GSIS 2017 Yearbook: #BeYou Volume 11 | Page 131

Top Row : Coach Bertken , Grace Lee , Janet Ahn , Siwon Lee , Teri Park , Sally Kim , Coach Coleman , Coach Chan ; Bottom Row : Olena Vasyltsova , Jennifer Kim , Jackie Kim , Cindy Kang , Alex Yoo

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Ending the season with immense growth and success , the varsity girls basketball team was ready to take on bigger challenges by participating in the Asia Christian Schools Conference ( ACSC tournament ) held in Taiwan . They went in the competition with a mindset to both fight their hardest but also to learn .

This season , the girls faced the obstacle of having few players . Having a smaller team meant a harder time competing against opponents who had more students to sub and fill for their tired athletes .

Most opposing teams had ten or more subs and were able to sub out the whole team at a time , which left the girls at a huge disadvantage . Olena Vasyltsova mentioned how it had a “ big impact ” on the team especially after several injuries . However , they were able to “ pull through ” the games by pushing forward and being flexible .

The tough competition and the obstacle of a having a small team didn ’ t stop the girls from playing hard . Losing by only six points with only three minutes left in the game against Dalat International School , of Malaysia , the girls were able to push through and grab a victory . The game winning play involved Jackie Kim stealing the ball and passing it to Cindy who got fouled and won the game with her free throws .

Coach Bertken explained to the team about having a “ heart ” for the sport and working to get the results the girls desired . This unexpected , but hard fought win was evidence that basketball is not always about skill , but perseverance and willingness to play the game .

Siwon Lee expressed the important lesson she learned , “ At the beginning of the season , Mr . Bertken asked us ‘ What kind of story do you want to tell at the end of the season ?’ During the whole season , I was wondering about this question and I couldn ' t find an answer . However , I found the answer during the trip [ to ACSC ], it was ‘ the heart of wanting ’. I learned that the result doesn ' t matter , but rather how big your heart is .”

Mr . Coleman , assistant coach , said , “ I want the girls to learn that skill only goes so far for an athlete . Having heart and the will to win can push a team really far . The lessons we learn on the court should stay as a part of our lives as we continue to run into troubles that seem bigger than us .”

1 . Alex Yoo practices her shots before the APIS game . The players warmed up before the game by shooting , passing , and dribbling . 2 . Teri Park boxes out the ball to block a TCIS player from receiving the ball , preventing a rebound for the opposing team . As she blocked her opponents , her teammates were able to make fluent passes , with less distraction from the opposing defense . 3 . Jennifer Kim crouches down to grasp the ball and steal it from the opposing player . Throughout the game , the players focused to keep possession of the ball in order to have more chances to score . 4 . Siwon Lee runs through a celebratory line to enter on to the court . For the game played against APIS , the crowd came together by doing school chants along with the cheerleaders which encouraged players to keep pushing until the final victory . 5 . During a time out , the team gathers in a circle to regain their energy and listen to feedback . Coach Bertken called a timeout to rearrange the team and discuss their strategies . 6 . Olena Vasyltsova dribbles through a KIS player who attempts to defend her basket . The team ’ s 21-19 victory against KIS stimulated the team with the prospect of a successful season .