberries and cream. But their demise in favour of technology is being felt by both players and fans alike. John McEnroe famously ranted and raved at the smartly dressed on-court officials but they have called 'out' for the final time and been replaced by an electronic line-calling (ELC) system. Some players say they find the new calls too quiet while others lament the passing of a 148-year-old tradition at the All England Club in south-west London. 'It was part of the joy of going to Wimbledon – the tradition. I just used to love it when they all walked out in their uniforms,' said company director Fiona Jones, 52. 'Technology is good but I think it's definitely lost something by not having them there,' she said, adding that the back of the court now seemed 'empty'. Line officials had been working in tandem with technology since 2007. When the umpire signalled a video replay of a line judge's decision a ripple of excitement would spread through spectators followed by rhythmic clapping as it was shown on the big screen. Tech worker Marie Sal, 26, said she missed the fun of the audience participation. It was nice to get a definitive decision quickly, she said, but the 'energy, the drama' was now missing. In October 2024, Wimbledon announced it was finally scrapping its line officials in favour of ELC, following the lead of the Australian Open and US Open, emptying its courts. 'The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low,' said China's Yuan Yue after her first-round match on an outside court. 'I asked the referee can you (turn) it up a little bit? He said he cannot. I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly,' she said. 'AI took my job' More than 450 cameras have been installed to make the decisions previously made by humans. Those rulings are then relayed via on-court speakers. Cameras - not humans - now make the line calls at Wimbledon. PHOTO: AFP American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe said the new technology lacked the theatre and 'fanfare' of the old system. 'If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that,' he said. 'If I hit a good serve now and they call it 'out', you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it,' he said. The former line judges are not completely redundant. Around 80 are employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire. They will also be on hand to resume work should the machines malfunction. Former line judges are still on hand, should the cameras malfunction. PHOTO: AFP Their plight attracted the support of two English students concerned about the wider threat from artificial intelligence to their own future job prospects. Mr Gabriel Paul, 26, and Mr Harry Robson, 27, dressed as line judges and held up placards reading 'AI took my job' and 'Don't sideline humans' outside the gates of the All England Club. 'We're students – we're graduating in three months and worrying about the whole jobs market,' said Mr Paul. But he said tournament staff had given them a good reception, possibly fearing that they too could be replaced. 'They don't seem to mind. There's been a lot of cheering for us from the stewards,' he added. But Wimbledon is upbeat about the new system, with operations director Michelle Dite saying the introduction of ELC had been 'very successful'. 'There were one or two players that commented about the audio,' she said. 'And I think it's really important that we review and monitor that all the time, like we do with everything else.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Tony Hawk puts his history-making '900' skateboard up for auction
Other items up for sale include Hawk's signed helmet, knee pads, sneakers, and the 1999 X Games Vert Finals bronze medal. PHOTO: AFP LOS ANGELES – Skateboarding great Tony Hawk has announced that he is putting his most famous deck up for auction with the goal of raising money to build skateparks in underserved areas. Hawk landed his groundbreaking '900' – 2½ full mid-air rotations – at the 1999 X Games in a moment that helped propel the sport out of the subculture and into the mainstream. The Birdhouse 'Falcon 2' board is expected to fetch between US$500,000 and US$700,000 (S$636,000 and S$891,000) when it goes on the block in Los Angeles on Sept 23, according to Julien's Auctions. A Julien's Auctions spokesperson said: 'This skateboard represents not just a milestone in sports, but a cultural moment that inspired generations.' Likewise, Hawk called the moment he became the first skateboarder to land the trick in front of a roaring X Games crowd after several failed attempts on June 27, 1999 'the best day of my life'. 'It was a huge moment in my career – the result of years of persistence and getting back up after every fall,' the 57-year-old said in a press release. Other items up for sale include Hawk's signed helmet, knee pads, sneakers, and the 1999 X Games Vert Finals bronze medal. 'I never imagined that my board, pads or helmet from that day would be of any interest to collectors,' he said. 'A portion of the proceeds from the sale will benefit The Skatepark Project (TSP), the foundation I started to help communities build safe and inclusive skateparks in underserved areas, where young people can experience the same freedom and confidence that skateboarding offered me.' TSP grant programs have awarded over US$13 million to help fund nearly 700 public skateparks in all 50 US states, enjoyed by an estimated 17 million people annually, according to the non-profit organisation's website. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
