Some of you may wonder how come I’m tough on the coach but not on the mother of Heedo. My reason is simple. We all know bad parenting when we see it, but many of us can’t tell a bad coach from a good one.
You don’t need me to pile on the mom’s cold manner toward Heedo. We can easily identify her failures because we grew up with moms and many of us here on this blog are moms ourselves. We have first-hand experience of good and bad mothering.
However, the same can’t be said about coaches. Some of us might not have played sports in school. Some of us often mistake the number of “wins” on the coach’s record as sign of good coaching. And, unfortunately, many of us have been accepted bad coaching behavior as the norm in sports. It doesn’t help when movies and dramas like this perpetuate the myth that mistreatment of athletes, especially the young ones, make them mentally tougher and compete better. No pain, no gain!
That’s why I’m zeroing in on this coach and making her an example of misguided and “old-school” coaching. The screenwriter seems intent on setting her up as a role model and substitute parent in Heedo’s world, but I say absolutely no.
Her style might have been okay decades ago, but it shouldn’t be held up as an ideal today.
I’ve already discussed in my review of Episode 3, her unacceptable tolerance for bullying. I said as the coach, she had the duty to enforce anti-bullying in her club, and to ensure a safe environment for all.
I’ve also pointed out her inappropriate public lecture after Yurim lost her match to the newbie Heedo. True, there was a lesson that she to inculcate in the girls. However, she still could have gotten her point across had she pulled them aside and talked to them in private. Right?
In this episode, there are three more egregious coaching moments.
1. The coach’s de-motivational speech
Take for instance, Heedo’s coach berating her in this episode. I’m sure if we heard the same words coming out of her mom, our hackles would be raised right away. “What a horrible mom!!!” But when this coach said it, she was given a pass.
Yang: Did you go against Daseul? Yurim told me.
Heedo: As I see it, the seniors shouldn’t stop us from training at night. I think it’s unfair.
Yang: So? What’s your plan?
Heedo: I’ll continue to train at night.
Yang: And if they keep stopping you? Do you have a Plan B?
Heedo: (not saying a word)
Yang: You’ve lost your game already.
Comments:
a. Nope. This is BS. Why is this Coach asking Heedo to come up with a Plan B when she herself hasn’t come with a Plan A? It’s her responsibility and duty to have the hall available to those who want to practice. But she preferred to pass the buck onto Heedo.
The excuse that this is “cultural” doesn’t cut it. It’s exactly this toxic culture that condones bullying that needs to be changed.
b. Imagine her mom saying, “I can’t afford to pay for our house anymore. Figure out where to live from now on. Do you have a Plan B? You’ve lost in life already.”
Yang: (tapping her head) You’re already behind in your thinking. I bet Daseul already has planned out what to do with you the next time you try. But you’ve got nothing.
Comments:
a. Tapping her head? Pffft…It’s rude. Why doesn’t she just call Heedo stupid?
b. I was dismayed in Episode 1 when the mom praised the win of the golfer Pak Seri at the US Open and insinuated that Heedo was a failure compared to the Pak Seri. She should have known better.
That said, her behavior is nothing compared to this coach who praises a bully’s intimidation tactics. This coach is essentially saying that the bully is “smarter” than Heedo because she’s already come up with ways to retaliate against Heedo.
At least, the mom was holding Pak Seri up as a role model to look up to.
c. Why doesn’t the coach start coaching and GUIDE Heedo on how to best deal with Daseul? She needs to offer constructive criticism. Sure, she can call it the way she sees it but tearing down Heedo’s self-confidence at this point isn’t right. Like Yurim, Heedo doesn’t know how to deal with bullies so as the grown-up in the conversation, she should’ve counseled her.
She knew that Heedo had “nothing” so the least she could’ve done was equip her with CONCRETE strategies on how to deal with Daseul.
Heedo: Do you also think it’s wrong for me to train at night?
Yang: (scoff) That’s not the point. Do you think I’m doing this to set discipline?
Comments:
a. But that’s precisely the point. A good coach doesn’t ignore the safety and health issues of his players. Just like forcing the player to play injured is a form of physical abuse, forcing the player to confront the bully on her own is a form of emotional abuse.
b. I don’t get why this writer is normalizing this. Surely, he knows that bullying and school violence in their schools is one of the biggest reasons of the high suicide rate among adolescents in his country. Also, was he asleep during the 2021 scandal of the twin volleyball bullies, Lee Jaeyoung and Lee Dayoung?
Yang: I’m talking about fencing.
What?!!
