Coach Im is back with Samsung Life. After taking a leave of absence from the team last season to give birth and raise her children, Im joined the team at the start of the off-season schedule. Naturally, she also joined the team for Samsung Life’s training camp in Taebaek, which began on the 12th and ends on the 22nd of this month.
“The coach and the club have been very considerate during my pregnancy and childbirth. I don’t think it’s easy to do this, but I’m really grateful. I came back after a year, and people around me said that it was like I was always there. I feel like I’ve been around for a while, but it’s refreshing to be away from the field,” she said of her return to the team.
Being a ‘mom’ has changed the way I look at the world a bit. She says she feels differently when she comes across socially depressing or bad news than before. She also feels differently about the players.
“I feel a little differently when I see younger players on the team,” he said. (Jo) Sua’s mom is the same age as me, so it’s a different feeling. I’ve only been a mom for a year, and it’s really hard. I feel like all the moms in the world are really amazing.”
Despite raising a child, she didn’t miss a game last season.
“I took a break from watching Kiana Smith, and I saw her play, and she was doing well, and the team was doing well early on. I was very disappointed with the injuries. I was at the stadium during the playoffs, and I hugged (Bae) Hye-yoon, and I cried because I could tell she was struggling a lot. If I had been there, I would have listened to her struggles and comforted her, but I also felt sorry that I couldn’t do that.”
Samsung Life, which entered a full-scale rebuild after winning the championship in 2020-21, quickly regained its strength after the trade and by selecting Kiana Smith with the first pick in the rookie draft. Barring injuries, the team is competitive at the top of the league, capable of holding off Woori Bank and KB Stars.
However, their ups and downs are a concern. When they are in good form, they are fierce against any team, but they often make mistakes or make unexpected appearances in games that are relatively easy to clean up.
Samsung Life coach Lim Geun-bae said, “In fact, there are few players on the team who can be called ‘veterans’ except for Bae Hye-yoon. We need to grow in terms of experience.”
Coach Im was a guard who represented the WKBL during her career and was recognized as a ‘legend’. Although she had many strengths, her steady and stable play came to mind first, rather than her destructive power. How does Coach Im see the ups and downs of Samsung Life’s performance?
“It’s just like the coach said. No team can be good all the time, and that’s the same for us. But I think it’s true that the team gets stronger with experience. Except for Hye-yoon, most of our players are not very experienced yet. I think we’ll be stronger when we have 2-3 years of experience. It’s a building process. In times like this, when there is a crisis, the players need to stick to the basics.”
Samsung Life has one of the deepest rosters in the WKBL. In particular, there are many guard prospects who are responsible for the front line. Coach Im made the same point about the team’s guard prospects.
“They have different colors. But they also need more experience. Experience is really important for guards. Even if you’re a natural guard, there are things you don’t see when you don’t have experience. And even players who don’t have a natural feel for it can improve to a certain extent with experience and hard work,” he said, emphasizing the need for experience.
“I played differently when I was younger and more experienced. I used to play basketball based on athleticism, but when I injured my knee several times and thought about retiring, I played a different game. The urgency was different and the perspective was different as I gained experience.”
Coach Lim expressed his hope that with Im’s return, he will be able to communicate more with the players and pass on his know-how.메이저놀이터
“The coach emphasizes the individual’s one-on-one ability, so I’m still doing a lot of one-on-ones. My goals as a coach are obviously the same as the direction and goals of the team. Personally, I would like to see the younger players like (Cho) Soo-ah, (Shin) Yi-seul, and (Kim) Na-yeon step up their game. I’m training and helping them to be more confident and a little bit more efficient. Practice is the most important thing. If you want to make anything your own, you can’t do it without practicing. Of course, it’s not just practice. You also need experience. But I want them to be a little more confident and prepared.”