The Seoul National University Women’s Football Club (SNU WFC) has been sensational since it was established on September 9, 2010. Later that year, the team participated in the Women’s Soccer Cup for Amateurs held at Sookmyung Women’s University, and in July 2011, it also took part in the nation-wide Club Soccer Championship in Jeonju. Finally in October 2011, only a year after its founding, the SNU women’s soccer team landed the National College Sports Club Championship.

The beginning of this exceptional team was rather modest. Back then, there was no official women’s soccer team, only a small gathering exclusively comprised of students from the physical education department. Gradually, however, more and more non-major students interested in soccer became involved, and were accepted into the club, which eventually led to the creation of the current official SNU WFC.

“I remember there were only three people at the inauguration ceremony, and so many difficulties followed. But now it is a decent sports club! Unlike in many athletic clubs where female students’ role is limited to cheerleading or management, at our club any female SNU students interested in soccer can actively participate and enjoy physical activities. I think this has been the main appeal our club holds for many SNU sisters,” said the vice-captain, Eunji JO (College of Human Ecology, class of ‘10).

Although many members stress that they are playing soccer just for fun, the team won the championship, only one year after the club’s establishment. Considering that there are 11 other female soccer teams in Seoul, this is rather an astonishing accomplishment. Was there any special training?

Asked about the team’s secret to success, Jieun Yu (Department of Physical Education, class of ‘10), the captain, said, “There really is nothing special about our training. We just keep to the basics. Newcomers are encouraged to focus on learning and polishing fundamental skills such as lifting and passing until they get the idea of how to control a soccer ball. Only after that does more advanced stuff follow such as set piece exercises and ball possession. Daily training always starts with a warm-up routine and lasts for two and a half hours.”

Meanwhile, JO pointed out teamwork and strong willpower as the team’s keys to the championship. “Take the national cup final against the Dongduk Women’s University team for example. We felt like we had already used up all our strength during the first half, but we eventually won 2-0 by sticking to the coach’s plans. The most important thing is not some fancy skills of individuals, but whether all the members have good fundamentals and can play a full 90 minutes, coordinating with the whole team.

Despite its striking accomplishments in such a short period of time, SNU WFC is still faced with many difficulties. Since it has to share the sports ground with the male soccer club, football team, and rugby club, it is nearly impossible to practice using the entire field. Moreover, all the lights on the field are turned off after 8 pm, which makes things harder for members whose classes end late.

Nevertheless, YU stressed that the future of SNU WFC is bright thanks to its members’ enthusiasm and devotion. “Many female sports clubs in the past were attached to male ones, which made them less independent. However, SNU WFC is a completely independent athletic club for women, and we take pride in that. Support us on the journey to becoming an example of female independence,” said YU.

Indeed, SNU WFC has continued to show its immense potential this year. In May, it took second place in the Kookmin University Cup Championship. In June, SNU hosted a female football tournament, in which 9 college teams competed. There, SNU achieved victory, defeating many strong rivals such as the Korea National Sport University team. “There are no more competitions to prepare for this year, which is a shame really. But this does not mean anything to the team actually. We’ll just keep enjoying football as always,” said an SNU WFC member. Maybe the biggest secret to SNU WFC’s ability to dominate the soccer field has been their pure love for soccer and nothing else. It really does not take much to be persuaded of SNU WFC’s bright future when seeing how much these young women enjoy every second they spend on the field.

Written by LEE Su Kyoung, SNU English Editor, sukyoung123n@gmail.com
Reviewed by Eli Park Sorensen, SNU Professor of Liberal Studies, eps7257@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by Brett Johnson, SNU English Editor, morningcalm2@gmail.com