[2017-08-03]









Seeing surprising speed, explosive power, thrilling scoring scenes and heart-warming awards ceremonies, people often think of the winners and coaches. But not many appreciate the effort sports science researchers make to ensure their successes.
Wang Jin Hyok is head of the sports psychology section of the Basic Science Department at the Korea University of Physical Education.
He learned judo at the then Pyongyang Physical Training School in his teens. It was not until 1998 that he gave up judo. He felt drawn to sports psychology.
It was not because of his results that he chose psychology halfway through his playing career.
He was always praised by his coach for having suitable physical constitution and fortitude. He knew he was far better than others in training, but he could not give full play to his ability and was very nervous once he was on the mat. He then came to know that psychology-controlled training methods were being studied worldwide to induce an ideal mentality suitable for sporting activities. He thought they would have a key to success and decided to major in sports psychology.
After finishing the undergraduate and two-year postgraduate courses at the Korea University of Physical Education, he stayed on as a lecturer. Out of lectures, he often met players in different sports and heard many about changes in mental state according to their experience and the situation of matches. Somewhere along the way, he found that even players with good physical fitness and high techniques cannot produce good results in competition if they fail to overcome psychological pressure.
While inquiring into the most difficult situations for the players and the simplest and easy-to-understand language for them with the clearest psychological control effect on the basis of probability and introducing them into practice, he systematized a language needed for psychological control. On the basis of it, he developed eight new subjects including “sports psychology cybernetics”, wrote over a dozen reference books like “coach and psychology” and completed dozens of pieces of multimedia presentations, 16 psychological measurement facilities and 18 programs, a great contribution to making the educational content of sports psychology practical.
Among them the “comprehensive measurement and estimation system for the selection of players” is very popular with experts and coaches. With its database built on the basis of information collected for over a decade, the system puts questions in various conditions and applied problems for new players to deal with. As its practicality reaches 80 percent-level, it is highly appreciated by coaches and experts, winning the first place at the 2017 national science and technology festival.
Wang has also won 9 national patents and 24 scientific and technological certificates. He helped national team members to control their state of mind in the games so that they could lift two trophies in the 2016 FIFA U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cup finals. He has been engaged in the psychological control of coaches and players participating in international contests since 2003.
“There is no limit to perfection. It is the secret of the tortoise winning the hare in the fable,” he often says to coaches, players and students.
 
By Ri Sung Ik PT