98 A Period of Shortage

Just as coach Xu had said, the next day a leader from the Provincial Sport Team spoke to Dai Li and asked if he would like to be a shot put coach for the youth team. Because Li knew it was a good job, he agreed without hesitation. The following day, after Li went through relocation procedures, he reported directly to the Youth Sport Team.

The Provincial Youth Sport Team was regarded as a reserve team for the Provincial Sport Team. Outstanding athletes on the youth team would be sent to the Provincial Sport Team for further cultivation. The athletes ranged anywhere from 16 to 18. People who were younger than 16 belonged to the junior team, while people older than 18 left the youth team. If one didn’t get selected after the age of 18, it indicated that the individual wasn’t capable of being a good athlete. The best job the person could get was killing time on a city sports team.