Beomjin Song, badminton YouTube creator. ⓒ Dailyan Reporter Bang Gyu-hyeon
According to data released by the Korea Badminton Association last year, the number of badminton enthusiasts nationwide is approximately 30,000 (29,788 people) and the number of clubs reaches 1,772.
It is no exaggeration to say that badminton’s status in Korea is truly the highest, excluding the four major professional sports (baseball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball).
Looking at elite players, starting with Hwang Seon-ae, who won the individual singles title at the 1981 All England Open, a series of elite players were produced in the 1990s, including Park Joo-bong, Kim Moon-soo, Kim Dong-moon, Ra Gyeong-min, Gil Young-ah, and Bang Bang-hyun. In the 2000s, Lee Yong-dae, and among active players, Ahn Se-young appears and continues the lineage of Korean badminton history.
The base of recreational sports enthusiasts is also very wide. To exaggerate a little, small and medium-sized competitions are held every weekend anywhere in the country, and records of club members across the country are being collected through a unified system.
Recently, there have been more opportunities to learn badminton through YouTube. Among them, there is someone who is working to expand the base of badminton with unique content, and that is creator Song Beom-jin, who runs the ‘National Smashing Contest.’
Regardless of the sport, people who like sports always have questions. The question is, ‘Can an amateur really beat an athlete?’ The YouTube channel ‘National Smashing Pride’ completely answers these questions. I met creator Beomjin Song at the Wyron badminton gym located in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do.
Beomjin Song, badminton YouTube creator. ⓒ Dailyan Reporter Bang Gyu-hyeon
Q: The number of badminton clubs across the country is huge. According to data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, badminton’s club membership rate was 9.7%, the second highest after soccer/futsal and golf. What is the reason it is so popular?
Creator Song Beom-jin (hereinafter referred to as Song Beom-jin): Office workers have the advantage of being able to access it easily after work. Especially recently, as work-life balance has been emphasized, more and more people are trying to take up a hobby, and many of them seem to be choosing badminton.
The advantage of badminton is its accessibility. In fact, at least one out of three elementary, middle, and high schools near where I live probably has an active badminton club. You can play badminton anytime, every day.
Q: If you look at the YouTube channel ‘National Smashing Contest’, you also appear on it yourself. Even though you are a non-athlete, you have considerable skills. When did you start playing badminton?
Beomjin Song: It started in 2013. At that time, Lee Yong-dae appeared on a program called ‘Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education,’ and I picked up a racket after watching him play with Kang Ho-dong and 2PM’s Nichkhun.
In fact, at that time, I was resting after undergoing cancer surgery. When I recovered, I needed to exercise, so while I was wondering what to do, I came across ‘Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education’ on TV. Coincidentally, there was a club at the elementary school near my house. That’s how it started, and it was so much fun that I got hooked. He has now been declared fully cured.
In terms of badminton skills, I was in my late 30s when I started, so it was a bit late. As a result, it put a strain on my lower body, especially my knees. Compared to other club members, he doesn’t play very well. (Laughs)
Q: Like some lifestyle sports, badminton also has a high barrier to entry, so it has the image of being a ‘stagnant game’. What advice would you give to beginners who want to learn it?
Song Beom-jin: Badminton is a sport that requires someone to play with you, so joining a club is essential. If you look around, there are a lot of badminton clubs. As I said before, you can start at the school gym near where you live. In Seoul alone, there are 30 to 40 clubs in each district. Membership fees and monthly membership fees may vary depending on the region, but they are not high.
If you are a beginner, signing up with someone you know can be of great help. To learn properly, it is a good idea to take lessons. Although YouTube is popular these days, it probably falls short of providing professional, customized education through direct lessons. This applies not only to badminton but also to any sport.
Q: What is the risk of injury?
Song Beom-jin: It’s not that high. This is also one of the reasons why I chose badminton. I do sports as a hobby, but wouldn’t it be difficult if I got injured and it interfered with my daily life? Badminton is separated from the opponent by a net, so there is no physical fighting, so injuries are less likely than in collision sports.
Still, we often see injuries, and the most common area of injury is the knee. Frequently shifting your weight can lead to injury, but if the muscles in that area are not trained, you should not overdo it.
When many people play badminton for the first time, they find it so fun that they overdo it. Then, the next day, I called and said, ‘It’s hard to eat. They say things like ‘I can’t go down the stairs.’ My body was not able to accept the amount of exercise that day, so I just need to gradually increase it without overdoing it.
Beomjin Song, badminton YouTube creator. ⓒ Dailyan Reporter Bang Gyu-hyeon
Q: Let’s talk about the YouTube channel ‘National Smashing Contest’. The content ‘Athletes vs. Amateurs’ is very refreshing. How did you come to plan it? And when you look at the ‘National Smashing Pride’ YouTube channel or SNS, the phrase ‘I hope that badminton in Korea becomes the most popular sport’ is always included.
