The new volleyball season commenced as 36 girls and 24 boys battled for a spot on the varsity teams. Recent SKAC championships and the success of the Japanese animation ‘Haikyuu’ fueled the popularity of the sport, encouraging more individuals to challenge themselves. Strangely, though, fewer students signed up for the squad this year compared to previous years — it seems that the stigma of failure, admission requirements, and rivalry among friends secretly played a role in this decrease in members.

For the past few years, countless numbers of students flooded the DIS sports squads. “Last year, we had 37 girls on the volleyball team. It’s too many people for one court all at the same time. Even though there were two coaches, I feel like there are such varying levels,” girls’ volleyball coach Mrs. Jolly said.

The idea of tryouts isn’t new, but its implementation this year is. Coach Balint said, “I think the idea was already around. But because the girls’ team last year was especially big, the Jets Flyover ran an article that pointed out that a lot of kids were joining sports teams just to put something on their resume or just because their friends were doing it.” 

The tryouts took place in the gym. For three days, student-athletes went all out to earn a place on the team. After the coaches assessed the aptitude of each participant, they decided whether a player made it or got cut. If too many students apply, future teams look to implement the same method to level up the DIS sports system.

However, the number of students who tried out for volleyball this year raises questions: fewer players than predicted showed up. Behind these absences exists an apparent problem: the fear of getting cut. Unlike last year, students can not represent DIS in tournaments if they underperformed in the auditions. 

“First of all, I am not really passionate about volleyball. Second, the tryout kind of repelled me from trying volleyball. I was kind of discouraged because I’m not really good at volleyball compared to other players. It kinda stopped me from doing the tryouts because I thought I was not going to make the team,” an anonymous student (who requested to keep their name concealed for privacy) said.

Although this new system intimidated some students, several individuals voiced positive expectations. Mrs. Jolly said, “I think that we are going to get more serious and more dedicated. That is what we need if we are actually going to be competitive in SKAC and KISAC (Korean International Schools Activities Conference), and maybe in the future we will join other leagues. Other ASAs are also selective, and if we want to make our sports program elite, we have to make cuts. I hate to tell kids that they can’t do something that they really like, but I think it’s going to make our team stronger.”  

At the end of the day, only 22 boys and 22 girls remained on the court. In regard to the results, sophomore Robert Cho said, “At first, I was really upset about it, but after some time, I realized that I just have to admit it and try again next year. I have other options. Volleyball isn’t my only option.” A star futsal player, Cho understands which sports he excels at and which he needs more practice on.

Members of the new squad hustle with a hunger to play. With the addition of renewed volleyball gear and an innovated gym, the DIS community can look forward to the 23-24 season and future matches with Daegu Middle High School.