South Island School student is the king of diamonds in Hong Kong youth baseball
Kim Yoon-sung started playing baseball when he was 10, and he has quickly become a triple threat on the diamond: hitting, infield, and now pitching
Kim Yoon-sung has his sights set on playing college baseball in the sport's country of birth.In the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, things are tense in baseball. But Kim Yoon-sung doesn't mind the pressure. In fact, it's his favourite thing about the sport.
"It's the difficulty," he says. "Professionals only hit the ball well three times out of 10, and they get paid millions of dollars."
Not that the 16-year-old South Island School student is in it for the money, of course.
Yoon-sung started playing baseball six years ago when he joined the Korean Angels, one of the Hong Kong Little League Teams. He soon found his stride as a batter and first baseman.
"In 2012, I played in the Asia Pacific Regionals Tournament, representing Hong Kong," he recalls. "In the tournament, I hit four home runs in six games, including in the championship game against Taipei."
But while he found success in the batter's box, it was harder for Yoon-sung to find his footing when coaches re-assigned him as pitcher.
"Last year I was a very bad pitcher," he says. "I couldn't even breathe - metaphorically - on the mound. It was very difficult for me to find the strike zone and control my power."
But with a strong will and lots of practice, Yoon-sung feels more confident in his pitching. "This year, I made quite a few good starts in scrimmages and practices."
As he sets his sights on playing college baseball in the United States - the home country of the sport - he feels confident his skills will continue to grow.
"It feels strange," he says, "because I changed so much in a year."
Bench Notes
What song/movie title best describes you when you're playing your sport?
Never Enough by Eminem, 50 Cent, and Nate Dogg
You can have any superpower you choose for 24 hours. What do you choose and how do you use this power?
Telepathy. When I'm in the batter's box, I would read the pitcher's mind to figure out what he is going to pitch. It would allow me to time my swing perfectly and get a good hit.
If you could have an unlimited supply of anything, what would it be and why?
Energy. I just don't want to get tired when I do something - and I don't want my batteries to run out, either!