As one of the founders of China's "Golden Generation" of women's volleyball, Chen Zhonghe has earned his place in the story of Chinese women's volleyball. Not only is he a coach, but he has also witnessed this chapter in history. However, his journey has been filled with challenges both in his career and family life. Fortunately, those days are behind him now. He has achieved great success and retired with his wife by his side. Occasionally, fans still reminisce about him and the era he represented.
Young Chen Zhonghe started as an assistant trainer for the women's volleyball team. Eager to make a mark in the field of volleyball, he seized the opportunity without hesitation and applied to join the national team. This was a relatively low-key role, but Chen Zhonghe did not let that discourage him. Instead, he absorbed experience like a sponge from every training session. Despite his small stature and lack of strength, he knew he could not rely solely on talent and had to compensate through more rigorous training. He took his training seriously, meticulously studying volleyball techniques and tactics.
Among the tall and powerful figures of the female volleyball players, Chen Zhonghe's presence seemed insignificant, like an inconspicuous little character. However, his indomitable spirit won him respect and trust among the team members, gradually elevating his status within the team.
His career was not without its ups and downs. Starting late, many doubted his transition from assistant trainer to formal coach, questioning whether he had the capability to take on such a heavy responsibility. In the face of these doubts, Chen Zhonghe did not back down. He carefully studied the tactics of various national volleyball teams, analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, and combined the actual situation of the Chinese women's volleyball team to formulate practical training plans. His training methods were unique, focusing on improving the basic skills of the players while also emphasizing teamwork and tactical coordination, which helped the Chinese women's volleyball team win their first Olympic gold medal.
However, just as Chen Zhonghe's career was taking off, his beloved wife Wang Lili tragically died in a car accident at the young age of 31. Chen Zhonghe was plunged into endless pain and loss. The deep affection he had for his wife left him feeling as if he had lost the pillar of his life. The once passionate pursuit of volleyball seemed meaningless. But he could not be defeated; he still had the responsibility of raising his young daughter.
Volleyball and his daughter became his only concerns, and despite the storms he faced, he never gave in.
In the darkest moments of Chen Zhonghe's life, Lang Ping's appearance was like a ray of light illuminating his heart. Lang Ping, not only a close friend of many years but also an important support during his times of loss, used her rich experiences and wisdom to guide Chen Zhonghe, making her the best partner in work.
Chen Zhonghe knew he bore a tremendous responsibility, not only to bring glory to the Chinese women's volleyball team but also to provide a strong support for his young daughter. With these responsibilities in mind, he returned to the familiar volleyball court, fully devoted to training and competitions.
In 2000, the Chinese women's volleyball team was in a slump, with unsatisfactory overall performance. At this time, head coach Hu Jin announced his resignation, and Chen Zhonghe was promoted to the new head coach, a decision that made him feel an even heavier burden. Faced with a team that was performing poorly, low morale, and a lack of confidence among the players, Chen Zhonghe knew that to change all this, fundamental reforms were needed.
Chen Zhonghe made a thorough adjustment to the team's training methods, focusing on solid basic skills training while placing greater emphasis on teamwork and tactical coordination. Through personalized training, he tailored training plans according to the characteristics of each player, maximizing the potential of each of them. Whether these changes would bear fruit remained to be seen, an unknown outcome. However, it can be confirmed later that under his leadership, the Chinese women's volleyball team indeed reached the pinnacle of the world.
In the finals of Athens, the Chinese women's volleyball team staged a comeback victory against the Russian team, winning the Olympic gold medal. At this moment, Chen Zhonghe was overwhelmed with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes.
He is known for his modesty and humility. When faced with external praise, he always smiles calmly, attributing all honors to the collective efforts of the team. He often says that the country has bestowed many honors upon him, and the achievements of the women's volleyball team are the result of everyone's collective efforts; he has only contributed a meager effort.
Chen Zhonghe's life journey has been filled with many setbacks and hardships. At the age of 23, when he was at the beginning of his volleyball career and still an assistant trainer for the Chinese women's volleyball team, he lost his brother, who had been the mainstay of the family. This sudden departure forced him to quickly stand up from his grief and shoulder the family's burden.
As the son of the family, Chen Zhonghe realized that he must quickly rally and take on the responsibility of supporting the family, silently contributing to the family and striving to hold together a broken home after the difficult years. Chen Zhonghe barely came out from the shadow of his brother's death, only to experience the loss of his wife.
No matter how hard he tried, the sadness in his heart followed him like a shadow. Then in 1993, Chen Zhonghe's mother fell ill and was bedridden for a long time. Her paralysis made him run between his busy volleyball work and family responsibilities.
Four years later, Chen Zhonghe's father passed away due to cerebral hemorrhage. The successive deaths of his loved ones placed an increasingly heavy burden on Chen Zhonghe. After experiencing these heavy blows, Chen Zhonghe's emotions almost hit rock bottom. Fortunately, a special person entered his life—Li Donghong.
Li Donghong was once a member of the Fujian women's volleyball team. She witnessed Chen Zhonghe's strength and helplessness and saw his sense of responsibility and dedication as a father. In his most vulnerable moments, Li Donghong reached out, taking good care of Chen Zhonghe's daughter, and gradually a relationship blossomed between them.
After Chen Zhonghe and Li Donghong got together, they even went to visit the grave of his late wife Wang Lili together. In front of his wife's grave, Chen Zhonghe's grief was still evident, and this period became an unforgettable part of his life.
After marriage, Chen Zhonghe and Li Donghong welcomed a lovely child, and the family of four lived happily together.
Chen Zhonghe's career climbed step by step after experiencing the ups and downs of personal life, and his coaching career also came to an end after he turned sixty.
In June 2009, he was transferred to the position of Vice Director of the Fujian Provincial Sports Bureau. Although no longer serving as head coach, Chen Zhonghe has never left the front line of volleyball. He continued to pay attention to the dynamics of the Chinese women's volleyball team, especially the matches of the Fujian team, and raised sponsorship funds for them when needed.
He still cared about the development of volleyball at all times and even served as a technical representative of the Chinese Volleyball Association, dedicated to promoting the progress of the domestic volleyball cause.
When he first retired, he had not made too many retirement plans, but for the future, he still hoped to continue to devote himself to the sports field, especially the cultivation of youth sports.
In conclusion, being able to travel across the country, continue to support the volleyball league, and promote the sport nationwide is his greatest wish. Life is bumpy, time flies, decades of hard work have brought today's honor, which is very precious.
Even now, although Chen Zhonghe has retired and is far from the court, fans still hold him in high regard and cherish memories of him.
