Son Woong-jeong, father of soccer player Son Heung-min, director of SON Football Academy, smiles as he speaks during a press conference for his interview book “I Read, Write and Throw Away” at ST. Franciscan Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on April 17.
SEOUL, Apr. 18 (Korea Bizwire) –In a recently published book, Son Woong-jung, the father of Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min, firmly rejected the notion that parents should strive to be friends with their children.
“People often say parents should be friends with their kids, but I see that as dereliction of duty,” said Son Woong-jung, who is also the director of the Son Football Academy.
He asserted that the concept of a “friend-like parent” cannot exist. “If a child habitually does something wrong that needs to be corrected, can friends really do that? No, they can’t. Friends can point things out, but only parents can definitively tell them what’s not allowed.”
Son said he raised his children with the belief that “a great parent can raise even a child destined for smallness to greatness, while a small parent can raise even a child destined for greatness to smallness.”
He maintained that “a true parent is someone who poses questions to their child.” Consequently, he consistently asked his son what made him happy and what his dreams were, to which Son Heung-min’s answer was always the same: “I’m happiest playing soccer.”
Son Heung-min revealed that he was particularly fond of soccer balls as a child (Image courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur’s social media channle)
Son Heung-min spent seven years honing his fundamentals. Despite the repetitive routine that could have bred boredom, he never once showed frustration, according to his father.
“Frustration? From Heung-min? No, his dream was right here, so why would he be frustrated? Maybe he just obediently followed me because he was scared (laughter). If his concentration slipped, though, I would scold him fiercely. Heung-min’s strength? Hmm, he’s relatively good at acknowledging things?”
The elder Son attributed his confidence in his parenting philosophy and unwavering beliefs to his extensive self-education through reading books on life’s wisdom, rather than formal schooling. From a young age, he disregarded academic studies, harboring a certain resentment toward the school system’s attempts to confine him.
At a press conference for his book’s release on April 17 at the St. Franciscan Education Center in Seoul’s Jongno District, Son reminisced, “During my school days, I was a rebel. The teachers tried to fit me into a mold, but I kept trying to break out.”
Instead, he read books consistently from a young age. “Even then, I believed that reading was the foundation of learning. I judged that reading was necessary to navigate the harsh world. I was convinced that the key to opening the future lay in books.”
Reading became a habit for him. He would read a book thoroughly, underlining passages and reading them three times while taking notes. After completing the notes, he would unhesitatingly discard the book, finding it cumbersome to hold onto and disliking the feeling of boasting that came with collecting books.
Considering he read 200 to 300 books annually, it is estimated that he discarded thousands of books.
Whenever he had time, Son would visit bookstores to read about how the world operates. Despite the demands of his work and raising children, he never abandoned reading. He believed that with genuine effort, one could always find time, no matter how busy.
Like the Song Dynasty scholar Ouyang Xiu, who coined the term “three locations for studying” – lying down, in the restroom, and while traveling – Son said he could read books anytime, anywhere, as long as he made the time.
While he was sincere about reading, Son did not force his children to read. Merely showing them his reading habits was enough, he felt. “I believe not only poverty but also a parent’s laziness, diligence, and cleaning habits are passed down. When children see their parents not crossing lines with others, they learn that attitude.”
Books are repositories of knowledge, and by reading countless books, while the knowledge may scatter, the essence of wisdom remains in one’s heart. The wisdom Son distilled from his vast knowledge is humility, which manifests in his character. He constantly emphasizes character to Son Heung-min.
“Just being good at kicking a ball doesn’t make you a world-class player. You need to have good character to accompany that.”
Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur has reached double digits in goals for the eighth consecutive Premier League season. (Image courtesy of KFA)
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
