(2008) After the difficulties of the lean year I decided commitment would have to be addressed from the beginning with the new kids. No more forfeits in the second quarter and no more calling in sick the day before a game. Lack of commitment to training, fear, and a lack of discipline both on and off the field also needed to be addressed. It seemed as if each successive group of prospects was getting worse. The new guys were typical as students but they didn't make the grade as athletes. I had no choice but to turn up the heat.
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As individuals the young guy's appetite for physical and mental pressure was all over the map. A few were refugees from other sports and had no idea of what they'd gotten themselves into. Their individual quirks were apparent from when they first stepped on the field. Young folks are keen on the seeking and testing of boundaries. Most were respectful and afforded me the same respect they would any other teacher; although, a few begged for a kick in the pants. Having seen and experienced many things in sports I was prepared.
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Building a competitive football team with a dozen or so inexperienced kids in a geographically isolated environment is a tall order. Most of the students had never played a contact sport and had little or no athletic ability; a handful could have been considered less than zero fitness wise. There were a couple of guys who seemed to have had what it took from day one; I could tell who they were right away. Naturally, they all expressed a desire to win; they had no clue. As they stood they had a snowball's chance in hell. They'd face bigger, stronger, experienced teams while they were small, soft, and behaved like kids. For them to accomplish anything they'd all have to completely change; more importantly there were only sixteen of them and we'd need everyone.
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Administering the boot...
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I understood that in Japan schools play a larger role in shaping students than in the West. One of the reasons I started coaching was that it was an opportunity to teach. The experience I gained from athletics helped me in many ways to navigate life. It wasn't a situation that I was always a willing learner; I retained the lessons because I was passionate about what I was doing. When I was young the coaches often provided the narratives. I was lucky enough to have had a variety of coaches, some of whom that were strict disciplinarians or teacher types.
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Having dealt with numerous high school baseball players as a teacher in Japan I had an idea of what could be achieved. Baseball is king in Japan and enjoys a level of attention and popularity that rivals that of football in America. I've always admired the work ethic and discipline on display in national Japanese high school baseball tournaments. Those young men don't just play the game, they work it. Their hard work undoubtedly pays dividends long after they've hung up the spikes.
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.The synchronization is not just for looks
They play like a well oiled machine.
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..A balance of tradition and discipline
I can't remember ever meeting a high school baseball player in Japan who didn't
remove his hat, bow and acknowledge my presence.
.remove his hat, bow and acknowledge my presence.
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Having been a recipient of old school pants kicking myself over many years administering the boot came natural to me. Some kids responded immediately, others were long term projects. The situation was typical of what happens when kids of various personalities and backgrounds are brought together. Some of their behaviors were culturally ingrained and weren't easily solved.
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Cultural differences was the first issue as they weren't accustomed to my directness. Some had to be weaned from the security of their mothers and a few would happily go to the hospital for a swollen finger only to return and stand around in street clothes a few days. Others would go missing a day or two because of a runny nose; the chronic violators were usually the same guys. When the shock of daily discipline wore off the kids lined up and followed me wherever I led them. Not one jumped overboard.
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The handful of parents who attended our practices would grin and nod approvingly as I cracked the whip over their kids; some had gone as far as offering me coffee and chocolates during our water breaks. The football team's school representative was also a big proponent of discipline; without his blessing nothing would have been possible. Tellingly, he was known for giving surprise math quizzes to players right on the field after practice.
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| .Some parents were a fixture at the football events. Johoku field - Hiroshima, Japan (2009) . . |
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| .Good food, good service. The player's parents cater an alumni game. Johoku Field - Hiroshima, Japan (2007) |
New rules...
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The culture of leadership in the previous coaching regime had been sporadic. Those days players came and went as they pleased and everyone suited up on game days. I remember a time when the players were supposed to meet at a specified time at the city's main bus station for a charter bus to Osaka for an away game. One player overslept. We ended-up picking him up from the opposite side of town on the fully loaded charter bus. I recall the player's mother giving directions to the bus driver over the phone. Upon boarding the bus the player sat down and went to sleep.
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The coaches themselves were often absent, late, or unprepared. One guy only showed-up for practice the day before games. Naturally, those teams suffered from low morale and unpreparedness. I also recall the coaches seemed to be fans of the stronger football programs. Naturally, this fan mentality affected the players. It seems there's no point in playing the games if you're a fan of your opponents. I knew I'd eventually have to work alone.
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| .A parent, a dog , and me on graduation day. Johoku H.S. - Hiroshima, Japan (2007) |
It seemed to me as if the school's concept of athletics was nothing more than P.E. class with matching uniforms. Aside from cultural pleasantries and matching uniforms, discipline and character building seemed non-existent. This had been apparent to me for some time as the football team shared the same field with the school's baseball, soccer, and track teams. On a typical day I witnessed a hundred or so unsupervised student athletes scattered around a big field. I remember thinking it looked like a giant beach party as it was often difficult to determine the sport they were practicing.
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I understood that the school's main focus was academics but I couldn't just let the kids be used as cannon fodder. For two years I'd helped the players in the former regime with individual technique only to standby on game day and witness organizational supremacy steamroll Johoku's band aid reactionary approach.
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I knew I was entering uncharted waters as I was pushing discipline in a foreign culture. After consulting the school official I established strict rules regarding attendance, weight training and meetings. Absences, excused or not resulted in make-up conditioning which had to be completed in addition to the current conditioning. All make-up conditioning had to be paid in full prior to game day; no credit no exceptions. Donning the uniform had suddenly become expensive.
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..Everything was rehearsed,
even entering the field.
.Stretching before a scrimmage
with Ritsumeikan Moriyama - Shiga, Japan (2009)
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The new rules not only applied to attendance, they also included readiness for practice at the scheduled start time. Missing an elbow pad? Wrong cleats? Forgot your wrist coach? It's gonna cost you in sweat. Certain infractions committed by an individual meant the whole team had extra conditioning.
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If practice was scheduled to start at 2:00 pm that meant everyone in full gear, strapped up, helmet on and waiting for the warm-up lap at 2:00 pm. If the clock read 2:02 and one guy was late or minus a piece of equipment everybody had to pay. Just as in competition; one guy makes a mistake and the team loses. All balances had to be cleared before game day. No credit, no exceptions.
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..The "Guys from Fukuoka"
joining the Johoku regimen. - Hiroshima, Japan (2008)
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There seems to be a mentality in this neck of the woods that if the training is too difficult or if the rules are strict the kids would quit. Perhaps that's true to some extent; then again if a kid gives-up too easily perhaps it's better to part ways. I can attest to having experienced similar feelings myself as a first year high school player. My weakness was that I hated running. Although I never quit, I thought about it whenever we ran.
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It's a fine line to walk putting kids through all manner of difficulty and asking them afterwards if they enjoyed themselves. Tellingly, the more resilient kids typically do.
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In western Japan, it's usually not a competitive situation to be a member of a football team. After all, you can't cut guys when you only have eighteen on the roster. Naturally, it's harder to motivate a guy to train hard and give his best effort without competition. Alas, if only there were more players to choose from things would be different; although that wouldn't be as fun.
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