[인터뷰] Suwon Girls’ High School basketball coach Kang Byeong-soo leads the women’s U18 national team.

“I tell the players that they must have a sense of belonging by playing for ‘Suwon Girls’ High School.’”

Suwon Girls’ High School basketball coach Kang Byeong-soo, whom I met at a cafe near Suwon Girls’ High School on the 19th, said this and emphasized to the players to have pride in being part of the Suwon Girls’ High School basketball team.

Coach Kang said, “Suwon Girls’ High School is a prestigious basketball school,” and “It has a long history and the auxiliary facilities, including the gym, are very well-equipped.” Likewise, Coach Kang also had a lot of affection for Suwon Girls’ High School, which he coaches.

Coach Kang, who began his career as a basketball coach at Suwon Girls’ High School in 2021, is raising the status of Suwon Girls’ High School, a prestigious women’s high school basketball team. Suwon Girls’ High School, which competed as a representative of Gyeonggi Province under the guidance of Coach Kang, won the championship by defeating Supia Girls’ High School, representing Gwangju Metropolitan City, 67 to 64 in the finals of the 103rd National Sports Festival held in Ulsan Metropolitan City in 2022 in the women’s high school basketball division. We maintained our pride as a ‘famous family’.

As the National Sports Festival ended last month, this year’s middle and high school basketball season also came to an end. Coach Kang is busy preparing for next season.

He said, “These days, I am focusing on individual training rather than group training.” He added, “I tell players with deficiencies to make up for their weaknesses, and players with injuries to focus on treatment. “We plan to begin winter training in December,” he explained.

Coach Kang, who graduated from Korea University, a prestigious university basketball school in Korea, served as the head coach of Korea University’s basketball team before settling down at Suwon Girls’ High School. He said, “When I was coaching the men’s team, I heard from people around me that I would be good at teaching the women’s team,” and “I applied when I found out that Suwon Girls’ High School was recruiting basketball coaches.”

He said student-athletes should not neglect school work, but hoped for more training time.

Coach Kang, who is also the head coach of the women’s U18 national team, said, “I taught the players through a training camp with the national team players for about a month, and I was able to feel that their skills were improving.” He added, “It would be good if the school sports teams could secure a little more training time.” “I think so,” he said.

He said, “I tell the players to make plays that they can play together rather than just trying to stand out,” and added, “I want to make this a team that people say, ‘Suwon Girls’ High School is really fun to play basketball.’”

/Reporter Kim Hyung-wook [email protected]