From sports, love, friendship, family, and life in general, Racket Boys has imparted valuable lessons to both the old and the young!
Racket Boys radiates a youthful story of hope and passion through its characters from all age groups. Although it is a light-hearted story about a middle school badminton team in Haenam, it has also successfully incorporated contemporary beliefs to ponder on. In addition to that, the series also inspires its viewers to embrace growth and change in one’s life.
Learn to accept both success and defeat
“Of course, it would be nice to win. But people don’t always win, you know. That doesn’t mean they didn’t work hard.”
“I’m sure you guys already know that sometimes, your effort doesn’t guarantee good results. Our talents and conditions are all different. So some players get a head start. And working hard will not guarantee that you’ll be successful.”
“You’re still young. You know you have your whole life ahead of you, right? You can’t always win. Sometimes it takes courage to give up. But now is not the time. You will win today’s finals, no matter what.”
Hard work does not always guarantee success and feats, but it doesn’t mean that you should just give up on everything. In the series, we see the Haenam team experience both wins and losses, and they accept it with their whole heart.
This inspires other teams like the Busan team to also accept whatever the result may be in competitions. They, too, have come to realize that what’s important is that you have given your all, and your bond as a team acknowledges each other’s efforts.
“You all did your best. So let’s not blame other people”
“It’s just sports, you know. Tomorrow’s match is more important than my new phone or my pride. We trained really hard, so we’ll win no matter what.”
“You should show him. Show him the team needs you. You can prove it with your skills.”
In experiences of defeat, we learn how to bounce back and come back stronger. Just like how Hae Kang’s team analyzes their past games, viewers can also analyze their weak points, and strategize a plan to improve on that area.
Money can’t buy everything
“Nothing is free in this world, you know.”
“Don’t think money can buy everything.”
In the modern world, each item has an equivalent value. However, it doesn’t mean that everything in this world can be solved with money. Haenam was once threatened to be developed as a golf course, but the elders were firm in their decision not to sell their land. The land where their ancestors lived and their way of life in the village cannot be substituted by monetary compensation.
This just shows that intangible things such as memories, warmth, and love cannot be bought with money.
Words have a strong impact on people’s lives
“You think people end their lives for some grand reasons like failed businesses or so on. No. These mere words you speak can kill people.”
“And sometimes, rumors are scarier than the truth.”
Simple words may actually ruin people’s lives, evident in Coach Bae and the city couple. In Coach Bae’s case, his career as a coach has been affected by rumors. For the city couple in the earlier episodes, they were determined to end their lives, but they soon change by the end of the series.
Viewers of the series have witnessed how saddening their life was in Seoul, but as they moved down to the countryside, they learned how to speak up for themselves. Shin Song-hee used to shower them with harsh words by the mere fact that they come from the city, but she soon later repents for what she said to the city couple.
For both cases, it just proves what the weight of words can bring into people’s lives.
“I thought about what I should say to make you feel better. I couldn’t think of anything except ‘Don’t worry and cheer up.’ But that’s something others can say too.”
“But you know, you have to show her that you like her. Or she’ll never know.”
Words may also bring comfort to others. Hae Kang and Yoon Dam made sure to express their care for the girls they like. To comfort or to show care, you have to verbalize the warm words to your recipient so that they would know.
Apology shall be given regardless of age and time
“I still haven’t apologized, but she said it’s okay. They raised me like their own after you left, and she said it’s okay.”
“Remember one thing. They need to be punished for what they did. Those who like to bully and hit others don’t know how lame and stupid it looks. There are a lot of ways to take revenge. I want you to have fun thinking about what you should do to really piss them off. ”
“I enjoyed all the perks of being an adult, but I didn’t take any responsibility. It was embarrassing.”
Kang Tae-seon felt guilty for the rumors that spread about Coach Bae. Years have passed, but he still apologized for it. Moreover, Grandma Ome has also apologized to the city couple when she felt that she had offended them.
In those situations, viewers may learn that apology is given whenever it is necessary. Time and age are not determiners of whether one should apologize.
Young or old, no one is exempted from apologizing. It’s never too late to correct one’s mistakes from the past. Through acknowledging one’s wrongs, people learn how to grow and develop healthy relationships.
You are the master of your own life
“Half of the kids don’t know what they want to do with their lives. But most of the kids listen to their parents when they pick that goal.”
“A rebellious age is a universal thing.”
“People become athletes on their own will.”
“Do I have to like only the things I’m good at?”
“Don’t try to fix it by yourself. Just believe in them.”
“She’s right. They can’t do it without our consent.”
“You’re the start and the end of this operation. They say top players lead games, but it could be ordinary players who turn the tide.”
Coach Yoon was troubled about Hae Kang choosing badminton over baseball. He feels worried that his own might not be pursuing the sport he really likes. However, in the end, Hae Kang was able to clarify that it was his own choice to pursue badminton because of his love for the sport, just like his other teammates.
The importance of developing independence and following one’s passion is highlighted in the series. For one to achieve their dreams in life, parental support plays a big role. To some degree, the opinion of parents has a heavy bearing on their child’s decision.
However at the end of the day, one should let their child weigh both options first and hear the decision they’ve chosen. As modeled by Coach Ra and Coach Yoon, guidance and support at the right amount shall still be provided since too much control or neglect is unhealthy.
Change is constant
“ ‘My job is done here. I’m leaving now. Get ready to say goodbye.’ No farewells are like that.”
“When she passed away, it felt like the world was ending. But life moves on, I guess.”
“That’s how people live nowadays. What are we going to do about that? What they are doing isn’t wrong. The way of life is bound to change.”
As the series combines the traditional and the contemporary world, it teaches viewers that change is sometimes necessary for growth. The elders of Haenam are used to their traditional way of life, and they were hesitant to incorporate modern practices.
Brought by the need to promote their village’s products, they come to try selling their crops online. We see that change is not all that bad.
With this, we see that integrating fresh ideas in life helps people grow, and embracing change does not always mean you have to erase everything from the past.
Watch Racket Boys and their heartwarming neighborhood friendship on Netflix.
Photos: SBS
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