Yang: Remember when you first came here. Even back then, you forced your way in without thinking. (shouting at her) Look at what you’re doing now. You haven’t changed at all. You jump into things without a plan. That kind of attitude shows… in your fencing.
Gee. If she had an issue with Heedo’s action back then, then she should have corrected it back then to give her time to change her ways. She should have shared this bit of observation with Heedo earlier.
Yang: (calming down) Na Heedo. You think of fencing as a sword fight. You’re wrong. Fencing is a game of wits. (tapping her head again) You have to be able to read the game. That is strategic thinking. And I don’t see this in your fencing. Just like now.
Comments:
a. That small gesture of tapping her head is meant to be an insult. She’s suggesting that Heedo lacks brains or, if she has brains, she certainly isn’t using them.
My problem with her is that, one day, she would demean Heedo and make her feel incompetent, then on another day, she would get angry Heedo for her lack of confidence on another day. Doesn’t she know that her negative criticism is contributing to Heedo’s defeatist mentality. If she wants Heedo to be confident all the time, then she must be consistent in demonstrating confidence in Heedo’s abilities.
Phew! I’m glad this Heedo is only a fictional character or she’d be requiring a lot of therapy after this.
b. To many viewers, I’m sure the coach’s words sounded like magic.
But to me, they’re about as magical as a unicorn’s fart.
Why?
Because they’re just…well…WORDS. A good coach would’ve SHOWN Heedo how to read the game, instead of TELLING her. The rule “Show, don’t tell” applies to sports too. The good coach would’ve shown BY EXAMPLE how to strategize.
It’s sad that Heedo had to beg her to teach strategy, just like she had to beg her to train her.
A good coach would have modeled her own actions. If she wanted Heedo to learn strategy then she could lead by example by coming up with a strategic plan on how to improve each and every player on her team.
A coach doesn’t merely supervise their drills. She should have developed a training program unique to each member of her club.
Heedo: Then what should I do? Teach me. I’ll do anything.
Yang: That kind of training is over. It’s now up to you to figure out what you need to do.
Comments:
a. How is this parting remark of hers even constructive? Heedo asked for help, and she basically told her to figure it out herself because she was hopeless. She called Heedo to her office to tell her that she sucked.
b. Let’s remember now that SHE was the one who called Heedo to her office but SHE offered no plan to Heedo.
Like player, like coach.
c. Had Heedo’s mom done the same thing to her, we’d be calling her mom all sort of nasty epithets. #truth
d. If I were the coach, this is how I would’ve taught her “strategic thinking” –
I would have shown her tapes of other fencers in competition, and broken down their moves, their tactics, and reactions. If I didn’t have tapes, then I would have brought her to tournaments, and analyzed the offensive or defensive styles of the players with her. If there were no tournaments, I would have played one-on-one with her and gone over some offensive or defensive tactics for her to use during the tryouts.
Like that proverbial wisdom, “teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” the coach should have taught Heedo how to strategize. This isn’t only to win games, but also to overcome problems in life.
But Heedo’s coach is lazy, and she preferred to blame the victim, rather than to guide her.
Seriously, it frustrates me that this writer doesn’t know what he’s writing about.
2. The coach scrimmaged with Heedo.
This shouldn’t have happened.
Coach: You lost because you thought you’d lose, and I caught you thinking this. No one you come across during the tryouts will be a better fencer than me. (I’m rolling my eyes here.) So don’t be scared. Even if you’re scared, don’t let it show. Do you understand?
Heedo: Yes, understood!
Coach: Your training is complete. Good work, Heedo.
My comments:
First, too little, too late.
If the whole point of this scrimmage is to “undo” her previous negative criticism and to give Heedo encouragement, then this it’s too late. You don’t do this on the eve of an important bout. This is like cramming for the test.
The time to mentally and emotionally boost Heedo for the try-outs was immediately after the decision was made that she was attending it.
But I get it. The writer wanted to show a “feel good” movement, and to elevate this coach into Sensei Miyagi’s level.
Second, it’s dumb to have the athlete play hard on a scrimmage with her coach or anybody else on the night before the try-outs.
Why?
They were risking an injury to Heedo. She could have sprained her ankle, bruised her knee, or hurt a wrist in a scrimmage with the coach.
And what’s the point of the exercise? So the coach could make her – and herself – feel good after dubbing her “battle-ready” for the tryouts?
Oh please!
The girl needed fresh legs for the following day.
4. The Coach watched from the sidelines as Heedo faced Daesul.
I heartily dislike it when the writer contrived that other “feel good” moment of Heedo confronting the bully with nauseating sycophancy.
