Elementary school students enjoyed a day of fierce competition in Busan at the first SKAC divisional tournament of the year on September 23rd. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams fought hard throughout the day and came home with unexpected results. 

The boys sported three teams, two A teams and one B team. The 4th grade boys won all of their matches and ended in first, outplaying the 5th grade boys’ A team, which came in third. The third-grade boys debuted successfully at their first SKAC tournament in the B division and also ended the day in third place. “My favorite part of the day was going to the finals. I think we did a great job,” said Aiden Hong in fourth grade.

Mr. Purdy, the elementary boys’ coach, said, “I just thought it was a lot of fun and a very successful day. The students all played great. They bonded more with each other, and they made more friends down at the tournament. There are a few tears of happiness and sadness, but [it was] overall a very successful day. I’m happy with how the students all performed.” 

Although the girls performed exceptionally well and placed third, they faced an uphill battle. Their head coach, Mrs. Jolly, was unable to attend the tournament due to a schedule conflict. Student coaches Maddox Jolly in ninth grade and Minori Kojima in 10th grade, along with substitute coach Mr. Jolly, lead the girls. 

Jets girls went head-to-head against stiff competition. Other SKAC schools set a high bar.  “They were really fast. The team was really fast, so it was really hard to get the ball from them,” said the fourth-grade forward Irene Lee.

The tough play took a physical toll. “I injured my ankle. I slipped, and then I got scratched on an opponent’s foot and the soccer shoes,” Lee said. 

Players took hit after hit on the turf. “I got an injury from my tournament, which is on my shin, on my right leg. I got an injury while dealing with a girl who kicked me and at my ankle, and I wasn’t able to walk a lot,” fifth-grade defender Kyla Ahn said.

Team members also learned strategies for penalty kicks. “The first game was with BFS and I scored one goal. It was a penalty kick. I kicked with my left foot because the goalie was really good at blocking my right shot. We got a penalty kick because the other team got a handball,” said the fifth-grade forward Tracy Kim. 

The young players improved throughout the day and showed great team synergy. “I’m really thankful and grateful for my teammates who tried their best to either score or not to [let the other team] score in our goal,” Ahn said. 

“The other teams are really strong, and they are really good, but I think we can beat them. I’m expecting to be better when the next SKAC tournament comes,” said Miles Long from the fifth-grade boys’ team. The squads will travel to Handong on October 24th to wrap up the season.

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Christine Park

The lady Jets celebrate their performance and hard work for the day.