“They don’t take injuries into account and treat practice like a game”
Shinhan Bank coach Lee Si-joon was with Bucheon Hana OneQ from the 2019-2020 season to the 2022-2023 season. He parted ways with Hana OneQ after the end of last season and joined Shinhan Bank in Incheon for the off-season.
Looking back, the coach says, “I went to Japan after the season, just to take a break. But Shinhan Bank took a good look at me and contacted me. When they first contacted me, I was grateful, but I turned them down because it seemed like I would be joining another team right after leaving Hana WonQ. However, HanaWonQ’s director and secretary-general were supportive and encouraging, which gave me the courage to make a new start,” he said, expressing his gratitude to HanaWonQ.
Shinhan Bank has been a fast-growing team under Gunadan. Last season, they defied expectations of a lowly finish and made it to the playoffs in fourth place. Although they lost to Asan Woori Bank in the playoffs, they showed plenty of promise.
“When I saw Shinhan Bank from the outside, they looked really energetic. When they came in, they were really energetic. But off the court, they’re really nice. (Laughs) I can see why they have so much energy when they train. She trains like she’s playing. We don’t worry about injuries. So the players adapt to the movements and don’t seem to get injured,” he said of Shinhan Bank.
When asked about Coach Koo and Coach Lee, Lee said, “Coach Koo Nathan and Coach Lee are very delicate. They are stern on the court and sweet off the court, and they don’t let the players think about anything else during training, but they are very attentive. I was impressed by that. I am also in the process of learning that kind of leadership.”메이저놀이터
So why did Shinhan Bank choose to hire Lee? A representative from Shinhan Bank said, “Coach Koo and Coach Lee did a great job before. However, we felt that we were not enough, so we decided to hire one more person. We actually had three criteria. Firstly, we wanted a female coach, secondly, we wanted a coach who was good at nurturing, and finally, we wanted a coach with a lot of experience. It was difficult to find someone who met the first criterion, but then Coach Lee Si-jun left Hana OneQ and I contacted him right away,” explains Lee, explaining why they wanted him.
“My role in the team is to nurture. Shinhan Bank has a lot of young players, and I need to help them improve their skills faster. At the same time, I need to act as a bridge between the players and the coach,” he said.