[Student Reporters] San Fernando Valley Youth Olympics

Jay Kim / <11th, Granada Hills Charter High School>

The annual San Fernando Valley Youth Olympics was held for all Korean Americans at Chatsworth High School on March 18.

This event consisted of Korean American student representatives from each valley high school and middle school engaging in sports games such as basketball, football, volleyball, track, tennis and dance.

The event commenced at 7:30 a.m. and ended well into the afternoon with a trophy ceremony awarding each high school and middle school with trophies and medals for their wins in each category.

A total of seven high schools [Chatsworth, Cleveland, El Camino Real, Granada Hills Charter, Kennedy, North Hollywood and Van Nuys high school] and seven middle schools [Frost, Holmes, Lawerence, Nobel, Patrick Henry, Porter and Portola middle school] were involved in the Olympics. Approximately 600-700 students and parents alike participated.

“I always looked forward to the Korean American Olympics in the valley ever since I was a freshman,” Jennifer Lee, a senior from Granada Hills Charter high school said. “It helps me to re-connect with my other Korean friends at different high schools that I haven‘t talked to in a while. The event was always a place where I was able to make new friends and just have fun.”

The first of these Olympics was held 12 years ago and since then were always sponsored by the Valley Korean American Parents Association [VKAPA], Los Angeles Unified District, and other local organizations.

“Through this event, students from all parts of the San Fernando Valley came together and participated in various sports competitions. This event created opportunities for students to engage in meaningful activities that promoted healthy lifestyles and good sportsmanship,” VKAPA president Jenny Park said.
Students, mainly Koreans, were able to connect with one another and meet new people through this event. They also built trusting relationships as they practiced cooperating with each other on their school teams.

“Korean American students from other schools were able to meet new people and form friendships through this event. The athletes got competitive, but it created an intense and enjoyable aura,” event MC and Granada Hills Charter high school representative Michelle Park said.

Each student who came to participate in the games or to just cheer on their classmates or friends was able to wear a free t-shirt with the name of their school on the front and back.

“I felt that the event brought together all the Korean American students and parents in the valley,” Sam Choi, a junior from Cleveland high school said. “It brought us back to our ethnic roots as we interacted and socialized with each other.”

The Olympics not only brought together the Korean Americans in the valley region together, but it also helped to expose other ethnic students to the Korean culture.

“It was wonderful to see the Korean American community join together and be involved in such an active and energetic event,” Jeremy Ilejay, a junior from Granada Hills Charter high school said. “At first I felt out of place because I wasn‘t Korean, but I felt like I learned a lot about the culture in the end.”

This cultural event took the VKAPA approximately four months to plan and execute. And despite the recent LAUSD budget crisis, the VKAPA was able to financially support the event through numerous donations and fund raisers from local organizations and churches.

“I felt proud and felt a sense of accomplishment as I watched the many students compete and enjoy themselves while participating in the sports competition,” Jenny Park said. “Spending the many months of planning was all worth it. I also wanted to thank everyone, student representatives and the parents for all their hard work.”