The elementary basketball teams welcomed their competitors for the SKAIS finals on May 20. Under the sun, players took shots at the goal to refine their accuracy for their matches. The girls reflected on their previous performance at the divisionals, where they failed to secure a single win, and ultimately claimed the trophy. Riding the momentum of undefeated divisionals, the boys entered the tournament aiming to extend their streak, and finished at the top of the podium.
The A team dove into their first game against the International School of Busan (ISB), and kicked the tournament off with a clean victory of 20 to 14. “Going into the day, I felt pretty good. We didn’t have the best results at the divisionals, but I felt pretty confident. And after we secured our first win, I felt pretty optimistic about the day,” said Ms. Loutsch, girls’ basketball coach.
The optimism turned into reality as they ultimately ended the day undefeated. They secured two wins against Busan Foreign School, once in the round-robin and again in the finals, both by a margin of five points.
Players celebrated their victories with pride, highlighting their growth. “I think it went really well because we improved a lot. I was proud that I made passes to help my teammates score, and I also scored after getting good passes from them. I think our teamwork really improved,” said fifth grade A team guard Evelyn Cho.
Ms. Loutsch credited her student coach, junior Minori Kojima for a large part of this turnaround. “Minori and I spent a lot of time thinking about the placement of different players, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. We also started to work on more advanced skills with the older girls like screening because in the tournament, the girls often got stuck and picked up the ball,” Loutsch said.
The girls’ B and C team also impressed, with the B team securing two wins against ISB 2 and DIS 3 and two losses against ISB 3 and BFS 2. In addition, while the C team showcased growth throughout the season, they ultimately ended the season with four losses.
The A team boys also ended the season on a high note. They ignited the tourney with an exceptional game, taking a lead over BFS, 40 to 6, and continued their winning streak throughout the day with scores rarely dipping below 40.
Even in their closest game against ISB in the afternoon, they claimed victory with a 13-point lead. Although the boys B team faced three consecutive losses, the C team claimed three victories.
Like the girls’ team, the boys’ success reflected both the deliberate coaching decisions and the team’s disciplined execution.“I think my fantastic coach, Mr. Park, made us do a lot of drills like backboard layups which helped us a lot. He always said that practice makes perfect. I think that’s how we make a lot of layups and shots.” said fifth grader Arthur Silva, A team point guard.
Although the day was filled with memorable plays, one moment in particular sparked a wave of cheers from the crowd. “I did a between-the-legs layup in the finals. Before the game, Ethan challenged me to do it. And then when I stole the ball on a fast break, I was open, so I tried, and scored. I felt good. It was tough, but really good,” said Silva.
Together, the DIS elementary basketball teams held their trophies high, their undefeated runs a testament to a successful season. “I think as a coach you see those great plays made, those passes, the rebounding—everything. It just makes you proud because they applied what you taught them, and you’re watching them do it together as a team and be successful,” said Coach Ms. Loutsch.
Looking ahead to the team’s future, Coach Ms. Loutsch shared a final message with her junior players: “I’m really proud. Remember it’s about progress, it’s about growth, and about the love of the game.”
