One ball and one party. There are boys who feel happy with each ball. Boys grow up healthy and properly by throwing, hitting, and running the ball in a large playground. The main characters are youth baseball players belonging to the Korea Youth Baseball Federation (Chairman Lee Sang-geun). The Korea Youth Baseball Federation, which aims for 'studying baseball, happy baseball, and enjoying baseball,' opened in 2011 and has become a cradle for nurturing Korean baseball prospects. It is contributing greatly to expanding the base of Korean baseball by producing several professional players, including left-handed pitcher Choi Seung-yong, who plays for the Doosan Bears. We have honest conversations with the people who lead the Korea Youth Baseball Federation, which serves as a good example for not only Korean baseball but also sports as a whole.
The fourth main character in the Ilgu Group interview is Lee Hong-gu (34), the coach of the Songpa-gu Mineball youth baseball team, who is more familiar to people after appearing on the JTBC entertainment program 'Best Baseball'. He played as a catcher during his days as a player, and fell in love with the charm of baseball with his young friends while taking charge of the Songpa-gu Mine Ball youth baseball team. He spends time with dream trees growing like buds and smiles brightly as he plays baseball. At the same time, he clenches his fists, saying that he will grow the Songpa-gu Mine Ball youth baseball team, which has begun to emerge as an 'emerging powerhouse', into a powerful team.
Coach Lee Hong-gu joined the KIA Tigers in 2013 after attending Konkuk University Middle School, Jangchung High School, and Dankook University. Afterwards, he played as a catcher for SK Wyverns and KT Wiz. He retired from his active role at the end of the 2021 season, and took over as Songpa-gu Mine Ball coach in 2022. “At first, (youth baseball) was a bit unfamiliar to me,” he said. “I felt a lot while interacting with and growing with youth baseball players. The more I learned about it, the more I realized that the youth baseball stage is a place full of charm.”
It may have been regrettable that he retired from active duty at a somewhat early age, in his early 30s. Coach Lee confessed, “Honestly, I wanted to play more as an active player,” and “But looking at it objectively, I thought I wouldn’t be able to help the club. So I decided to take on a new challenge.” He continued, "After serving as coach of Songpa-gu Mineball, I became coach in 2023. Above all, it is good for young players to be able to participate in many games." He continued, "As young players play, they grow up to be great players. Playing in many competitions and games is the best part of Korean Youth. “I think it is a strength of the baseball league system,” he said.
As coach Lee said, the Korea Youth Baseball Federation operates several leagues by age group. Cholong League (1st grade of elementary school and below), Sprout League (3rd grade and below), Dream Tree League (4th and 5th grade of elementary school), Youth League (6th grade of elementary school to 1st grade of middle school), Junior League (2nd grade of middle school to 3rd grade of high school) ) is subdivided into Additionally, each league is divided into Blue Dragon, White Tiger, and Hyunmoo depending on the level of players. We provide an environment where all players can participate in competitions and play games.
Players grow while playing!
Coach Lee repeatedly emphasized that the Korean Youth Baseball Federation's club system greatly helps young players grow. “All players can participate in the game according to their age. In particular, even young players can participate in the game and enjoy baseball,” he said. “There is more to be gained from playing the game than you think. Stick to basic training from a young age and play in the game.” “If you have various experiences, you will grow naturally. That’s why game experience is so important,” he said.
I asked about the baseball color I pursue as a leader. “Fun baseball,” came the immediate reply. He said, “I don’t think we should place too much emphasis on technical skills for young players. This is because players who do not yet have the basic skills may lose interest in baseball. Most of my friends started playing baseball because it was fun.” “My biggest mission is to help people enjoy baseball and have fun. I always tell players to have fun and not be overly obsessed with winning or losing in games,” he explained.
