- K League Assist Foundation launches ‘Next Play’, an education program helping retired and soon-to-retire footballers prepare for second careers.
- 26 players enrolled for six weeks of training across three tracks Sports Agency, Entrepreneurship, and Academics guided by industry mentors.
- Part of the broader ‘Care Project’, the initiative strengthens K League Assist’s full-career support system alongside programs like ‘Dream Assist’ and ‘Medical Assist’.
The K League Assist Foundation hosted an opening ceremony on the 25th last month for its education program 'Next Play' to help retired and soon-to-retire footballers plan careers and has started full-scale operation.
'Next Play' is one of the 'Care Project's', initiated last year, to support existing and former players, and a program designed to assist players in preventing anxiety regarding life after retirement and readying themselves for second careers. It seeks to enable players to see retirement as not an interruption of a career but as a new link, and initiate a systematic system of supporting their careers.
The K League Assist hired trainees between the 2nd and the 20th of this month and recruited a total of 26 retired and soon-to-retire players. Trainees will be given career design training for six weeks from the opening ceremony on the 25th through December 6th.
The opening ceremony was kick-started with a welcome speech by Kwak Young-jin, the chairman of the K League Assist, accompanied by the trainees' self-introduction. This was followed by lectures: 'From K League Player to Startup CEO' by Lee Sang-gi, CEO of QMIT, 'Understanding the Sports Industry' by Kim Sun-hong, CEO of Sports Job Alio, and 'Understanding Temperament and Mental Recovery' by Bae Jeong-in, lecturer at the Korea Psychological Center.
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Subsequently, the trainees will study in one of three disciplines they have selected: Sports Agency (mentored by Lee Wan, CEO), Entrepreneurship (mentored by Kwon Jeong-hyuk, CEO), or Academic Pursuits (mentored by Lee Sang-woo, CEO).
All courses include K League mentors who have professionally advanced their careers after retiring and also professionals in each specialization, sharing realistic and practical experience.
Upon completing the program, exceptional trainees will receive an internship opportunity for one month in LW Sports Agency, German Football to Football Sports Agency, Spoit, QMIT or H Intelligence where they can get hands-on experience.
Park Ho-in, a retired college football player who applied for the entrepreneurship program, said, "I am looking at different careers after retirement, and I hope this program will highly contribute to making new goals. Through 'Next Play', I wish to establish networks with other trainees and learn much".
At the same time, the K League Assist has been reinforcing its support system for players in every stage of their career from 'Dream Assist' as a youth mentor program, 'Medical Assist' as a youth injury prevention program, to free legal consultative services for active and retired players. With the addition of 'Next Play,' it has solidified a full-scale support system spanning a player's entire career. The K League Assist will further promote different support programs for the life and career of football players in the future.
