[Jeong Gyu-Young's Gongseon Unhak⑥] Sports Clubs Are Not the Government's Job... They Should Be Left to the Market

Editor's NoteAsia Economy is running a series of 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 'Studying Athletes, Exercising Students (Gongseon Unhak),' offers his proposals. President Jung, who studied at Stanford Graduate School and served as the captain of the university's fencing team, established the nonprofit in 2015 to introduce the American school sports system he observed there into Korea, promoting awareness and scholarship projects. He plans to point out the limitations of the domestic student-athlete admission system, school sports management, sports club development, and sports organization operations, comparing them with overseas cases and suggesting future directions.

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

Recently, the government, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and related organizations have been making various attempts to create a virtuous cycle between elite sports and recreational sports. In 2020 alone, the government allocated a budget of 291.6 billion KRW to foster local sports clubs and support the construction of sports centers. Previously, the Sports Innovation Committee also announced recommendations including 'improvement of the elite sports system' and 'structural reform for the advancement of sports organizations.' While there is no doubt about the concerns and efforts of many experts, I believe the methods for selecting the use of these budgets and efforts need to be reconsidered.

In liberal democratic and capitalist countries, policies that comply with the principles of the market economy succeed. The fundamental and clear logic of the market economy is supply and demand. As repeatedly emphasized, since sports is education, if sports are reflected as an important factor in university admissions like at prestigious American universities, sports will naturally become an important subject in elementary, middle, and high schools as well. This means that to meet the strong demand of 'admission to prestigious universities,' an enormous supply, that is, the 'popularization of recreational sports,' can occur.

Government roles and burdens regarding the integration or consolidation of elite sports and recreational sports, which are conducted with taxpayers' money but lack consensus, can also be reduced. Even if the government tells people not to exercise, parents and students will stay close to sports, and jobs in the sports sector will increase. Just as students attend private academies to improve in subjects like mathematics when they lack study time or want better test scores, they will also invest more time in sports clubs outside of school.

As emphasized several times already, the educational effects of sports are no less than those of mathematics. Sportsmanship, teamwork, strong mental strength and perseverance, adherence to rules, and respect for referees are values that cannot be learned in any other subject.

Sports Must Follow the Law of Supply and Demand
Reflect Student-Athlete Selection Criteria in University Admissions
Market Expansion Possible Through Sports Clubs Like Private Academies for English and Math

The government needs to recognize sports within the realm of education rather than culture, sports, and tourism, allow universities to autonomously reflect sports in admissions, and consider support until stable establishment and operation of university athletic teams composed of student-athletes. A representative measure is to recruit excellent physical education teachers and support budgets for facility acquisition in elementary, middle, and high schools that emphasize sports according to the law of supply and demand.

In universities, including the top prestigious ones in Korea, if all athletic teams are composed of student-athletes rather than special talent students, and if they perform well in university leagues and graduate to become exemplary economic members of society, sports clubs that assist student-athlete admissions will emerge nationwide, just like the enormous number of private academies for English, math, and entrance exams.

Given the high private education expenses in Korea, some might argue that this approach worsens the problem. However, the current university admissions and education system in Korea operate as if cheetahs, turtles, fish, eagles, and monkeys are all made to take the same tests like running, swimming, and tree climbing, and graded accordingly. Ultimately, only cheetahs, fish, and monkeys, who are advantaged in these events, always get admitted. Turtles and eagles are stigmatized as students who can never study well. Is this desirable?

At prestigious American universities, there are admissions systems and student selection rights that allow cheetahs, turtles, fish, eagles, and monkeys all to be admitted. A student who takes private lessons and attends academies to raise a chemistry score from 80 to 95 but fails to improve is not treated as a poor student. Even if chemistry study is lacking, a student with talent in soccer can have that skill recognized in the admission process. This kind of university admission and education seems fairer and more rational.

The reason expectations are not high for the government's policy to revitalize local sports clubs, which is being carried out with a huge budget, is also because the law of supply and demand is not properly utilized. Historically, sports have been recognized as a field that brings national prestige by winning Olympic gold medals and gives strength and courage to hungry citizens. As Korea's international status rises and its economy joins the ranks of advanced countries, the image and role of sports also need to be elevated.

The future and goals of student-athletes should be broader and higher than Olympic medals, like American university student-athletes. Achieving such changes in a short period through government-led budgets is insufficient. Only by using natural methods aligned with market economy principles can side effects be minimized. If sports are recognized as education and demand is well created, many local sports clubs will emerge, and supply that creates jobs for retired athletes will become possible. In a capitalist market economy, all demand must be created by the market rather than the government. Sports are no exception. The government should focus on designing directions for admissions and education to allow the market to form and grow healthily and on managing and supervising various sports organizations. (To be continued)

Jung Kyu-young, President of (Nonprofit) Studying Athletes, Exercising Students and CEO of Lorus Enterprise

☞References

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseon Unhak①] 'The Essence of Sports is Education'... This Comes First

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseon Unhak②] Stanford, Yale, Harvard... Secrets of American Prestigious University Sports (Part 1)

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseon Unhak③] Instilling the 'Champion Mind'... Secrets of American Prestigious University Sports (Part 2)

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseon Unhak④] Thanks to Sports... A Student Who Achieved Admission to an American Prestigious University, White House Invitation, and Employment at a Financial Company

[Jung Kyu-young's Gongseon Unhak⑤] To Produce Students Who Are Good at Studying, Artists, and Musicians... "Universities Should Have Student Selection Rights"