Does the teachers vs. students flag football game sound familiar? Students may have been part of the event as a volunteer, club member, or staff. From now on, the football game will be something more than just an annual event: it will be a school club where students can do a wide range of football-related activities.
This change to the football culture at school stems from four passionate seniors: Ryan Kim (12), Sean Kim (12), William Park (12), and Nathan Chung (12). After discussing ways to make football a more widespread culture at school, they came up with the idea of including the annual football game to be a big part of the Flag Football Club.
For instance, as Ryan lived in European countries, he enjoyed watching and playing football with his friends from different cultures. However, as he moved to Korea, he realized that the football culture here is not the same as the established reputation in Europe. To familiarize SIS students with football, he desired to create an environment where students could immerse themselves in the football world with other seniors who are passionate about the sport, and provide many opportunities to learn and engage in the sport.
“As the co-president of the Flag Football Club, I can definitely say that all our leaders worked hard to allow the student body to have fun competing and learning more about a non-varsity sport,” Ryan Kim (12), Flag Football Club co-president, said. “The most important thing is that we all love what we do and have so much fun preparing the club.”
The annual teacher vs. student football game is just one aspect of the Flag Football Club; this is not the only activity the club engages in. During their weekly meetings, the club executives explain game routes and strategies that can be used when playing with other teams. Additionally, the executives also coach the sport itself.
“We recently just partnered with the official federal flag football association in Korea,” William Park (12), Flag Football Club co-president, said. “With this partnership, we plan to compete with flag football clubs and teams in Korea from other schools.”
As the Flag Football Club continues to prepare for its future games, its meetings often take place on the field to practice strategies and game plans. To prepare for the Nov. 8th flag football match, executives of the Flag Football Club have been organizing friendly practice sessions on the field. With this experience, many members of the club have noted that they appreciate the active spirit of the club.
“The Flag Football Club has been very fun because it reminded me of my time back in the States,” Steven Abadia (9), Flag Football Club member, said. “Growing up being a college football fan, the club has allowed me to connect more with the college football culture and understand the game of football more deeply.”
The Flag Football Club moves forward with the leaders’ passion and members’ dedication to the team. Even though flag football is not a varsity sport at SIS, their dedication to arranging and competing in numerous games is a notable passion. Even though Flag Football Club is not an official varsity sport, students who are interested in being involved in sports throughout the week would find the club a good fit for them.
With the club planning an exciting variety of events and matches for the future, the High School looks forward to what the Flag Football Club will bring in the upcoming months and wish them the best of luck for their first flag football game taking place in November.
