Students of Pungdong High School’s volleyball team practice after school at the school sports club, which aims for ‘one student, one sports club.’ Photo: Woo Ji-woo
After-school physical activities during lunch hours from September 2nd to October 22nd
There will also be prize money for the 1st to 4th place classes in the soccer, dodgeball, and badminton competitions.
The ‘School Sports Club‘ is attracting attention among students. The ‘School Sports Club’, held at Pungdong High School in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do from September 2nd to October 22nd, includes three sports including soccer, badminton, and dodgeball during lunch and after school. It is a war of opposites.
In order to contribute to the formation of a ‘one student, one sports club’ culture, students representing each class in each grade participate in the game. To encourage passionate participation in the sports club, students who take first place in each event will receive a prize of 120,000 won, second place will receive a prize of 90,000 won, and third and fourth place will receive a prize of 50,000 won.
The sports club was established to realize students with a healthy mind and body through various sports activities outside of the school curriculum, and to establish an autonomous sports culture for youth and lay the foundation for lifelong sports.
In line with the purpose of this sports club, students gathered together and practiced on the playground and gymnasium during recess, lunch, and even after school in order to rank first in their class without leaving anyone behind.
The ‘School Sports Club’ involves not only physical education teachers but also the student council’s health and sports department.
The Health and Sports Department is responsible for hosting health and sports-related events on campus and maintaining order at events hosted by the Student Council. Under the leadership of the Health and Sports Department of the Student Council, order was maintained throughout the sports club competition and the event ended successfully without anyone suffering any injuries.
Seungmin Lee, a physical education teacher in charge of the sports club, said, “I wanted to create opportunities for Pungdong High School students to participate in many activities.” He added, “I hoped that students could relieve some of the stress caused by school through exercise, and I saw everyone working together. “I was proud to see it, and I plan to hold it again next year,” he said.
Ha Soo-young (1st grade), who participated in the game, said proudly, “My class was not very good at sports, but my classmates used lunch and recess to practice together for the sports club, and we ended up coming in second place.”
He then responded with satisfaction, saying, “It was good that my class, who thought they would be eliminated in the preliminaries, learned about the importance of cooperation through this game.”
The teachers and most students responded positively to the ‘School Sports Club’, but some expressed doubts about the ‘rule that in badminton and soccer games, dodgeball must be played by women only, and soccer only by men.’
Female students who wanted to try soccer and male students who were more interested in badminton also said, “I was dissatisfied with the rules.”
Students in the Health and Sports Department communicated these opinions with their teachers and expressed their intention to accept them and improve next year’s sports club.
Woo Ji-woo, Sports Donga student reporter (Pungdong High School 1)
Reporter Yeon Je-ho sol@donga.com See more of this reporter’s articles
Guest 1: Mr. Seungmin Lee, Physical Education Teacher in charge of the School Sports Club
Guest 2: Ha Soo-young, Female student participant
Interview:
Q: What inspired you to take charge of the School Sports Club at Pungdong High School and what were your goals for this event?
Mr. Lee: I wanted to provide opportunities for Pungdong High School students to participate in a variety of activities outside their regular physical education classes. I hoped that through exercise, they would be able to relieve some of the stress from their studies and develop a love for sports. I also aimed to foster a sense of teamwork and cooperation among the students.
Q: How did the students respond to the School Sports Club, and did it achieve its intended goals?
Mr. Lee: The students responded very positively to the Sports Club. They were enthusiastic about participating and working together to achieve their class goals. It was great to see everyone coming together to support each other. The event was successful in promoting teamwork and cooperation among the students.
Q: What challenges did you face during the organization and execution of the School Sports Club?
Mr. Lee: One challenge was ensuring that all students had an opportunity to participate, regardless of their skill level. We had to make sure that teams were balanced and everyone felt included. Another challenge was maintaining order during the event, but we were able to do this with the help of the Student Council’s Health and Sports Department.
Q: Did the restrictive rules regarding gender participation in badminton and soccer games generate any controversy among students?
Ha Soo-young: Yes, there were some doubts about the rules. Some female students who wanted to try soccer and male students who were more interested in badminton expressed dissatisfaction. However, we communicated these opinions with the teachers and plan to improve upon the rules next year.
Q: How did your involvement in the School Sports Club influence your personal interest in sports and your school’s sports culture?
Ha Soo-young: My class wasn’t very good at sports initially, but we practiced together during lunch and recess, and we were able to come in second place. This experience taught me the importance of cooperation and
