In this blog post, I will outline my personal statement for admission to the Department of Recreational Sports Education at Kongju National University, focusing on the academic efforts I made during high school, my school activities, examples of consideration and cooperation, as well as my career goals and academic plans after entering college.

Academic and Athletic Learning Experiences

During high school, I balanced my studies with sports in an environment where school athletic teams were very active. I do not believe that learning is limited to textbooks and exams. I consider learning in the arts and physical education fields to be a form of study as well, and I felt that theoretical study and scientific thinking were particularly important in physical education. Therefore, during physical education classes, I did not simply stop at physical activity; I strove to approach the subject scientifically, based on accurate knowledge of the sports.
The sports I primarily practiced were Taekkyeon, baseball, and badminton. Among these, I was skilled enough in baseball to participate in the baseball team, while I consistently enjoyed the other sports as hobbies out of personal interest. I became interested in Taekkyeon because I was drawn to its smooth, dance-like movements. Taekkyeon is a martial art that harmonizes fluid, curved movements with the power of instantaneous subjugation.
When learning Taekkyeon, I did not focus solely on offensive techniques. I built a solid foundation by concentrating on basic movements such as footwork and leg maneuvers, and I worked hard to master fluid movements. I also practiced executing precise, instantaneous attacks within these fluid movements, training systematically to ensure that offense and defense harmonized naturally. As a result, I even won first place in the school’s Taekkyeon competition.
I began playing badminton in earnest as a hobby during a semester of physical education class. In badminton, natural footwork and proper wrist technique are crucial before returning the shuttlecock. To improve my skills, I repeatedly practiced footwork during every PE class and consistently worked on returning the shuttlecock using my wrists rather than arm strength. As a result, I mastered the fundamentals accurately and achieved good results.

School Activities and Lessons Learned

Our school operated one of the most prestigious baseball teams in Gyeonggi Province, and I was selected for the team based on my skills. Playing for such a prestigious team was a source of pride for me, and the team’s strong performance served as a major source of motivation. As a member of the baseball team, I participated in intense training sessions every morning and prepared with the goal of winning inter-school friendly matches, weekend leagues, and national high school tournaments.
The training we focused on most in the baseball team was building basic physical endurance. Strong physical endurance is essential to handle the heavy training load and last through weekend games. Every morning, I ran dozens of laps around the track, and I also ran before lunch and dinner to improve my basic stamina and lung capacity.
I also trained consistently to build strength. Since I was a pitcher, I had to train various muscle groups—including my shoulders, arms, lower body, and abs—in a balanced manner. I did push-ups, arm exercises with dumbbells, shoulder workouts with resistance bands, and strengthened my lower body with squats and lunges, while toning my abs with sit-ups and crunches. Through consistent strength training, I gained more power and was able to throw better pitches.
I also did position-specific training. As a pitcher, I devoted a lot of time to pitching practice; I threw dozens of pitches every day while coordinating with the catcher to work on my control and master various breaking balls. I also honed my skills whenever I had a chance by repeating my motions through shadow pitching, which can be done anywhere.
We did not neglect defensive practice either. Through drills covering a variety of situations—such as fielding infield grounders, handling bunts, holding runners, and backing up outfielders in case of dropped balls—the stamina and skills of all team members improved.

Examples of Consideration, Cooperation, and Conflict Management

Our team consistently reached at least the quarterfinals in the Presidential Cup National High School Baseball Tournament every year, but we were always left with a sense of regret for falling short of the semifinals. As a player, I set a goal to achieve a strong result at the national tournament, and the team also set a realistic goal of advancing to the semifinals—a step up from last year’s performance.
Six months before the tournament, our team began intense training, continuing physical conditioning sessions every morning and evening. In addition to building stamina, we focused on analyzing opposing teams to develop our strategies. Thanks to our thorough preparation, we were able to advance through the Round of 32 and the Round of 16 relatively easily.
In the quarterfinals, I took the mound as a relief pitcher and threw with all my might in the seventh inning to avert a scoring threat. As a result, I prevented any further runs, and in the ensuing at-bats, our team staged a comeback to win 5–3 and advance to the semifinals. Although we didn’t make it to the finals, the experience of achieving our goal through teamwork with my teammates brought me great joy and made me deeply appreciate the value of cooperation.

Career Goals and Academic Plans After Entering College

Although I had to end my playing career due to a leg injury sustained during my high school years, the rehabilitation process sparked my interest in exercise prescription and rehabilitation therapy. Drawing on my rehabilitation experience, I am currently preparing for certification to work as an exercise prescriber who designs rehabilitation programs for others. Additionally, I plan to continue enjoying baseball as a recreational sport and contribute to public health through community sports.
I applied to the Department of Recreational Sports Instruction at Kongju National University because it offers the advantage of combining foundational sports science theory with practical training in a comprehensive gymnasium. I will not neglect my theoretical studies, but I will also dedicate myself to practical training to grow into a sports therapist or a specialist in promoting recreational sports. I plan to consistently develop my practical skills by participating in department-sponsored clubs for badminton, tennis, swimming, and fitness.
Although the profession of community sports instructor has not yet firmly established itself in South Korea, I believe its role will grow as public welfare and daily health become increasingly important. I intend to obtain my exercise prescription certification to build a career as a therapist, and subsequently, I aim to grow into a recognized expert in this field who can contribute to the private sector as well.