Sure, many viewers found that scene funny and ingenious. But I rolled my eyes because it was cop-out. It was lazy writing because the issue wasn’t resolved. The writer merely glossed over and made light of the bullying situation.
That’s not how this works in real life.
Did the writer really think that this is a good message for victims of bullying? That it’s their fault? That they should try harder, be more creative, be more obsequious, and win the hearts of their aggressor?
If you want a good example of a coach in a kdrama, try “Racket Boys.” The coach was bumbling at first, but he grew along with the boys. He’s an example of a good coach.
I’m cataloguing this writer’s misguided and outdated views on coaches and coaching so my readers don’t lap then all up mindlessly.
Thanks for this @PM3. I feel the same about the coach especially on condoning the bullying in her team of fencers. I feel like she is a counterpart of Han Jipyeong (from Start Up, ha!) with respect to coaching/mentoring style – arrogant, full of criticism vs constructive and actionable feedback and act like a bully too. And of course people get the impression that they are “good” because the people they coach succeed. Even her commentaries on Asian games was a bit unprofessional.
The only thing I am happy about her is that she is on Heedo’s side.
Don’t get me started on the Fencing Federation coach and whoever Yurim was talking to when she asked for and advance on her pension. They are way more horrible!!!
One reason I’ve soured on Coach Yang is that she blames others for her own mistake. She admits she accepted bribes from the parents of her athletes. That is wrong…full stop. Her guilt isn’t greater or less because the parents weren’t punished while she was. By griping that she’s the only one who suffered from the revelation of the bribery, she’s trying to divert attention from her guilt. It’s a red herring argument.
I also don’t like that Coach Yang continues to label her newscaster friend’s disclosure of her bribery as betrayal. She’s deflecting: I’m bad, but you’re worse. No, the story needed to be broken to the public since Coach Yang was a public figure (the face of fencing). Whether a friend or stranger revealed her misdeeds doesn’t matter: the story needed to be told. Coach Yang got caught in the thick of wrongdoing. Does she believe friendship gives her a pass?
When I saw Coach Yang reclining on the sidelines while her team practiced, I had to wonder how someone from her team got to a top international spot.
Like @Janey, I’m glad she is at least on Hee-do’s side. But she should also be cheering YR on and not play favourites.
@Welmaris, no, she shouldn’t think that friendship gives her a pass and she admits that she took the bribes. Perhaps there could have been a way of reporting it that would have been less sensationalistic? In other words, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. But sensational journalism is popular with her company still, as we saw during the ASEAN games. Whatever gets the most viewers involved.
Racket Boys has one of the more inspirational coaches to learn from. It reveals the problems with the coaches in the industry. Taking bribes to ensure a sports person gets into college or a team is a common theme in sports dramas. 18 Again drama showed a part of it where the parents stood up against the coach and school that encouraged it.
Thanks for raising this up @pm3
@Welmaris, the part about Coach Yang trying to use friendship to get herself out of the pickle is another common theme usually used for high ranking officials issues where they use their connections to get into a higher rank, or gain favour for an advantageous deal. To some extent, while mum ‘betrayed’ her friend, it would be a matter of right and wrong.
The other part about the girls being disciplined for their bad conduct at the press conference. In a way they did disgrace the image of sports people in their field because it is so public, and they are supposed to be role models. Yet it also felt like it wasn’t fair to them and as a viewer i empathise because of the way they were pushed with all the questions fielded by reporters.
In the midst of all that, where were their coaches? Where was the support they needed to make the right decisions?
Thanks for bringing up the reporters at the ASEAN game.
Mind you, I only finished Ep 4, and watched only a segment of Ep 7….
I was miffed with YiJin during the press conference although I get that he was harder on Heedo because he cared more for her than Yurim, and wanted the best for her.
But!
I couldn’t help noticing that he didn’t criticize Yurim for the fiasco.
When Heedo hotly questioned whether she was supposed to throw the game because the press wanted Yurim to win, he groaned and said, “No. You can’t say it like that.”
But where was his reproach when Yurim hotly questioned the referee and raised a ruckus after the decision? He should have also groaned and said, “No, you can’t DO it like that.”
It seems to me that he holds Heedo to a higher standard than Yurim. He babies Yurim and makes allowances for her childish behavior.
But he doesn’t seem to gauge Heedo’s level of maturity very well. Sometimes, he sees her a child. Sometimes, he sees her as his peer. Sometimes, he sees her as an aspirational goal.
“Racket Boys” is well-written. It was cohesive. It had a “feel-good” plot. And the moral arguments were sound.
The writer’s value system (and the director’s too) is reflected in the protagonist’s beliefs and values.
