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| .My first speech in Japanese was very short (2006) |
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| .You guessed it, another banquet |
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For some reason or another, in Japan, mothers seem to take a more active role with regard to student's extracurricular school activities. I recall one particular banquet when a first year player's mother was trying to explain that her son complained his football helmet felt uncomfortable. I feigned concern, trying not to spit out my wine, as I knew that her oft absent kid had worn his shiny, unbroken-in, helmet every bit of two times. This is the very same kid who caused us to forfeit games on two different occasions; the first as a result of him pulling a muscle in his untrained leg during pregame warm-ups. The second MIA came when he caught a cold the Friday BEFORE a Saturday game. Because we had only eleven players prior to his "sickness," we had to cancel.
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This particular episode took place during the "lean year" when we only had eleven players on the squad. Until that point the seven veteran players had tried be patient with the young guys and their development. The players were heartbroken because they'd gone for months without playing a game. Not only did the forfeit affect our guys, but the other team had prepared as well. I wouldn't place the blame entirely on the kid himself; I'd take a long, hard, look at his parents though. Perhaps, this situation goes back a few generations.
We all know someone who could have benefited from a better foundation of discipline and, or "pants kicking." This is one of the main reasons I got into the pants kicking business, in the first place.
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