From Soccer Dreams to the Fairway: One Woman’s Unexpected Path After a Team’s Collapse
Damyang, South Korea – Kim Soo-yeon, 28, never envisioned herself as a caddy. Once a promising soccer player with national team aspirations, her journey took an unforeseen turn after a series of devastating setbacks derailed her athletic career. Today, she earns a agreeable living guiding golfers, a path she actively resisted considering even after hanging up her cleats.
“I heard a lot of talk about retirement and becoming a caddy,” Soo-yeon shared in a recent interview at a cafe in Damyang, Jeollanam-do province. “Around 90% of the players I knew ended up caddying. But I didn’t want to do it, even if I left soccer.”
Soo-yeon’s story is a poignant illustration of the fragility of dreams and the challenging realities faced by young athletes when circumstances beyond their control intervene.
A Promising Career Cut Short
Her soccer journey began with promise. After excelling in middle and high school, Soo-yeon joined the football department at Yeoju university in 2015. The team, led by a coach she connected with, was poised for success, bolstered by a talented incoming class of freshmen.A championship run in the W. League (WK League) seemed within reach.
However, that potential evaporated in December 2015. A sudden declaration – the director had resigned due to a conflict with the school administration over budget allocation – sent shockwaves through the team. Parents arrived at the dormitory, pulling their children out as the program teetered on the brink.”I didn’t even know the director had quit until then,” Soo-yeon recalled. The fallout was swift and brutal. With no replacement director appointed,the university dismantled the women’s football department in early 2016,leaving many players,including Soo-yeon,scrambling for alternatives.
While Soo-yeon managed to transfer to Widuk University, where a women’s soccer team still existed, her challenges were far from over. She was immediately asked to switch positions from her preferred attacking role to central defense, a move she resisted.
“I was taller, so they put me in central defense. But I didn’t really defend,” she explained, highlighting the mismatch between her skills and the team’s needs. This wasn’t the first time her position had been forcibly changed; a similar situation occured in middle school when she was pressured to become a goalkeeper simply because of her height.
Lost Opportunities and Mounting Disappointments
After regaining her striker position in high school, Soo-yeon’s hopes were again dashed with the dismantling of the Yeoju team. The transfer to Widuk University also meant losing a crucial prospect to be drafted into the WK League. Players entering university through the Women’s Football Federation are eligible for the draft after two seasons, but Soo-yeon’s previous year at Yeoju meant she had only one remaining year of eligibility.
However, her coach inexplicably delayed submitting her for the draft, claiming she needed another year of preparation, while allegedly favoring another player. This decision effectively eliminated Soo-yeon’s chance at a professional career.
Then came the final blow: a career-ending knee injury. “I just heard that I was just ruined. I thought I should quit,”