The elementary volleyball teams kicked off the season at Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS) for the South Korea Association of International Schools (SKAIS) divisionals on Sept. 30. Players and coaches shared spirited play, teamwork, and moments that turned into lasting memories.
The girls’ A team dominated the field with two 6-0 wins against Busan Foreign School (BFS) and one win (3:1) and one loss (2:0) against the International School of Busan (ISB). At the same time, the younger girls’ B and C teams logged a mix of wins and losses.
Among the girls’ team victories, a memorable moment came when fifth grader A team goalie Jenny Lee stepped onto the field as a forward for the first time. Jenny Lee said, “I was almost falling asleep in the goal because our team was so good. Then, when I got to play forward, I danced around and scored two goals in just a few minutes! Everyone was cheering ‘Woo hoo! Yay!’ and I felt so happy”
Girls’ coach Ms. Dennard recalled Jenny Lee’s ten-minute debut as a forward. “She’d been asking all day, and to be fair, she was kind of bored in goal for most of the tournament. Minori was like, ‘Guys, I think we should put her in,’ so we came up with a plan to have Violet in fourth grade quickly change with her and subbed Jenny in,” Ms. Dennard said.
Meanwhile, the boys’ A team maintained an impressive record throughout the day, with three wins and one tie against ISB. The boys’ B and C teams faced several close losses but finished on a high note with a solid win (4:0) against ISB.
Beyond the scores, the boys shared laughter through playful moments on the field. Boys’ A team captain fifth grader Louis Lee recalled the moment when a young third grade goalie changed into an oversized jersey to play as a forward. “Mr. Purdy said that he should try to score some points so he got a fifth grader’s clothes and when he wore it, it was so big. That was really funny,” Louis Lee said.
In addition, players gained experience by rotating through a variety of positions. “I usually play as a striker, but I played defense and we had really cool passing sequences. I passed to Joshua and Joshua passed to Jun and then Jun passed to Joshua. And then Joshua passed to Jun again and then to me. And we had a lot of fun with that,” Louis Lee said.
Boys’ student coach senior Robert Cho shared that watching rookie athletes step up their game marked one of the most rewarding moments of the day. “One of our youngest players scored his first goal. Watching him go from a beginner to confidently playing and scoring was amazing. That moment was really rewarding as a coach,” Cho said.
With a creative lineup and strong teamwork, the elementary soccer teams transformed determination into standout performances. Players and coaches now set their sights on the finals at ISB on Nov. 15, eager to bring the same energy and surprise to the field.
