Player Spotlight: Jihwan

My name is Jihwan Lee, and I am currently serving as a Marine in South Korea.

My passion for sports was sparked at a very young age by the hands of my parents, who, in a

somewhat forceful manner, signed me up for a local soccer club for preschoolers. Though my memories of my childhood may be vague, I can still recall the rushing of the heartbeat, the pure joy that runs through my heart and soul: a sensation of sports that is still present inside myself when I am engaged in sports 15 years later. My enthusiasm for athletic activity— particularly soccer—has remained present progressive. However, in the sunny evening in the summer of 2022, I came to face a major setback in my athletic career. I developed a recurrent shoulder dislocation, initiated by multiple incidents that severely compromised my shoulder capacity. Each dislocation caused excruciating pain along with three following weeks of my limp, lifeless arm. Despite my love for sports, my severe condition made it much more difficult to continue participating in physically intense activities. On multiple occasions, emergency medical assistance was necessary, as I was unable to reposition my shoulder joints by myself. However, I came to a resolution that if I could learn the ability to repair my arm by myself, it would enhance me to continue playing without any concern. I began studying medical tutorials and taking advice from orthopedic professionals in order to learn how to re-locate my shoulder while minimizing risks. I also took further measures such as wearing specialized shoulder braces and performing strength training. As my expertise in shoulder mechanics increased, I regained the confidence to return to sports more comfortably and with reduced anxiety.

Nonetheless, a much greater challenge arose as enlistment date in the Marine Corps came

closer. I had already acknowledged the physical intensity of military training could pose a great threat to my shoulder joints. Therefore, in preparation, I armed myself by continuing to

strengthen my shoulder and my understanding on emergency reduction on my shoulder joints, knowing that a dislocation during training could inflict much more than just severe pain. On the day of the Marine Corps graduating ceremony, my weeks of preparation and hard work paid off. Thanks to this encounter, I gained a valuable lesson: though a problem in life appears to be severe and cannot be changed, sometimes, the resolution to such a problem may be confronting it directly with sheer will.