The hero can start off flawed, but inevitably he learns to act properly towards others. The “finish product” of the hero is the writer’s concept of what it is/means to be a good human being.
In “Racket Boys,” we can see that the husband-and-wife coaches were fundamentally good people. The husband was a late bloomer, but he made good choices for his club. Didn’t he punish at the leader of the club for allowing their youngest to get beaten up? That was a powerful message on what it means to be the SENIOR in any club, group or organization. The seniors must protect the young from being bullied.
No bullying was tolerated in the show because the dad too was a victim of bullying.
I like that all the lead coaches: mom, dad, and the white-haired dude were good people.
Compared to the clear outlook of “Racket Boys” on sports, coaches, coaching, bullying, and competitive sports, this show cannot be taken seriously as sports kdrama.
It’s just a romance with fencing as a backdrop.
@packmule3, I didn’t think about YJ’s behaviour to HD compared to YR. I looked at his groan as a way of saying that it wasn’t proper etiquette, but 1. as you say, nothing similar to YR and
2. Why weren’t the athletes coached on how to handle interview questions in advance? Why weren’t their coaches next to them as they answered to field any questions the athlete couldn’t answer, or to politely thank the interviewers when the questions got too heated/personal and shepherd the athletes away? Especially HD, who was in that situation for the 1st time.
The only thing about not berating YR for confronting the referee, is that I thought it was legal for an athlete in this situation to question the referee – so YR would have been within her rights, even if it was bad form.
That reminded me of a scene from the 1988 baseball film Bull Durham, where Crash, an older player is instructing Nuke, a new guy who has a ‘million-dollar arm but a 5-cent head’:
Crash: “You got something to write with? Good. It’s time to work on your interviews.”
Nuke: “My interviews? What do I got to do?”
Crash: “You’re gonna have to learn your cliches. You’re going to have to study them. You’re going to have to know them. They’re your friends. Write this down. We’ve got to play them one day at a time.”
Nuke: “Got to play … that’s pretty boring, you know?”
Crash: “Of course it’s boring. That’s the point. Write it down!”
Nuke: “One day at a time …”
Crash: “I’m just happy to be here. Hope I can help the ball club. I know. Write it down. I just want to give it my best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out.”
Nuke: “Good Lord willing …”
Crash: “Things will work out.”
Fern,
I doubt the press interview would have happened like that in real life. 🙂
The head coach KNEW what the hot topic would be and what the questions would be like. In real life, he would have COACHED Heedo and Yurim on what to expect and what to say before the media. He had time to do this backstage. His goal would have been to display a unity within the league.
If he didn’t have enough time to properly debrief them, then he could have explained, interrupted or TALKED OVER Yurim and Heedo while they were answering the questions. He should have been quick to run interference and head off trouble.
Because it wasn’t just the players who would look bad, but also their league (or federation).
To me, it’s the screenwriter’s obvious ploy to FORCE an obstacle and create a setback in the plot. It wasn’t believable. Call it the reverse “Deus ex machina” or the “diabolus ex machina.” I could see the writer’s hand clumsily setting it up so the head coach looked inept at his job, and Heedo got triggered all on her own.
Yes. Yurim was well within her rights to ask for a review of the decision. But to me, she was attempting to sway the referee when she sat down at the piste and looked pathetic. Go sit down, girl! When final call was made, that was it. To continue protesting it at the interview was bad form.
Here in the US, by the time these athletes reach varsity teams in high school, they would’ve been coached on how to give the standard answers. Thank the coach. Thank the teammates. Thank the practice players for honing your skills. Thank God. Thank parents.
If it’s a loss, then just take the loss and say the other player or team played better. And end it with you’ll do better next time.
As I said, Yurim lacked coaching herself. Heedo will make a better coach because she had her dad to lay the proper foundations about competitive sports.
I also didn’t think about Yijin’s reactions to Yurim. It was a good point about how he seem to treat the two girls differently.
That’s true, about the team not being coached on responding to losing, about having sportsmanship and responding to the media. With a coach only looking out for himself, it didn’t look like it was in public relations was something he ever thought about teaching. I thought the only person who mentioned something encouraging and to teach was Yurim’s dad. He said that she should still submit to the referee’s decision.
Dad: The refs can’t always be right. Even if you were faster…
YR: I was faster
Dad: Sure. Even if that were true, you should submit to the ref’s decision. Your skills won’t go anywhere. If you do better next time–
YR: There may not be a next time. What if this was the last time?
Dad: As your dad,I don’t want my daughter to live with such a heavy burden.
