"In the end, the better players get to play." Coach Park Cheol-woo dispelled that prejudice; the training player setter was the first to respond.

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Cheol-woo (41), head coach of Woori Card WON, found the most interesting aspect of the recently concluded 2026 Korean Industrial Volleyball Federation & Pro Volleyball Futures Championship in Danyang to be Park Sang-woo (23), who competed as a training player.

Park Sang-woo joined Woori Card as a training player in the 2025–2026 V-League after graduating from Munil High School and Hanyang University, making his first competitive appearance in this tournament. Given that professional volleyball lacks a second division league, the event's purpose of providing opportunities to players who had not been able to play matches was perfectly aligned.

Coach Park Cheol-woo, who met with StarNews at Songlim Gymnasium in Incheon recently, said, "Most players from all teams who participated in this tournament had neither opportunities nor experience. Therefore, there was no room for excuses. If you couldn't do it, you couldn't; if you did well, you did well. Everyone was in the same situation."

Amidst such strict standards, Park Sang-woo stood out. Coach Park stated, "In our team, the player who performed the best was actually Park Sang-woo, who had limited match experience. When he entered the court, he truly fulfilled his role as a setter and showed great fighting spirit. There was no excuse of lacking experience. Of course, there were areas for improvement, but he was really better than expected. He made me look at him again."

During this tournament, Coach Park did not direct from the sidelines but observed the players' movements from the stands. Woori Card finished with one win and three losses, including two shutout defeats. However, Coach Park placed greater significance on confirming the potential and limits of each individual player rather than the results.

Coach Park candidly shared his feelings: "I naturally thought it would be difficult. Still, I wanted to see how the players would overcome such difficulties, but that aspect did not emerge much, which was disappointing. While there were players who had a few good technical moments, those moments were not sustained."

He continued, "I was able to confirm quite a bit. I saw everything regarding which players to deploy during the season and how much further each player could develop. However, it was disappointing that players I thought had potential did not meet expectations."

This year, Woori Card's role as a primary scorer, Ali Hagparast (22), departed after the previous two seasons, making the performance of domestic outside hitters crucial. Equally important are the setters who can bring them to life.

Coach Park explained, "I wanted to observe how the setters managed the game. I wanted to see how they would handle situations, such as targeting the opponent's lower-height side or aiming for open spaces on the opposite side. I deliberately said nothing, but they tried too hard, resulting in poor outcomes, which was disappointing."

Through this process, Park Sang-woo's play stood out. Coach Park said, "When Park Sang-woo entered, it was somewhat different. He executed quick attacks at the right moments and used quick attacks to enable front-and-back attacks, showing better game management. It felt like a sudden breakthrough to anyone watching. Seeing that, I felt a sense of expectation that he could improve further."

Park Sang-woo's surprising performance aligns with the principles Coach Park emphasized when he took over as the official head coach in April after serving as interim coach. At that time, Coach Park announced an environment of unlimited competition by stating, "I will evaluate all players without prejudice."

Coach Park conveyed, "My statement about evaluating without prejudice ultimately meant that players who are currently performing well, regardless of age or experience, would get more playing time. For players who have been playing regularly, there are standards for both good and poor performance. However, players who had not played many matches had no opportunity to be seen. In this tournament, I observed what kind of performance and mindset these players displayed on the court."

He then added with a smile, "Park Sang-woo's performance likely served as a stimulus to the existing players in that regard. My words about giving opportunities without prejudice gain strength. For now, they may be overshadowed by the existing players, but they must go forward. If they can develop their own unique style, it will not be a bad thing."

The young head coach established these principles based on his own experiences as a player. Coach Park is a legend who played 564 matches in the V-League over 20 years, scoring 6,623 points. Although he spent more time as a starter than a backup, he was always a player who sought to break frames.

Coach Park recalled, "Among people within the country, it is inevitable that we know where a player is from or who they learned from. However, there were many situations where judgments were made based on factors other than skill. I experienced and disliked such things during my playing career. I believed that viewing players through specific frames was too harmful."

Therefore, he repeatedly emphasized the meaning of opportunity to the players. Coach Park stated, "Even after returning from the Danyang tournament, I emphasized to the players that 'we are always giving you opportunities.' Being part of our team means receiving opportunities. Training is itself an opportunity, and if you show good performance in training, you will naturally be deployed in matches. If you perform well in matches, you will continue to play. Every moment is an opportunity."

Of course, it cannot be said that Park Sang-woo has immediately shaken up the competition for the starting setter position. Woori Card has national team setter Han Tae-jun (22) and captain Lee Seung-won (33). However, Coach Park also expects other setters, including Lee Yu-bin (24) and Park Sang-woo, to play a role in changing the atmosphere.

Overall, Han Tae-jun, who has good balance, faces the challenge of developing game management skills that bring out the characteristics of the attackers. At times, his vision narrows when under pressure. Of course, experience will resolve this issue.

When Han Tae-jun falters, Lee Seung-won is the player who can provide support. Lee Seung-won is a setter skilled at utilizing the left-right pair and enhancing the main attacker's play. For Lee Yu-bin and Park Sang-woo, there is an expectation that they will play a role in turning the tide.

Coach Park stated his conviction: "I hope that skill improvement is achieved through pure competition by excluding non-skill-related factors as much as possible. Ultimately, it is about competition. The better players get to play. That is our team's biggest motto, and I believe it is the path to improving the team's overall strength."

What Park Sang-woo proved was precisely that one thing. It is not about reputation; it is about current performance. The first principle of Coach Park Cheol-woo's team was revealed first by the fingertips of the training player setter in Danyang.

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*This content was translated by AI.