[Jeong Gyu-young's Gongseon Unhak③] Planting the 'Champion Mind'... The Secret of Athletics at Prestigious US Universities (Part 2)

Editor's NoteAsia Economy is serializing expert contributions to suggest directions necessary for improving the structural problems of sports in the Republic of Korea and achieving harmony among professional sports, recreational sports, and school sports. Jung Kyu-young, president of the nonprofit organization 'Gongbuhaneun Seonsu Undonghaneun Haksaeng (Gongseonunhak),' offers his proposals. Having studied at Stanford Graduate School and served as the captain of the university's fencing team, President Jung established the nonprofit in 2015 to introduce the American school sports system he observed there into Korea, promoting it through publicity and scholarship projects. He plans to point out the limitations of Korea's student-athlete admission system, school sports management, sports club development, and sports organization operations, while comparing overseas cases and suggesting future directions.

Jung Kyu-young, President of the Studying Athletes Exercising Students Association / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Because top-tier prestigious universities in the United States prefer students who excel in sports, campuses are filled with 'student-athletes' who are good at both academics and athletics. Among them are athletes ranked not only in the U.S. but also worldwide. Student-athletes who lack academic performance can enter universities that match their academic records.

These admitted student-athletes, to reiterate, are not 'physical education majors' but regular university students who must manage their major studies and grades more rigorously. If their GPA falls below 2.0, they lose their student-athlete eligibility and cannot wear the school team uniform. The more prestigious the university, the more emphasis is placed on academic performance management.

☞ Reference

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseonunhak①] 'The Essence of Physical Education is Education'... This Comes First

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseonunhak②] Stanford, Yale, Harvard... Secrets of American Prestigious Universities' Athletics (Part 1)

The Ultimate Goal of Education through Athletics
Cultivating the Spirit to Overcome Failure and Rise Again

At Columbia University (ranked third lowest acceptance rate in the U.S. after Stanford and Harvard), if a student-athlete's GPA falls below 3.0 or they receive a D grade in any course, the coach of the respective sports team is notified. After a meeting with the coach, the student must receive 'subject study assistance (tutoring services)' provided by the school. They must also reduce their athletic participation until their grades improve.

In other words, these student-athletes are not admitted to the university solely for their athletic talents but regard athletics as their most important extracurricular activity and actively participate as members of their sports teams. They proudly list the title of student-athlete on their resumes, which can provide additional points for graduate school admission or employment after graduation.

Through these student-athletes, the effect of 'Education through Athletics' emphasized by American prestigious universities is realized. Michael Apricittig, fencing coach at Columbia University?which has produced U.S. Olympic team members, U.S. competition champions, U.S. collegiate champions, and has won the Ivy League and national collegiate championships three times?emphasizes, "Through athletics, one can develop the mental strength to overcome failure and rise again."

His belief in 'Education through Athletics' is as follows: "For young students, it is important to teach the mindset to overcome failure rather than just how to succeed. Not everyone can succeed, and when these students graduate and enter society, they will face moments of failure and frustration. What matters is how they overcome those moments. We teach these overcoming methods through the 'champion mindset.' We encourage them to believe they will become champions, to think about what they must do to overcome current failures and pain to become champions. We call each other champions and teach a positive, never-give-up mindset. Before long, students gain confidence that they are becoming champions, and because of that confidence and positive mindset, their academic and athletic performance improves."

The United States Columbia University fencing team, participating in the 2018 International Elite University Fencing Championships, is preparing for the team event.
Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Student-Athletes at Prestigious U.S. Universities Are Popular Stars
Bringing Huge Revenue to Communities and Universities
Winning Medals and Turning Pro Are Not the Ultimate Goals

Education through athletics at American universities also brings enormous revenue to local communities and universities. Students who have been nurtured through physical education in elementary, middle, and high schools and local sports clubs enter prestigious universities and excel in their university sports teams, gaining the community's attention and full support. The annual revenue generated by American universities through college football approaches 100 billion KRW, and Duke University's men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski's salary reaches 9 million USD (about 10.4 billion KRW), illustrating the value and scale of American collegiate sports beyond our imagination.

Of course, it is unreasonable to directly compare the sports market size of the U.S. and Korea. However, it is regrettable that Korean collegiate sports are not thriving and that elite and recreational sports seem to be declining amid integration and consolidation processes. Student-athletes at prestigious U.S. universities regularly meet in classrooms and clubs, live campus life together, and study in libraries. Unlike Korean universities, where sports team students exist only in stadiums, attend classes separately, are rarely seen on campus, and live in separate dormitories, American student-athletes enjoy integrated campus life.

Despite their immense popularity, less than 5% of American university student-athletes advance to professional or corporate sports teams. For them, athletics is only part of their education, not the ultimate life goal. We can no longer ignore the reality that student-athletes educated through athletics ironically win more Olympic medals than elite athletes whose sole goals are Olympic medals and professional team entry. We must adopt the American collegiate 'Education through Athletics' system, which regards sports as education, to fit our circumstances.

Having witnessed student-athletes whom I helped enter prestigious U.S. universities graduate, secure good jobs, and grow into important economic members of society, I am convinced this is not just an American story but applicable to Korean students as well. I plan to introduce such cases and suggest how our university physical education should change.

Jung Kyu-young, President of Gongbuhaneun Seonsu Undonghaneun Haksaeng and CEO of Lorus Enterprise