In this blog post, I’ll summarize how my academic studies, school activities, and experiences with empathy and collaboration during high school influenced my preparation for a career in sports marketing.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

Mathematics has always been the subject that interested me the most. Rather than simply memorizing formulas or solving problems, I was more interested in experiencing firsthand how math is applied in real life. With this in mind, I participated in the Chungbuk Math Festival during my sophomore year, where I spent time researching and exploring mathematical principles in everyday life. I organized the content I encountered at the festival into a separate math notebook, reviewing it whenever I had a chance. To gain a deeper understanding of the concepts taught in class, I also researched the history of related mathematicians and concepts.
In particular, I had the opportunity to present on the Law of Large Numbers, and I chose a topic that connected sports—a subject I was always interested in—with mathematics. I researched how the Law of Large Numbers is applied in various sports contexts—such as speed guns used to measure athletes’ speeds, performance testing of sports apparel, and the average speeds of long-distance runners—and compiled this into a presentation. While verifying data and collecting case studies during preparation was challenging, I realized that mathematics extends beyond simple application to serve as a convergent and complex theory and technology applied in real-world settings.
In my third year, I developed an interest in probability and statistics and wrote a report connecting these topics to the field of business administration. The report focused on case studies utilizing big data and infographics from a marketing perspective and also included an analysis of how statistics influence policy decisions, such as waste disposal policies and support policies for single-person households. Through this process, I personally confirmed that mathematical knowledge is practically utilized in solving problems and making decisions across society, which further solidified my interest in and attitude toward mathematics.

Write about major campus activities and reflections

Since my career goal was to become a marketer, I focused on activities that cultivated communication skills and planning abilities in addition to my academic studies during high school. Starting in my freshman year, I joined a current affairs debate club and engaged in discussions on various topics. In my sophomore year, I participated in a student roundtable discussion, where I learned how to convey my opinions persuasively and to respect others’ perspectives. Although it was often difficult to balance my academic studies with debate activities, I felt that the ability to accept diverse viewpoints and express them logically would serve as the foundation for my career as a marketer.
The “Proper and Polite Language Project,” which I led as vice president of the Literary Club during my sophomore year, was an activity that made me truly realize the importance of communication and promotion. Although I initially planned the project to reduce students’ use of profanity, participation was low at first. To address this, I personally created pamphlets to distribute on the way to school and posted posters in the hallways to promote the initiative. Through the process of visiting classrooms to share information, I gained hands-on experience in setting targets and delivering messages. The project also taught me firsthand that consistent promotion, even for small changes, yields results.
As president of the Literary Club, I planned a project to introduce the school’s literary activities, submitted it as an agenda item to the student council, and oversaw its implementation. The process of devising a promotional strategy during the planning phase and actually presenting the work to students provided practical experience in turning a simple idea into a viable plan. Additionally, the public service advertisement contest I participated in during my senior year was a valuable opportunity to experience the entire process of advertising and marketing. I selected a theme for the public service advertisement, strategically analyzed what message would resonate with the audience, expanded my ideas using mind maps, and gathered feedback from the target students through online research and mobile surveys (Google Forms).
By producing public service advertisements based on the survey results and attempting to promote them, I learned the importance of predicting consumer (student) reactions and making adjustments along the way. Despite going through several trials and errors, my patience and problem-solving skills improved as I refined and brought my ideas to fruition. I believe these experiences will be a great asset in identifying consumer insights and managing campaigns in the field of sports marketing in the future.

Writing about examples of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, and my reflections

Through my peer counseling activities (program name: ChinChinHagi), I took on the role of listening to my friends’ concerns and helping them adjust to school life. Since peer relationships are just as important as academics for high school students, I felt a great sense of responsibility. Through counseling, I learned how much a delicate approach is required to help someone open up. Our team was assigned to specific classes by grade level to mediate conflicts within those classes and support students struggling to adapt to school life.
During the program, we faced challenges such as counseling opportunities being unevenly distributed due to personal friendships, or some students displaying a negative attitude toward counseling. To address this, I made a point of approaching students during breaks to initiate conversations, sharing my own experiences honestly and demonstrating empathy and active listening. Gradually, my peers opened up, the atmosphere became more relaxed, and conflicts were often resolved naturally. I proposed “increasing communication” to the team leader as a solution to the issue of uneven distribution of counseling opportunities, and we were able to mitigate the problem by adjusting the frequency and approach of our counseling sessions.
Through this experience, I realized how much more effective it is in conflict resolution to listen to the other person’s perspective and show consideration—rather than simply pointing out problems—before taking action. I also learned that the process of finding solutions through cooperation and consensus—rather than through individual stubbornness or unilateral decisions—is itself a source of energy that positively transforms an organization.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

Since childhood, sports have been a great source of joy and an integral part of my life. Soccer, in particular, served as a medium for socializing with friends and developing social skills and teamwork, and these experiences naturally led to my interest in the sports industry. I aspire to become a sports marketer because I want to help struggling teams and promote sports to a wider audience. I applied to the Department of Sports Science at Inha University because I wish to develop my expertise by studying both sports theory and business management.
My career goal is to revitalize recreational sports and enhance the brand value of professional sports leagues. In today’s society, where a lack of exercise is a major cause of many diseases, I want to promote participation in recreational sports as a sports marketer while helping professional teams grow alongside their local communities. I aim to contribute to strengthening the influence of Korean professional teams by benchmarking examples where the team itself establishes itself as a brand, similar to famous sports teams overseas.
To this end, I actively participated in various school activities during high school to gain marketing theory and practical experience. I gained planning and promotional experience through debate and literary club activities, and in a public service advertising contest, I learned how to derive consumer insights by experiencing the entire process—from research and design to execution. Once I enter university, I plan to study marketing theory in greater depth and develop practical skills through hands-on activities such as contests, club activities, and group projects.
Specifically, I intend to join the Inha University Central Soccer Club to gain hands-on experience by directly handling the club’s promotion and marketing. Additionally, I plan to seek exchange or study abroad opportunities in the UK, where sports education is well-established, to broaden my international perspective, and to learn practical club marketing directly through various sports marketing internships. Above all, I will dedicate myself to my studies to build a solid theoretical foundation and grow into a sports marketer through diverse marketing experiences.