Only the first year middle school players will be on the roster

"We need to revive the team. We have made up our minds." That was the pledge of coach Yoon Hee-jae, who has been leading the team since this year. The 2024 Gimcheon National Men's and Women's Middle and High School Basketball Competition is taking place in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province from Friday through Sunday. One of the teams that drew attention is the team that is currently sinking.

The phenomenon of concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area has long permeated the entire Korean society. Basketball also failed to avoid the arrow. The situation is full of players who want to join the Seoul metropolitan team. Basketball teams in provincial areas are having difficulties in supply and demand of players.

The same was true for Chimsan Middle School. Due to player leaks, he had no choice but to run the basketball team last year. However, he got back on his feet by appointing Yoon Hee-jae, the coach who was leading Chilgok elementary school. This year, six first-graders from Chilgok elementary school and four from Haeseo elementary school entered the school.

"There was an opinion that Chimsan Middle School should be revived in Daegu as well. I decided to come here. Anyway, I needed players to try again. As I was in Chilgok elementary school, I came to join the team with the players I was with," Yoon said. 

Chimsan Middle School, which had not been able to participate in the championship due to lack of preparation period, will mark their first competition as the 2024 Federation presidential flag begins again. As there have been no players, all 10 players on the competition's roster are just freshmen in middle school.

"Actually, it's hard to match my hands and feet (laughs). Usually, we go to middle schools from the winter training to train together, but we got together in a hurry, so that didn't work out. I think we practiced together for about a month or two. It was important to gain experience from the players. I will continue to participate in this year's event," Yoon said.

Because these players are not professional players but growing up, the skills gap between the two years has widened dramatically. Players who are currently in mountainous areas are getting scolded at courts by up to two years older than them.

Coach Yoon said, "College students and professionals are not much different by one to two years. Basketball is too big (laughs). They lag behind in everything, including strength and physicality. Still, since I came here to experience it, I will try to play basketball that we have prepared. Just following the older players on the court will be of great help. There will be many harvests," he said.

"If I try to teach like a freshman, I will not bring such an atmosphere because I think the players will be able to become complacent. I haven't decided on my captain yet. All the players are taking turns. That way, I can feel a sense of responsibility," he added.

He is a freshman who is starting now. He looks to higher ground based on his experience. "These players will definitely be better than now when they become second and third graders. Younger players will join the team, and stabilization of the team should come first, rather than performance right away," Yoon said.

BY: 안전놀이터 추천