[Interview] Masan Girls' High School, Overcoming the Crisis of Dissolution, Achieves a 'Miracle After 26 Years': "We Just Asked for One Win, But It Was the National Games"

*This content was translated by AI.

There was a crisis of dissolution. There were times when it was not even easy to gather five players. Yet, Masan Girls' High School has achieved the miracle of returning to the National Games stage after 26 years.

Lee Yu-ri, coach of Masan Girls' High School, told StarNews on the 9th, "We endured through very difficult times to get here," adding, "We are so grateful and happy just to be able to participate in the National Games."

Under the leadership of head coach Baek Ki-jin and coach Lee Yu-ri, Masan Girls' High School defeated Samcheongpo Girls' High School 47-44 in the final of the women's high school division of the 107th National Games Gyeong Nam (CEO) qualifiers held at Tongyeong Gymnasium on the 7th. As a result, Masan Girls' High School will participate in the National Games for the first time in 26 years since 2000, as Gyeong Nam (CEO).

For a long time, the team representing women's high school basketball in Gyeongnam Province was undoubtedly Samcheongpo Girls' High School. Samcheongpo Girls' High School is a prestigious school that has produced many WKBL stars and has a tradition of winning the National Games multiple times. In contrast, operating the basketball team at Masan Girls' High School was not easy. From 2017 to 2023, there was not even a record of participation in official competitions, and the team struggled to form due to a lack of players. Amidst long-term stagnation, there was even a crisis where the existence of the basketball team was shaken.

Coach Lee Yu-ri, who had coached players moving between Masan Girls' Middle School and Masan Girls' High School, took charge of the Masan Girls' High School basketball team exclusively starting in 2024. She recalled, "There were even talks of merging the basketball teams of Samcheongpo Girls' High School and Masan Girls' High School. Some players even moved to other regions."

She continued, "When I was the coach at Masan Girls' Middle School, I started with just two players. We barely gathered five players, including general students, to play in matches. We spent several years like that, and I thought we wouldn't be able to win a single game. At that time, I thought, 'It would be great if we could just win one game.'"

However, through Coach Lee Yu-ri's passionate coaching and the players' persistent efforts, Masan Girls' High School began to revive little by little. After enduring with just five players for the past two years, the team has now expanded its roster to eight players.

Coach Lee Yu-ri expressed her affection, saying, "It seems that Masan Girls' High School has revived because five high school seniors came up from middle school all at once. These players have been the core, and they are players who have been with me for six years since middle school."

Coach Lee Yu-ri ran alongside the players with the goal of "defeating Samcheongpo Girls' High School once." Even in difficult circumstances, results began to appear little by little. Masan Girls' High School showed its potential by taking third place in the Yeon Maeng (Chairman) National Middle and High School Basketball Tournament in May. They carried that positive momentum through to the Gyeong Nam (CEO) qualifiers and eventually defeated Samcheongpo Girls' High School, fulfilling a long-held wish.

Coach Lee Yu-ri said, "It felt like we were being compensated for the difficult times we went through while rebuilding the team. When we defeated Samcheongpo Girls' High School, I was overwhelmed. Because we had such a difficult period, tears welled up in my eyes at the moment of victory."

She added, "The players endured well, and our parents helped a lot. We are so grateful," and conveyed both gratitude and determination, saying, "We now want to perform even better at the National Games."

News of Masan Girls' High School's participation in the National Games after 26 years caused great excitement at the school. Coach Lee Yu-ri said, "The school is really happy. The Office of Education is also surprised. They immediately hung up a banner."

Furthermore, Coach Lee Yu-ri explained, "It might be a natural thing for some, but for us, 26 years was too long. It is also a truly precious experience for the players. In the past, there was almost no recognition of the basketball team even within the school. However, since the year before last, the basketball team has been gradually recognized, and people around us are encouraging the players. Sometimes they even turn on the YouTube broadcast. Such changes feel like a miracle to us."

However, they cannot remain in joy alone. Now, Masan Girls' High School must run again toward the National Games. Coach Lee Yu-ri said, "Since we are relatively short in height, we need to compensate for defensive pressure. Considering the height difference, we have to focus more on defense," and added, "Also, we have Park Bo-seol, a proper shooter on our team. She is a sophomore, and we are thinking of making better use of her."

The goal is to enter the medal contention. Coach Lee Yu-ri hoped, "I think just making it into the medal contention at the National Games would be a good result."

She continued, "Masan Girls' High School was also a prestigious school in the past. Even if it takes some time, I want to rebuild it into such a team again. I hope we become a solid team that works hard consistently like we are now," and added, "We are a team that plays with cohesion despite our height differences and cares deeply for each other. I hope that part continues. I hope we become a team that supports each other rather than focusing on individuals."

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*This content was translated by AI.