The new head coach of the OK Financial Group Volleyball Team, Massa Ogino, the first foreigner in the program’s history, has expressed his ambitions.
At the inaugural press conference held at the Korea Volleyball Organization (KOVO) in Sangam-dong, Seoul on the 7th, Coach Ogino said, “OK Financial Group is a really good team. I also thought they were a good team in Japan. I came here to make a better team by pouring my experience as a player and coach into the team, which is a little lacking in OK Financial Group,” he said.
OK Financial Group announced the appointment of Ogino, 53, as the new head coach on March 29. Ogino is the third head coach in the club’s history and the first foreigner, following Kim Se-jin and Seok Jin-wook.
At the time of his appointment, OK Financial Group explained, “As we celebrated our 10th anniversary, we reviewed the selection of a foreign head coach from various aspects, with the meaning of returning to our roots and challenging ourselves again, and judged that Coach Ogino, who has a high understanding of Korean volleyball and is strong in basic volleyball, is the right person.”
Ogino has a strong understanding of the Korean style of play and performance, having played for the Japanese national team during the rivalry between Korean and Japanese men’s volleyball. Ogino also has a long-standing connection to Korean volleyball, as he continues to interact with the Korean national team players he played against during his playing days.
OK Financial Group plans to return to its roots with Ogino, a longtime member of the Sunbirds, a team that is considered one of the best in the world for its fundamental play. The following is a one-on-one interview with Coach Ogino.
- How are you connected to Korean volleyball?
I saw many familiar faces at the KOVO workshop. I’m happy to be able to work with these people. When I was with the Japanese national team, there were many close matches with the Korean national team. Even though I was a Japanese player, I had a lot of respect for the Korean team and the mindset of the Korean players at the time.
- Given your career as a coach, this is a big challenge for you. What made you decide to take the job?
OK Financial Group is a really good team. I also thought they were a good team in Japan. I want to make a better team by pouring my experience as a player 먹튀검증 and a coach into the team, which is a bit lacking in OK Financial Group.
- You are the club’s first foreign manager. Fans may be curious about your leadership style. How would you describe your leadership?
I don’t really have a leadership style, but I emphasize communication in practice. The players are the main characters, and I think it’s the coach’s role to advise them when they have difficulties. As I said earlier, we have players with a lot of potential for growth at OK Financial Group. I hope to be a coach who can prepare them well for the game and advise them when something doesn’t go well.
- What are your goals for this season?
Of course, we should aim high. I want to win the championship, but I’m going to take it one step at a time. Right now, I’m thinking about the playoffs. But I don’t think the desire to win is small at all. We missed the playoffs by a small margin last season, so there’s that feeling within the squad. The desire to get there is very strong. We’re going in as challengers.
- On your volleyball philosophy and team colors.
I think volleyball is a team sport and you can never do it alone. We need each other’s help and sometimes we need to sacrifice, so my philosophy is to approach practice and matches with a sense of gratitude.
In terms of team colors, I’m thinking a lot about strengthening our defense. I’m trying to create a team color that doesn’t give up until the end, that doesn’t give up in any situation, win or lose.
