The fifth edition of the K-League Dream Assist has taken its first step.
The fifth edition of the K League Dream Assist kicked off with a two-day ceremony at HD Hyundai Oil Bank’s Daesan plant in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, on the 18th. The K-League Dream Assist is a social contribution program that provides one-on-one mentoring programs by former and current players for youths who dream of becoming football players. It is supported by HD Hyundai Oil Bank.
It is in its fifth year, starting with the first program in 2020. Players from basic living, underprivileged, children of legal parents, and multicultural families are given priority in selection. 바카라사이트 There are eight players from the K League Assist who have joined the youth teams of professional clubs, and three players who have been selected for the national team by age group.
New mentees were recruited through open auditions in April. Starting with the fourth year, the age range was limited to 6th grade to 1st grade, and the 5th year’s male mentees were only selected from 1st grade. This is to ensure that the mentees have at least two years of mentorship to build a relationship with their mentors. For female mentees, we recruited from a wider range, as there are not many of them.
We selected 13 new mentees and 13 existing mentees, totaling 26 mentees. The 26 mentors for the fifth term include CEO Cho Wonhee, Kwon Soonhyung, Kim Honam, and Kim Wonil. There are a total of eight mentors who have served for five consecutive years, and two active athlete mentors, Kim Jung-mi (Incheon Hyundai Steel) and Kang Ga-ae (Sejong Sports Toto).
On the first day, the 18th, the mentors had a brief orientation before moving to the stadium to begin training and competing. From simple passes to patterned movement drills, the mentors were passionate and enthusiastic in the hot sun, especially Cho Won-hee, the head mentor, who called for concentration when the players made mistakes.
The mentors also participated in 11-on-11 games, divided into dream team and assist team. During the game, the mentors were constantly coaching the players on their positions and movements, as well as the roles of each position in detail. The advice didn’t stop after the game. On the second day, Dr. Lee Sang-woo, a sports psychologist, provided psychological education to check the mentees’ mentality. He emphasized the use of self-suggestion and imagery. After the lecture, psychological tests were also conducted.
Cho Won-hee, who has been a mentor for five consecutive years, said, “K-League Assist started with the idea of opening up opportunities for our friends who are less fortunate. It’s a very meaningful and grateful program. I’m more attached to it than any other program. I feel rewarded,” he said proudly.
Lau Hayden-Hoo (on sale), who has been attending K League Dream Assist since the fourth year, has an American father and Korean mother. “It’s fun and helpful. I feel like I can come to a different place to train and get to know my friends,” he laughed, adding, ”I want to be a famous soccer player all over the world. I remember shaking hands with mentor Cho Won-hee when he gave me a gift. I want to win the match in June and go abroad,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
Meanwhile, a total of seven one-on-one mentoring sessions are scheduled for at least once a month.