Song Beom-jin: It was unfortunate that badminton is an unpopular sport, so it only gets attention at the Olympics and Asian Games. The same goes for players. Except for some star players, other players do not receive the spotlight at all. Among them, there are some really cool and good athletes.
I don’t have the talent to create a popular program, but I thought I could borrow the power of a sponsoring company and create a scene where the athletes donate to their alma mater or a social welfare organization with pure hearts. So, we asked the players to donate their talents during their rest days, and gradually their participation increased.
Q: It seems like there has been good buzz among the players.
Beomjin Song: When I first started creating content, it was during the COVID-19 period, and I ended up donating masks to the elementary, middle, and high school alma maters of the featured players. The player said he was grateful after hearing from his school, “A certain YouTuber came and donated 2,000 masks in your name.” Those actions worked well together.
Q: What about corporate sponsorship or support?
Song Beom-jin: Currently, I am receiving a lot of support, including shampoo, protein shakes, and drinks. (Laughs)
Beomjin Song, badminton YouTube creator. ⓒ Dailyan Reporter Bang Gyu-hyeon
Q: This is the most curious question for sports enthusiasts. The question is whether amateurs can really beat athletes. What kind of ordinary people are invited to appear on ‘National Smashing Contest’?
Song Beom-jin: Players who actually win amateur competitions think, ‘Wouldn’t they be able to compete with active players at this level?’ Then, he said, ‘I’ll provide a space for you, so feel free to come and challenge yourself.’ It all started.
Q: It is clearly captured in the ‘National Smashing Pride’ video, but the difference between players and amateurs is too big. They are literally no match for me. Even though the amateur male players were sweating profusely, the female players were playing very leisurely.
Song Beom-jin: It can be said that high-level female players playing mixed doubles are almost able to withstand attacks from active male players. Therefore, even if men in their 20s with good physical strength fight against them, they cannot win. Although there is a big difference in attack, there is a big difference in defense. When male and female athletes fight against each other, of course the male athletes win, but the female athletes are still good at dealing with attacks from the male athletes during training.
Q: Then, there won’t be any surprises in ‘National Smashing Contest’ where an amateur beats a player.
Song Beom-jin: If the match is successful, the player will never lose. However, when ‘National Smashing Pride’ invites a player, they film about 5 games at once. By the time we play the 5th game, our stamina will probably be low, so if teams with good stamina challenge us at this time, there could be an upset. (Laughs)
Therefore, I ask the players for their understanding and ask them not to worry too much about losing even if they lose. Rather, in the case of club players, they are not concerned about winning or losing whether they give up 1 point or 10 points. For them, the fact that they exchanged shuttlecocks on the same court with active players such as the national team is something they will enjoy for the rest of their lives.
I am also very grateful to the players. They do not receive separate appearance fees and appear on ‘National Smashing Contest’. Everyone voluntarily donates their talents and visits in person on their days off.
Beomjin Song, badminton YouTube creator. ⓒ Dailyan Reporter Bang Gyu-hyeon
Q: Are you planning any other innovative content besides ‘I Beat the National Team’?
Song Beom-jin: Youth player vs. national team. Where are the opportunities for middle and high school players to compete against national team players?
Q: Are there any memorable youth players who have appeared so far?
Beomjin Song: They are twin sisters, Minji Kim and Minseon Kim (seniors at Chiak High School). As a fan of her uncle, I worked hard to recruit her for over a year. Although the two players may not be able to participate in this Olympics due to a lack of ranking points, I have no doubt that they will lead Korean women’s badminton in the future. She is already making a mark at junior world competitions.
Q: What do you worry about and what do you find rewarding while hosting the ‘National Smashing Contest’?
Song Beom-jin: My concern is that the players who visit our channel might get injured. As you compete, you may become overheated, and above all, since players come to you on their days off, your rest may be reduced. When I make a request for a role, this channel recognizes my sincerity and gladly allows me to film. I am fortunate that I have not suffered any injuries yet.
The most rewarding moment was shortly after I started YouTube. Bae Yeon-ju, who appeared at this time, said she would donate masks to her alma mater, Masan Seongji Girls’ High School. So he drove down to Masan himself. It was difficult because the road was long, but the teachers and students there were very welcoming. It was even more meaningful because it was the time of COVID-19 and masks were scarce. At this time, I became determined to work harder.
Q: This is the last question. What is badminton to me?
Song Beom-jin: This is the movement that found my life. After undergoing cancer surgery, my job became difficult, but it became a driving force for me to regain my vitality. He looked forward to every evening, and by playing badminton, he quickly regained his stamina (laughs).
Beomjin Song, badminton YouTube creator. ⓒ Dailyan Reporter Bang Gyu-hyeon
2024-03-26 04:16:32
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