'Manager Kim Han-soo, Coach Kwon Oh-jun': Former and current KBO players unite! 2026 First Half KBO Next Level Training Camp concludes

*This content was translated by AI.

Former and current KBO League players stepped forward to support young Korean baseball prospects.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the first half schedule of the '2026 KBO Next-Level Training Camp' concluded with the final high school first-year regional camp held from June 1 to June 19.

The program included a nationwide camp for middle school third-graders (prospective high school first-years) in February (40 participants, 14 nights and 15 days, Gijang), three regional camps for middle school second-graders in May (40 participants each, 4 nights and 5 days, Boeun/Gijang/Hwaseong), and a Little League camp (40 participants, 6 nights and 7 days, Boeun), followed by three regional camps for high school first-years in June (40 participants each, 4 nights and 5 days, Boeun/Gijang), with approximately 320 players participating in total.

The Next Level Camp was launched in 2022 with the goal of improving the skills of promising young players during their formative years, when training yields significant skill development effects. It has established itself as a core program for cultivating top-tier players who form the foundation of the KBO League.

Regional and nationwide camps for middle school second-graders were newly introduced this year. The KBO stated, "We have established a continuous youth development system structure that connects systematically from Little League (middle school first-year) through high school first-year."

This year's camp was overseen by Manager Kim Han-soo. A coaching staff of seven, including Kwon Oh-jun, Kim Myeong-seong (pitching), Lee Won-seok (batting), Lee Sung-woo (catching), Chae Jong-guk (infield defense), and Jung Jin-ho (outfield defense/baserunning), guided players in fundamental and technical training based on their respective areas of expertise.

Two professional training coaches focused on physical training and injury management. In addition to technical training, they also conducted anti-corruption education to cultivate the basic qualities required of proper baseball players.

Manager Kim Han-soo, who led this camp, explained, "While young players still have many areas to improve, their potential for growth is high. Therefore, the camp focused primarily on training that can develop fundamentals, such as throwing and catching drills, and lower-body utilization during defense and batting." He further emphasized, "Starting with the newly introduced middle school second-grade camp this year, we will strive to create a camp where many players can learn and grow through a continuous development program that connects to middle school third-grade and high school first-year levels."

Park Sung-jin, a catcher from Daejeon High School who attended this year's high school first-year camp, stated, "Training in a good environment with talented friends allowed me to learn and experience many things. In particular, I was able to learn the fundamentals of catcher catching and the hitting mechanism for driving in runs, which I feel has helped me grow even more personally."

Jung Woo-jin, a pitcher from Unbuk Middle School who attended the middle school second-grade camp, shared his thoughts: "The systematic training schedule and training and technical programs were very helpful. In particular, it was great to learn the importance and methods of mobility and flexibility training for effective pitching. I plan to continue training on what I learned at the camp even after returning to school."

In the second half, a nationwide camp for middle school second-graders will be held in Boeun in August. Regional camps for middle school third-graders are scheduled for September and October in Gijang and Hwaseong. The year's camp schedule will conclude with the high school first-year top players camp to be held in Boeun in November.

Meanwhile, the KBO plans to select 38 players who completed the 2025 high school first-year camp to participate in the opening game ahead of the Futures All-Star Game at the 2026 KBO All-Star Pride, scheduled for July 10. Through this, the KBO aims to provide a stage where the future stars of Korean baseball can showcase their skills and find motivation at KBO League venues.

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*This content was translated by AI.