The ‘fun baseball’ that Coach Lee emphasizes is in line with improving children’s confidence. Due to the nature of youth baseball, some students become professional players, but there are also many students who enjoy baseball as a hobby. “Actually, when I was playing baseball, I had no idea about the club system that the Korea Youth Baseball Federation currently has. I think I always played baseball under tension,” he said. “It’s different now. Baseball is a sport that young people can enjoy in a healthy way.” “If you build your confidence while enjoying baseball in a healthy way, you can be positive when doing other things. That is the advantage and charm of the youth baseball environment,” he emphasized.
An emerging powerhouse with a brighter future
The Songpa-gu Mineball youth baseball team, founded in 2019, currently consists of about 40 players. Compared to other teams in the Korea Youth Federation, their history is relatively short. However, their spirit is second to none on any team. In particular, they are showing good performance in the Sprout League and Dream League, where young players play a key role. Coach Lee said, “Currently, the Songpa-gu Mineball youth baseball team focuses more on the Sprout League and the Dream League,” and added, “The very young players are growing little by little and playing well.” He added, "Our team provides a good environment where all, even the youngest players, can train properly. I am always grateful to the team members Kang Kwon-sik and others for their help in both material and spiritual ways."
CEO Kang Kwon-sik, mentioned by Director Lee, is a strong supporter and attracts attention. Representative Kang is a former baseball player who played baseball until college. He is famous as ‘Mister Long Legs’ who supports young players behind the scenes. He is making a great contribution to the development of youth baseball by consistently collaborating with the Korea Youth Baseball Federation to develop the Songpa-gu Mine Ball youth baseball team and sponsoring baseball prospects with difficult family circumstances. He lowered his posture, saying, "I'm not doing anything. I'm just grateful to coach Lee Hong-gu for leading the young players so well."
The Songpa-gu Mine Ball youth baseball team, where the coach and CEO work together well by pushing and pulling each other, is an emerging powerhouse with a brighter future. Coach Lee said, “There are a lot of young players, so we try to develop them slowly and over a long period of time.” He continued, “Currently, out of the 40 students, there are about 25 in the player class and 15 in the hobby class. I am happy that all the players are able to train hard in a good environment, participate in competitions, and play in games.” He added, “The kids join the team, train, and play baseball.” “I feel proud because I can feel that they like it more. I’m also happy because I feel like I’m growing while playing baseball with the kids,” he said with a smile.
Songpa-gu Mine Ball as the ‘strongest’
Coach Lee drew a line at the evaluation of the player as an ‘emerging powerhouse’ by saying, “Not yet.” At the same time, he said, “I have no experience winning yet, but I am not in a hurry.” He was asked about the most memorable moment after taking charge of the Songpa-gu Mine Ball youth baseball team. He said, "The most memorable thing is that the White Tigers of the Dream League Baekho took second place in the Yanggu Tournament last year. We should have won at that time." He added, "This year, we will participate in the tournament with a similar mindset. Rather than winning, our goal is to reach the semifinals or higher in each tournament. “I want to show that the Songpa-gu Mineball youth baseball team is a team of formidable power,” he emphasized.
As young children form the core of the team, I have no intention of achieving anything in a hurry. Coach Lee's plan is to grow the Songpa-gu Mine Ball youth baseball team into the 'strongest' team by growing little by little with children who truly love baseball. “As I keep saying, the most important thing for young players is confidence. The beginning of that confidence can come from enjoying baseball,” he said. “As a youth baseball coach, I am also moving forward little by little. I am working with the children, playing games, winning, losing, and many other things.” “There are so many things I feel through the experience. I will work really hard until I lead Songpa-gu Mineball to the ‘strongest’ level,” he pledged.
Lastly, Coach Lee expressed his gratitude to everyone who has generously supported the Songpa-gu Mineball youth baseball team. First, he said, "I would like to thank Kang Kwon-sik, the representative of the Songpa-gu Mineball youth baseball team, once again." He added, "CEO Kang trusts me and completely entrusts me with the management of the team, and provides strong support from the rear. I am working hard to live up to your expectations." said. In addition, he said, "I am always grateful to all the players and parents of the Songpa-gu Mineball Youth Baseball Team. I am also grateful to the executives and staff of the Korea Youth Baseball Team who hold great competitions all year long."
