[IS포커스] Stop talking behind the players, it’s time to talk about the management of the club

A view of the volleyball court. Daily Sports DB

–

On the 7th, a professional volleyball star tried to make a choice that should not be made at the accommodation, and was taken to the emergency room. As this fact was reported, the volleyball world was noisy.

Fortunately, the player is said to have no major health problems. However, among the fans, there is a controversy over’what kind of player’s fault?’ and there are many people who are interested only in the back story close to gossip about what the underlying story of the incident took place.

In a phone call on the 8th, an official from the club said, “I hope that reporters refrain from making public opinions about players through articles.” The official said in a desperate voice, “The player has been mentally struggling, and the current situation is very weak. Shouldn’t we make the player more difficult?”

It is clear that public criticism should be avoided to a level that could seriously harm the mental health of an athlete. Last year, in professional volleyball, I had a bitter experience of losing another player.

If there is a player who is in pain, praying for recovery and being considerate rather than pointing out and blaming the wrong are essential manners for those who like volleyball.

However, there is one point to be pointed out.

When there was a disagreement within the team and the players were hurt, how did the team and coaching staff manage how to resolve it early and lead it in a slightly better direction?

In Korean sports,’performance’ and’reputation’ are the most important pillars of club management. As a result, once the results are coming out, it is common to pretend to be unaware of the dissension or the pain of some players.

In addition, there are many cases where even a small disagreement was in a hurry to rest unconditionally because of the concern that the reputation of the club and the image of the parent company would deteriorate if any dissonance between players leaked out.

This case, too, cannot be free from these concerns. This season, some teams’ discord and internal issues are rumored to be controversial among fans, but the club and coaching staff are backed up by saying,’It’s not my job, it’s a matter between players’ and’It’s a problem of personality, not performance’. There is a regret that it was there.
Wasn’t the club and coaching staff in a hurry to close the controversy externally by leaving the official apology or clarification to a specific player?

Conflict situation within the team, and the appearance of several players who have suffered’mental injuries’ are as big a risk to the team as losing streaks or losing performance. The need for management doesn’t mean that the team should sacrificially serve the individual players, but it means that they have to find a golden time for the team that can solve the problem even a little faster.
It is an era where there are countless platforms where the stories inside the club will be known. If you only deal with’let’s cover’ from the beginning, the performance and reputation that the club considers the most important will be ruined, and there is a great risk that the players will suffer injuries that are difficult to turn back.

Reporter Eunkyung Lee

–