Racket Boys
Racket Boys (Korean: 라켓소년단; RR: Racket Sonyeondan) is a South Korean television series that aired on SBS from May 31 to August 9, 2021. The series focuses on the lives and development of a middle school badminton team based in Haenam as they strive to compete in junior athletic tournaments.
Plot
The story centers on Yoon Hyeon-Jong, a former elite badminton player who takes a coaching position at a middle school in Haenam. The school's badminton team is struggling and faces the threat of disbandment. The team consists of four young players: Yoon Hae-Kang, Bang Yoon-Dam, Na Woo-Chan, and Lee Yong-Tae. Alongside the boys' team, the series highlights the Haenam Jeil Girls' Middle School badminton team, coached by Ra Yeong-Ja, which maintains a top-tier ranking among its peers. The narrative explores the personal and athletic growth of these students as they navigate the challenges of competitive sports and adolescence.
Production and Broadcast
The series was directed by Jo Young-Gwang and written by Jung Bo-Hoon. It originally occupied the Monday and Tuesday 22:00 time slot on SBS. During its run, the broadcast schedule for the final four episodes was adjusted to once per week on Mondays. This change, occurring from July 2021, was attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the broadcast of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Consequently, the series finale, originally scheduled for August 2, 2021, was postponed to August 9, 2021.
Cast
The cast features a mix of veteran actors and young talent portraying the athletes and community members of Haenam.
Haenam Seo Middle School Badminton Club
- Kim Sang-Kyung as Yoon Hyeon-Jong
- Tang Joon-Sang as Yoon Hae-Kang
- Son Sang-Yeon as Bang Yoon-Dam
- Choi Hyun-Wook as Na Woo-Chan
- Kim Kang-Hoon as Lee Yong-Tae
Haenam Jeil Girls' Middle School
- Oh Na-Ra as Ra Yeong-Ja
- Lee Jae-In as Han Se-Yoon
- Lee Ji-Won as Lee Han-Sol