I spend most of my free periods perusing the BBC website and scanning through news articles from around the world. Doing this helps me feel less removed from Western culture and more informed on current events. This morning, while beginning my day-long duties of desk warming, I found this video in the Asia-Pacific section of BBC.com. If you don't feel like taking the time to watch it (it's only 2:34), the summary is that Korean boys of all ages and body builds are desperately attempting to become the next football star, following in the footsteps of Park Ji-Sung. This phenomenon is not that unfamiliar to me and mirrors the God-like admiration young girls everywhere had in the 1990's for the one and only: Mia Hamm.
On my first days in the classroom, I was happy to see how many boys were obsessed with soccer. In fact, I'm fairly certain that a great deal of the more obnoxious boys liked me and behaved for me because I played soccer. Telling kids that I was a goalkeeper evoked a similar reaction to telling someone I had been to the moon. They were shocked and excited and always tried to ask me questions, which usually went unanswered due to the language barrier. However, I quickly started to get more involved with the boys and their love for the same sport I love. During the lunch break I go out and kick the ball around with them after eating. Although I've never had the most phenomenal foot skills, I'm equipped enough to keep up with 10 year olds. Occasionally after school I will go out and play keeper, letting the students shoot on me. However, most days there are serious soccer practices on our schools field after school. I would say about 60% of my male student play on the school team. At my school, Dae Dong Elementary, there is a serious, well-reputed, organized team of both the varsity and junior varsity level. 3rd and 4th grade students play on the JV, while 5th and 6th graders play on the Varsity. These boys travel all around Seoul playing other elementary schools and hosting teams at home. They play 1 game a week and train the other 4. Their practices start right after school, about 2:30, and they are still going at it when I leave around 4:40. At 10 or younger, these kids are working their butts off and it seems to all trickle back to Park Ji-Sung.
I would say that Park Ji-Sung shares a similar idol status in South Korea as Kim Jong-Il does in the North, but I'm aware of how controversial and insensitive that would sound... whoops. Any way, the man is more than a hero to these kids, and I can understand why. My students tell me facts daily about this man. Before coming to Korea, I knew that he was a midfield for Manchester United, because Man U is my favorite English Premier League team. But with all the information my students have given me, I am now aware that Park is the most decorated footballer in Asian history, is the first South Korean player to have won the UEFA Champions League and is the first Asian to have played in a final of the tournament. He played for Myongji University and, according to one of my better English speaking students, "is able to play anywhere across the midfield and is noted for his exceptional fitness level, discipline, work ethic and off-the-ball movement." These kids don't just say "when I grow up, I want to be a professional football player". They say "when I grow up, I want to be a professional football player like Park Ji-Sung."
I've been to several FC Seoul matches and quite honestly, the skill level of Asian Premier football is in no way up to the caliber of English Premier. In fact, to even call it "premier" is quite an overstatement. However, when I watch these young kids out on the field of my elementary school each day, I see a lot of hope and promise. Baseball might be the All-American game (as sick as that makes me), but here in Korea the national sport is certainly a trend that I can get behind. I love seeing my students' love for soccer. And the highlight of my day is being able to run around the pitch and share our mutual interest. I can't always communicate with my students in the classroom. It's hard, but it's true. But when we can play soccer together, I communicate with each and every one of them perfectly. Just yet another example of why soccer is sensational.
No comments:
Post a Comment