This special volleyball camp was started with the idea of CEO Lee Hyo-dong, who runs the Astro High Volleyball Center. It wanted to introduce a camp culture that had already been activated overseas, and it was hoped that not only Astro High members but also elite teams would gain new experiences.
Accordingly, the program was planned for high school players, elite teams Bono Middle School and Yeongsaeng High School, and college students who enjoy volleyball as daily sports among volleyball center members for three days from July 31 to August 1 and 2.
Born in 1995, Tai Chi played for the Finnish and German leagues and played for two seasons for the Wulfdox Nagoya national team in the Japanese V-League from 2020. Since then, he has built his second career as a coach. He has also been coaching in the U.S. since last year. While learning about his camp in the U.S., he invited “Astro Hi” because he got in touch with Tai Chi.
After meeting Bono Middle School and Yeongsang High School players, Taichi conducted tossing, high ball, receiving, and dig training for about two hours, starting with a 2:2 mini game. He focused the players’ attention by guiding them in detailed postures and more.
His posture also made players’ eyes flash the most. Coach Taichi avoided stretching his hand forward during receiving training. He extended his hand from the outside of his body to place the ball on top of it.
“I realized something new because Coach Taichi taught me that there is a way to receive it on the side,” said Olivero Jeon Sung-joon, a third grader at Youngsaeng High School. “I think I felt a lot,” he said. “Next time, clubs are clubs, but I hope there will be more opportunities like this from the elite side. I think it will also help develop Korean volleyball.”
Lee Hyun-seung, the captain of Bono Middle School and outside heater, was also surprised to hear that he would join the camp for the first time. “At first, I was excited and surprised to hear that a Japanese coach would come. The receiving method was also new. I want to learn it again next time.”
“Because it’s an apogit position, I often don’t participate in receiving and focus only on offense,” said Cho Hoon-hoe, a second-year student at Youngsaeng High School. “I thought I should learn more and pay more attention to receiving,” Cho said. “As I learned receiving in a new way, I thought it was important to find my own style as coach Tai Chi said.”
In response, Tai Chi said, “I’m not saying it’s bad to receive from the front. Depending on the situation, it’s better to receive from the front. However, in my opinion, if you receive from the outside of your body, you can receive better reception. I felt it while playing as a player, and even when I saw a player that you are good at, not many people did it head-on. I receive it from the outside of my body even a little bit. Also, the higher the level, the higher the sub level. There is also speed that you can’t receive head-on. Since all the players here today are elite, I am aiming for the highest level. I also wanted to show them that there is such a way,” he said, encouragingly.
Tai Chi wants to be a leader who can give players many options and teach them how to expand those options. He said, “I think the influence of team teachers and coaches is very strong among students. I don’t want them to follow my instructions, but rather, I want them to know that there are many ways and choose the best one for me. Players from the U.S., Japan, and Korea all have different ideas. It helped me learn,” he said.
“Students in the U.S., Japan, and Korea have different responses. Korea and Japan tend to do exactly what they hear from their coaches. They tend to have less will or thoughts. On the other hand, American players or students who attend international schools in Korea also ask why it is good. They have their own thoughts,” he added.
CEO Lee Hyo-dong, who created a new chapter, also looked cheerful. “Not all changes can be achieved through two-hour lectures. However, I wanted to change my perception through new experiences. I also change my mind after seeing Tai Chi. What I teach cannot be the only answer. I will discuss how to teach again through a coaching meeting later on,” he said.
Elite teams are facing challenges as well. There are many difficulties due to restrictions such as guaranteeing students’ right to study. “School elite physical education is shrinking. Schools consider sports clubs as a hotbed for accidents,” said Jeong Woo-sun, the coach of Youngsaeng High School. There are also complaints from parents. As such, trust in sports clubs is lacking. The college entrance examination system is also grade-oriented. It is also necessary to improve the treatment of leaders. The difference is huge when comparing the cost of lessons taken by club teams.”
“We don’t have much time. I think Japan is not an elite concept. In Korea, you need to get good grades to be recognized,” said Lee Hyun-won, the coach of Bono Middle School. “Leaders can become livelihood leaders due to environmental restrictions.”
“Volleyball is pursued differently in different countries even though the rules are the same. After all, it is expandability. Through today’s camp, I think it will be an opportunity for children to have broader understanding of volleyball and thinking. It could be a source of curiosity and motivation,” Chung said, expressing satisfaction. “I saw the warm-up exercise first, and I also checked programs to get closer to the ball and training contents to induce agility and enhance judgment.”메이저놀이터
Hyun also suggested finding a customized model suitable for Korea through new opportunities. “There is no answer. Japanese and Italian volleyball are different. We need to learn how to train and develop Korean volleyball while interacting with different styles. Just as the K-pop culture was born, Korean volleyball can have its own culture,” he said.
All of them are aiming the same. It is not “frog in the well” but to take a leap forward through various experiences. It was a special day not only for Bono Middle School but also for everyone.