YR: Of all the sports out there, I chose fencing, an expensive sport. I knew our family couldn’t afford it, but I threw a tantrum and insisted. I feel bad and grateful about it to you and mum. So I don’t want to feel wronged, even for a moment.
Dad: Yurim ah. You’re already the best. Fence for yourself now. Not for your family.
@grace, I agree with you. Both fathers gave helpful advice to their daughters. It’s another reason why HD was so sad to see YR with her father – he is still around to continue to give YR congratulations and loving advice.
@packmule3, I wonder if the national coach was too concerned with covering his own butt to want to be in the spotlight with the two players. He had his bonus, by that point – maybe bonus and 1/2. Selfish, pure and simple. Yes, it’s a writing ploy to have him be such a *&%£^r. I hope he gets his comeuppance.
I know the Bull Durham dialogue might not be realistic, but I think of it when I see an athlete speak after a match, game or performance. Most at the top of their game have well thought out interview responses and they are able to trot them out repeatedly.
Oh, you’re right, @Janey! 👍 Why didn’t I see the similarities between this coach and Han JiPyeong?
Do you see now the characters who rub me the wrong way?
I tried to watch “Crazy Love” and I don’t know which one I disliked more: the narcissistic male lead or the doormat-y female lead.
I don’t know about professional athletes. But I know for the high school athletes like Heedo and Yurim, they go directly to the locker rooms and have a team meeting with coaches, shower, change clothes, etc. before going outside to meet with fans.
Also, American high school athletes have to be on their best behavior because they’re being scouted by college recruiters. At least 10 to 15 years ago. 😂
It’s not like in this drama where Heedo and Yurim get to stay in a dorm paid for the fencing federation.
Once they get to college however that’s when they get the “perks” as athletes, like private tutors to help them keep up with class work, special dietary meals, etc.
Also in high school, the players get practice answering questions from their high school newspapers. They’re asked “soft questions” like how the tournament went, what was the highlight, what to say to fellow students to urge them to watch the next game, etc. And so on.
I remember too the few times my sons’ coaches told the girls hanging outside the locker rooms that the boys already left the building through another exit. 😂😂 So there’s that sort of practice, too.
After the fiasco of the ASEAN fencing press conference, YiJin was scolded by his boss for having taken action on HeeDo’s behalf out of personal attachment. YiJin admitted to his boss that he knew HeeDo as a friend, but never said a peep about having known YuRim longer–by many years–and that his family’s company had sponsored her. I assume YiJin kept his mouth shut because that wasn’t need-to-know information for his boss, yet it seems to me he was practicing obfuscation. What about full disclosure? Transparency? I would think that revealing he had personal attachments to both competitors might clear him of suspicion of favoring one over the other.
Thanks for insights into coaching @pkml3. It is definitely not a series to use to showcase good coaching, but perhaps to highlight examples of lack of coaching and what not to do, when in a position of authority.
I am just focused on the kids. It’s true that this show is more an examination of relationships with fencing and all it’s attendant aspects as a backdrop.
At first I was thinking maybe even the reporter/news reporter occupation might just serve as a background, but on second thoughts, no.
The reporter job of Anchor Shin and Yi Jin will have an impact on re-defining relationships. I’m not sure that Shin as a mum who was not a news anchor would have been very different, however I believe that Hee Do having to be aware of Yi Jin as reporter, and him needing to be objective when it comes to HD, will affect their future interactions. And that, together with the complication of misinterpreting who Injeolmi is. I hope the latter will be dealt with quickly and we can get past it in 1 episode.
@Welmaris, YJ left out his relationship with Yu-rim. So did Coach Yang when she was being a commentator. I wondered why. Anyone who knew she coached both girls would have thought she was extremely biased.
Ahh finally, a special post for highlighting what is wrong with the coach. Thank you @pakcmule. I agree with your note about this coach and was laughing (as usual) seeing your gifs. Lol.
I also thought that senior attitude problem in their fencing team hasn’t been solved in a proper way. As you highlighted it. Not all bullying victims could take their bullying that lightly. Let’s see from the drama All of Us Are Dead. Yes it is fiction. But I am convinced that the zombie apocalypse is triggered by how light the society take bullying issues. Until when we have to close our eyes, our ears, regarding this bullying problem in school. I mean.. in real life we all know that the powerless kids are so desperate. And they need adult’s help to end that cycle. Not the otherwise. Turning their back on them.
All in all, Thank you packmule for reminding us and your readers regarding this coach behavior. Not only coach. I think all profession, which has the connection with kids or teenagers. They have to be aware that it is their responsibility to act accordingly and not keep blind eye for bullying.