In Winter 2011, the USF Sport Management program offered a Global Sports Immersion elective taught by Professor Andrew Choi. Members from Cohort 31, 32 and 11S had the opportunity to spend seven days in the bustling city of Seoul, South Korea and learn about the global perspectives in sport management. Seoul is one of the few cities in the world that has hosted both the FIFA World Cup (2002) and Summer Olympics (1988) which are two of the largest sporting events in the world.
While in South Korea, students had the opportunity to visit different sport businesses and sporting venues such as SBS News Channel, Puma/Cobra Golf, Coca-Cola, Pyeong Chang Olympic Bidding Committee, Korean Basketball League, SK Wyverns Baseball Stadium, Olympic Museum, Seoul World Cup Stadium and many more. These businesses were kind enough to take everyone in and discuss current trends in Korean sport media and marketing. Seeing these stadiums gave students a better understanding of event management and operation issues for Korean professional and amateur sports teams, such as player recruiting, game day promotions and events, business models and sponsorships. Fan loyalty is a major aspect in Korean sports, not only to the team but also the players. Fans in Korea want to see native players compete onthe court or field rather than foreign players, regardless of the level of skill. In addition to visiting venues, the class had a chance to compete against the Samsung Badminton Team, which included professional and Olympic players.
After visiting different sites, many of the hosts were kind enough to treat everyone to a traditional Korean lunch or dinner. Traditional Korean dishes included items like Korean BBQ beef, kimchi (fermented cabbage side-dish dipped in red peppers), quail eggs, fish, rice, veggies and spicy be an sauce. Bim Bim Bam (steamed veggie rice bowl) and chicken noodle soup are also popular during the cold, winter season. Tea was served with every meal and most of the food is low in fat and high in nutrients.
Korean nightlife is unforgettable and extremely amusing. In Seoul, bars and clubs stay open all hours of the night. Koreans have a great sense of humor and a surprisingly high tolerance for alcohol, especially Soju, a liquor native to Korea that is made from rice. The locals are very warm and friendly but some females tend to keep to themselves.
This was demonstrated repeatedly by girls rejecting offers to dance, sorry Eric! Not only did everyone get the chance to make friends with the locals in Seoul, but they became closer friends amongst themselves. The trip to South Korea is the highlight of the USF Sport Management program for the students that went and an unforgettable experience. Thanks, Dr. Choi!
