A father’s sacrifices, and coaches’ keen eyes, pave player’s way
The Lee family had to overcome domestic upheaval 13 years ago when Seung-min’s parents got divorced, and the mother left the family. During the day, the siblings were looked after by their grandmother, who passed away five years ago. Reluctant to speak about that time, Seung-min prefers to talk about growing up with his father and sister.
"My sister, who is three years older, was a good cook ever since she was in elementary school. She particularly makes good kimchi stew,” Seung-min says. Now a university graduate, sister Ji-seon, 21, is preparing to obtain a certificate for Korean cuisine. “Dad's also a good cook. I am in charge of washing the dishes,” Seung-min says with a smile.
His father, Hyeon-ho Lee, 56, also played soccer when he was a child. He had to quit in middle school over four decades ago, because his parents could not afford the membership fees. But years later Hyeon-ho noticed his son’s talents. When Seung-min became captain and center forward in middle school, shooting in all the goals for his team, Mr. Lee watched proudly, and cheerfully rooted for his son standing next to the other fathers every Saturday.
Until high-school, Mr. Lee did not have to worry about Seung-min’s football fees. In elementary school the fees are an affordable 40,000 won per month (about $40). Membership fees for middle- and high-school teams were another matter. Luckily, Seung-min’s talents were recognized by a couple of coaches, and the boy was granted full scholarships covering the more than million won a month (about $1,000), in player fees.
Now at a private college, Seung-min receives no support from the school, but has a one-time 400,000 won (about $400) scholarship from the government. Despite that help, Mr. Lee still has to pay approximately 18 million won a year ($18,000) for his son’s education and soccer fees. Mr. Lee works long hours every day except Wednesdays (his day off), as a bus driver in one of the busiest and most densely populated cities in the world—Seoul. Giving up more than half of his monthly income for his son to attend a 2-year college and play for its soccer team is not easy. In this education-obsessed country, where everyone from athletes to real-estate agents are expected to graduate from 4-year university, almost all Korean parents face difficulties in paying for their children’s higher education. And in this nation, tuition is among the world’s highest (Fourth among the OECD—Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—countries in 2011).
For the Lees, finding a school with a soccer team also proved difficult—there are many more teams at private universities rather than less expensive state schools. Soccer, though it is one of the most popular sports in Korea after baseball and basketball, is no longer represented by separate teams at almost all state-owned schools, after critics complained that public tax money should be invested to promote less-popular sports.
But the Lee family has made it work, and last November, Seung-min settled down in his new home, Gwangju, and has made friends with all of his teammates. Seung-min’s new best friend is one of his roommates, center forward Myeong-hun Cho. Though they haven’t had enough free time yet to explore the city, or to play in many friendly matches, the friendship of a promising midfielder and a fine, striker leaves plenty of room to expect growth and potential in the young 4-year-old team.
Seung-min was also lucky to have handful of mentors and coaches who identified his talent from when he was a young boy. Accomplished freestyler Jeon Kwon remembers first seeing Seung-min about six years ago, when the latter was in middle school. “I do not remember whether he was tall or whether he was the team captain or not. I only remember that he had played extremely well. His positional sense for the ball, team play, and use of his opponents showed how clever he was.”
Seung-min also remains in contact with his first-year of high-school coach, Jung-hoon Kim, 43. Kim called him by the nickname “Messi.,” and recommended Seung-min’s college. Speaking of his former pupil, Kim pointed out how the player was “always half a beat faster than his opponent, in both controlling, and passing the ball.”
Kim’s former university teammate and Seung-min’s current head coach at Dongkang College, Seung-su Park, 42, is full of praise for Seung-min. A former player for the Jeonnam Dragons, Park has high expectations for Seung-min for his energy, speed, strategic mind, self confidence, and especially his dedication to teamwork. “[Seung-min] is a player who goes far to help the team. A soccer player cannot play and win by himself. There can be no Yuna Kim because soccer isn’t like figure skating. It’s a team’s sport, not a solo performance.”
Park already regrets that he just has two years at the college instead of four years at a university to train Seung-min. “I am watching him with much interest. He is truly a distinctive player. I hope he may grow to become not only a great player, earning wealth and fame, but also a good sportsman, a filial son for his hard-working father.”
Coach Park stresses communication and dialogue between his players; he often holds movie nights or a beer night—although Seung-min has not acquired a taste for any type of alcohol. There’s one thingPark strongly forbids his team members from ever doing: smoking. However, he encourages an occasional pint of beer, saying, “They will one day realize that sometimes in life, a drink can help one get something off their chest.”
