Gallery • 4 Photos

Oliver Park

Sixth grade defender Aiden Hong pressures a GIFS player and reaches in to strip the ball away during a tense matchup. Lowering his stance, Hong quickly closes in and forces the opposing player into a difficult position.

The DIS middle school boys’ basketball teams traveled to Gyeongam International Foreign School (GIFS) for the South Korea Association of International Schools (SKAIS) tournament on May 21. Competing against Busan Foreign School(BFS), International School of Busan (ISB) and the combined GIFS and Atherton International School (AIS) team, the Jets entered the tourney determined to finish their season on a high note. 

The championship featured both varsity and junior varsity divisions, with DIS fielding two squads led by coach Kaschub and student coaches Chris Ryu, Ryan Chae and Joseph Yoon. They emphasized defensive techniques and refined a variety of offensive sets while competing against some of the strongest middle school teams in the conference. 

Varsity opened tournament play with a dominant 15-3 victory over BFS. After defeating BFS at KISAC, DIS earlier in the season, DIS entered the matchup with confidence, relying on aggressive defense and fast-paced transitions to take control of the game. “The first match was against BFS, and I think we felt less pressure because we beat them in Kisac,” eighth grader Lucas Shin said. “The game had a huge point difference because we did most of our plays.”

DIS carried its momentum into the second game against the GIFS/AIS team, securing a solid 27-10 victory. With high spirits and growing confidence, the Jets entered their toughest matchup of the tournament, an undefeated ISB squad. 

However, varsity struggled to maintain the same play rhythm against ISB and fell short 7-17 in a highly physical game that exposed their weaknesses in communication and execution. “I think we could have listened to our coach a bit more,” Shin said. “He always told us to box out more and run the offense, but we were too concentrated on the game itself that we forgot the plays.”

Despite the setback, the boys faced a rematch against ISB after advancing to the championship game. The finals quickly became one of the highlights of the tournament, as both teams battled through an intense defensive showdown. At halftime, the game remained deadlocked at 6-6.

While the DIS players matched ISB’s technical intensity possession after possession, the tie broke in the second half as the Bears began to pull away with consistent shooting accuracy. “The final against ISB was definitely the highlight of the event,” eighth grader Volt Paik said. “We were doing well in the first half, but the score difference got bigger. Though we lost, I think we tried to keep up with our scores.” DIS ultimately finished the tournament in second. 

Student coach Joseph Yoon reflected positively on the team’s overall performance and development throughout the day. “We didn’t improve drastically from the KISAC tournament, but it was a good chance to test out plays,” Yoon said. “As Mr. Kaschub always says, ‘it was a good opportunity to make leaps and bounds.’” 

Meanwhile, the junior varsity crew quietly put together an impressive performance despite injuries and missing players, consistently winning games by large margins. With victories over ISB (12-4), AIS (18-13) and BFS (18-4), the JV squad showcased energetic ball movement, relentless defensive pressure and strong teamwork throughout the day. Their dominant performances earned them a perfect record and secured first place.

Coach Kaschub praised both teams for their efforts and improvement during the tournament. “At the end of the game, the boys team did a very good job playing with effort,” Coach Kaschub said. “Despite being inconsistent with those aspects of the game in the beginning, the team showed great passion and defense towards the end of the game, especially boxing out and man-to-man defense.”

Beyond the wins and losses, the championship provided players with an opportunity to demonstrate sportsmanship under pressure. “Through going through two major tournaments, the players started to learn how to be patient and calm during the game,” student coach Ryan Chae said. “Instead of rushing to the referee, the students started to cheer on each other and make sure no one gave up.”

The season also strengthened relationships between players and coaches throughout the program. “Joseph Yoon, Chris Ryu, and Ryan Chae did a very good job as student coaches,” Coach Kaschub said. “They really built relationships with all the sixth-grade players, and it proved to be beneficial to the team.”

The SKAIS tournament underscored the continued growth of the DIS middle school boys. Although varsity fell short of the championship title, both teams concluded the season with stronger chemistry, greater experience and momentum. Both teams now set their sights on reaching even greater heights next year.