[One Day, One Thousand Characters] The Diary That Fueled Growth... 'Eunsa' Talks About Park Ji-sung

Coach Lee Hak-jong (62) said he left his car and walked to the interview location somewhere in Suwon. It was a restaurant and cafe that could only be reached after climbing an uphill path for about 20 minutes. By the time he finished climbing, his back was drenched in sweat. Coach Lee said, "I try to walk distances of about 30 to 40 minutes whenever possible."

Coach Lee's long-standing dream is to become the head coach of the youth national team. Even after passing his sixtieth birthday, he said, "I have always thought that someday, at least once, I want to take charge of the youth national team." Walking exercise seemed like a promise he set for himself to keep in order to achieve that dream with a healthy mind and body. He said, "I understand the feelings of youth players and what they need at that age better than anyone else," adding, "Even now, whenever I get the chance, I go to watch many good players."

Coach Lee is an unfortunate leader. From 1997 to 2018, he was the head coach at Suwon Technical High School, where he was recognized for his leadership in discovering and nurturing outstanding soccer stars such as Park Ji-sung, director of the JS Foundation, and Kim Min-jae (Napoli). However, he never got the opportunity to step onto a bigger stage. Neither professional teams nor the national team showed interest in him. Although he briefly worked as a coach for the youth national team in 2002 and as the head coach for the team participating in the 2006 Asian Student Football Championship, he never became the official head coach of any age-group youth national team. Coach Lee reflected, "If I had received a love call, I would have accepted it, but there were no offers. There was a prejudice in the soccer world that coaches who taught children could not coach adult teams." However, he emphasized, "I have no regrets because I have worked with a sense of mission that coaches like me, who can discover and nurture good players in the high school stage, are always needed in our soccer. The perception and system regarding youth soccer and coaches must continue to change for our soccer to develop."

Park Ji-sung [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

A part of Park Ji-sung's diary from his elementary school days. Park Ji-sung also wrote in his diary whenever he had free time in the dormitory during his high school years.
[Photo by Random House]

"Coach's Emphasis" A Diary Written in Detail... The Power Behind Making Park Ji-sung

Among the players who passed through Coach Lee's hands, Park Ji-sung, director of the JS Foundation, is undoubtedly the biggest star. Coach Lee recalled, "He was a truly diligent player who focused only on soccer." Park's diary also left a deep impression. The diary has recently been widely circulated among people as an example of 'successful notes.' The diary, which he started writing in elementary school, became more detailed and refined as he became a high school student.

Coach Lee said, "(Park) Ji-sung always wrote about soccer-related activities in his diary during the day," adding, "He would write things like, 'Today we did 4-on-4 training,' or 'We trained with 3 defenders and 5 attackers, and it was very tough.' But what's interesting is that he also wrote important details like 'The coach emphasized loudly.' That was the day I taught him 'how to control the ball while maintaining a wide field of vision.'"

Later, Park Ji-sung included the contents of this diary in his essay and expressed gratitude, saying, "Thanks to Coach Lee, I opened my eyes to soccer." Coach Lee proudly said, "Diaries become a great asset for players later on because they make them reflect on what they have learned. I think Ji-sung was the same. It feels good."

Coach Lee Hak-jong
Photo by Korea Football Association

"Slower Players Have Higher Soccer Intelligence Than Faster Players" The Aesthetics of Slowness

Coach Lee, who nurtured directors like Park, has his own philosophy for discovering players. He looks for 'late bloomers' rather than 'finished products.' The players he mainly watches are middle school players under the age of 15. He first envisions how these players can grow during the three years after entering high school.

In particular, Coach Lee said, "A slower player who walks is better than a fast runner." This is the so-called 'aesthetics of slowness.' He explained, "Slower players have more developed soccer intelligence."

"Fast runners often rely solely on their speed and do not put in effort. Since they can dribble past defenders just by running, they don't try to learn more about soccer. On the other hand, slower players receive the ball and think two or three more times. As a result, they play by passing and using their teammates."

This is also why the fortunes of world stars Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) have diverged. Both players, now in their late 30s, are walking different paths recently. Messi still roams the European stage actively, while Ronaldo transferred to the Saudi Arabian league, a fringe of world soccer.

Coach Lee Hak-jong
[Photo by Korea Football Association]

Senior Coaches Nurturing Youth Players: The Driving Force of Japanese Soccer

Recently, Korean soccer was shocked by consecutive losses to Japan. The senior national team lost twice in a row 0-3 in March 2021 and July 2022, and the under-16 and under-23 national teams also bowed to Japan with the same score last June. Last month, the university selection team participated in the Denso Cup regular matches held in Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, Japan, but failed to win in the men's, women's, and lower-grade divisions. Our soccer, which had always been dominant whenever facing Japan, collapsed weakly. Especially, coaches have voiced the need to reorganize our youth soccer system as we were outplayed by Japan, which was armed with flashy techniques, not just in results or scores but in content.

Coach Lee was the first Korean player to enter Japan, having transferred from Ulsan Hyundai to Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi in 1991 and played there. Based on his experience, he sees the driving force of Japanese soccer as 'senior coaches.' Coach Lee said, "The younger the Japanese players are, the older the coaches teaching them are. They are seeing results from this." Japan is a super-aged society with 40 million people aged 65 or older. Soccer is inevitably affected, but they are turning this into a good opportunity. Older coaches have more experience than younger ones and have better insight into players. Since young players only need to be taught the basics, age is not a hindrance. In contrast, young coaches tend to have less experience and more ambition, often neglecting basic skills training for immediate competition results. If we support senior coaches to continue working on the field and change perceptions about them, it is entirely possible for us too.

Coach Lee also pointed out, "Japan has long incorporated Brazilian soccer, which has greatly developed their skills. Recently, they have become stronger by combining strength and tenacity, which used to be our strengths. Even their passing is on a different level from ours." He added, "The Football Association should listen to voices from the field and work together to find a way forward, but they have ignored this. We need to invest in youth. Only then will many good players emerge. Our soccer has regressed compared to 10 years ago," expressing his regret.