During the two days of the Annual Ko-Yon Games from September 14 to 15, the huge Jamsil Sports Complex was full of red shirts moving in tandem to cheer and celebrate winning. It was a blast! A week after the Annual Ko-Yon Games, The Granite Tower (GT) was able to meet Moon Seong Gon (’12, Physical Education), a basketball player from Korea University (KU) who led the team to victory.
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| ▲ Moon Seong Gon (‘12, Physical Education), a student athlete.Photographed by Choi Ji Won | ||
Life as a “Student” athlete
When we say “student-athlete,” student comes first for a big reason, because academics do play an important role. Moon said, “While I still have a long way to go to get where I want to be, taking steps in the right direction is invigorating. So far, studying has been my motivation to continue bettering myself,” emphasizing the balance between athletics and academics.
Student athletes like Moon may seem to be star players rather than students, but they are normal college students in KU, taking classes, sometimes dosing off, staying up all night for assignments, cramming for exams, and worrying about GPAs (Grade Point Averages). Moon, as a freshman, usually takes elective courses, and essential courses like Academic English.
However, since student athletes have a tight practice schedule, the school makes their schedule for them, and they take classes together, not with other students. Moon said with lament, “It is too bad that I cannot take the classes I want to take. I also want to get to know with other students outside my major.”
“The school does acknowledge student athletes’ academic needs. Yet, it is difficult to meet each team’s different schedules,” says the Academic Affairs Department of KU. That is why the school does not allow freedom to student athletes in choosing the subjects they want to take.
Due to athletic schedules, Moon sometimes misses classes. He tries his best to notify his professors beforehand and asks for their understanding; but he always makes sure to turn in his assignments in on time and tries to keep up with his studies. Sometimes it is tough for him to catch up on his academics. Academic and personal support for all student athletes at KU is needed. He expects the school to create a collaborative environment with academic departments to help student athletes integrate into the KU community.
Overall, Moon finds balancing athletics and academics to be a rewarding experience. He said, “What I learned on the court translated directly to the classroom. I was constantly making connections between the teamwork, motivation, and dedication I needed for basketball and my work and experiences in the classroom.”
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| ▲ Photographed by Jeong Ji Hyun | ||
Life as a student “Athlete”
When looking at his daily schedule, it seemed that he spends a lot of time sleeping. “I sleep a lot! I sleep after workouts and before games. It is not simply because I am lazy and bored (though that probably contributes as well, Moon added with a laugh). Rather, it is in order to perform at my best physically,” he said. He added that not if he does not sleep enough, his performance goes down, while catnaps put him at peak performance.
Except for sleeping, he devotes his time and energy to practicing. During practice, players focus on skills such as defensive and offensive drills. Especially on the day of a game, the team mainly focuses on shooting drills. As in the adage, “Practice makes perfect,” Moon shoots around 250 to 300 shots during this practice session to make the “perfect” shot.
After hours of training, the players are usually exhausted and hungry. Since Moon is a freshman, the youngest on the team, he and other freshmen are in charge of preparing late-night snacks, the most preferable menu being McDonald’s and Isaac Toast.
The hardest thing about playing in the college league is the amount of games in a short period of time. “Playing in college is pretty intense. I never realized how big the time commitment of a college sport would really be,” “My day is usually filled with class, practice, weights and training, meetings, and a whole lot of sitting around waiting for all of the aforementioned to start,” he added.
During the game, Moon said he does not try to over-think anything, but tries to keep his head in the game. After the game, whether or not the team wins, he tries to think over and give feedback about his performance during the game.
He confessed that his most memorable game was obviously at the Annual Ko-Yon Games. “I still remember the crowd shouting my name and cheering for me,” Moon said with a smile in retrospect. Yet, he wished KU students would pay more attention to basketball games than just at the Annual Ko-Yon Games. The reason behind lack of student attention can be explained by lack of promotion. “I am into sports, but I do not get to watch college league sports because the games are not broadcast. Also, the students are not notified about the games very well, even if the game is held on campus,” said Choi Jiseon (’12, History).
Another difficulty Moon has as an athlete is the usage of school facilities, particularly the Hwajung Tiger Dome. Although the gym is a KU facility, it is not always open to the basketball team. Moon said, “The use of the gym is very limited, so the team mainly practices at the gym on the Science Campus. It takes more than 30 minutes to get there from the dormitory, so it is somewhat bothering.”
Moon has injured his ankle ligament and is currently recovering. Luckily, he does not have to get an operation, but he is undergoing intensive rehabilitation on his ankle. “I desperately want to be on the court playing right now, but I should take care of my injuries and think about next season. Our team’s goal is to win the championship,” said Moon with great confidence. Though he cannot play the game for three months, GT anticipates Moon will get well soon and show his best on the court next season.