On the 30th of last month, Seongnam FC announced the reorganization of the youth team coaching staff. As U-18 head coach Koo Sang-beom left the team, Kim Geun-cheol took over the U-18 team, and Lee Sang-yong, who assisted Koo Sang-beom for 7 years and served as U-18 coach, took over as U-15 head coach. took office
Among them, coach Lee Sang-yong, who took over the baton after a long coaching career, has an unusual career. A native of Seongnam Youth Poongsaeng High School, he ended his career as a player in his early 30s and has been accompanying Seongnam for a long time as a leader. Although he had regrets about his career as a player, he returned to Seongnam with the desire to raise his juniors well. Including his high school days, the time he spent in Seongnam is already 11 years.
heard the leader story of Seongnam U-15 director Lee Sang-yong, who became the teacher of middle school baby magpies earlier this month. Seongnam Man in his 11th year, coach Lee Sang-yong.
Best Eleven (hereafter referred to as b11): Hello, Director. Congratulations. How do you feel about being a director?
“After 7 years of coaching in Seongnam, I became the U-15 coach. First of all, I would like to thank the club. After coming down to U-15 and teaching for a little over 20 days, there are new things, and from the perspective of the U-18 team, middle school children I was able to know better than anyone what I lack. It is my duty to minimize the gap between middle school and high school. It seems that I have been given the task with the intention of working hard, so I will work hard and do my best.”
b11: The professional team goes to field training, what is the vacation schedule for the youth players?
“All children’s schools are different. They are club teams, so they do not belong to the same middle school. There is no spring break these days, so some friends are in semester and some are on vacation. We are planning on-campus training from the 8th. To the U-18 coach I will need a lot of help, and I can help, so I’m going to a joint winter training with Beolgyo.”
b11: It hasn’t been long, but was there a moment when you realized the difference between a manager and a coach?
“To this day, to be honest, calling me ‘Director Lee’ is very awkward. I’ve always been used to saying ‘Senior Lee (Coach)’. I am well aware of the difficulties that coaches have on the field. I do not turn away just because I became a coach, but I want to move with the mind of a coach.” 온라인바카라
b11: After teaching high school players, I ended up coaching middle school students. What should leaders of this age group focus on?
“The most difficult part when I came down to middle school after watching only high school kids was scouting the freshmen of 2024. It is the most difficult to see the kids. Because I have no experience in elementary school. Still, the personal skills and technical parts of the upper students are under the professional umbrella. So I think the level has risen to some extent.”
“If you tell the players about tactics and strategic parts, especially what concept they should have in the game, when they play against a strong team or against a weak team, middle school children feel refreshed. I try to do it through PPT or animation through meetings rather than words. You have to go out with a laptop to the playground, call the children, show them the video, and conduct training. Because the children can see the whole picture at once, not just words, they say, ‘I have to study soccer’. I am teaching.”