Women’s baseball is launched to give a place to play in the game
This summer, the final match of the “National High School Women’s Baseball Championship” was held for the first time in history at the sacred place Koshien. It was an epoch-making event for women’s baseball, but there was another national high school women’s baseball tournament that was quietly canceled behind the scenes. “All Japan Women’s Baseball Student Championship”. Due to the influence of Corona, it was canceled for the second consecutive year following last year.
All Japan Women’s Baseball Student Championship-. Generally, it will be a tournament known to those who know it. It started in 2003. Six years after the high school women’s hardball championship started. Until the 8th tournament, the name was “National High School Women’s Baseball Championship”, but from the 9th tournament, the junior high school divisions have been integrated. It is held as the “All Japan Women’s Baseball Student Championship (junior high and high school students)”.
There are 64 teams nationwide that are members of the junior and senior high school division. However, only three high schools have a women’s baseball club. It is undeniable that the high school girls’softball is a minor existence compared to the high school girls’ hardball (43 schools + 1 team is a member as of August this year).
Under these circumstances, there are teams that are as passionate about baseball as boys’ high school baseball players and are working on rigorous practice as much as high school girls who play hardball. It is the women’s softball baseball club of Chukyo High School attached to Chukyo University (hereinafter referred to as Chukyo University Chukyo), which won second place in the previous tournament (2019).
Chukyo University Chukyo is a school name familiar to high school baseball fans. It has been a prestigious champion since its predecessor, Chukyo University, and has won national championships four times in the spring and seven times in the summer. The total number of wins at Koshien is 136 (1st in both spring and summer). The women’s baseball club was established in Chukyo University Chukyo in 2015. It was the current director, Kazuya Doi, who also serves as the deputy director of the baseball club.
“Originally, there was a female member in the Japanese-style baseball club, but even if we participated in the spring tournament sponsored by” High School Baseball Federation “(Japan High School Baseball Federation), in the summer the sponsorship is” Takano Ren “(Japan High School Baseball Federation). ), So girls cannot participate. When I was teaching softball, I saw a female member who had no choice but to support at the stand in the summer, so I asked the school to create a female softball club. “
Everyone aims for a home run even with a softball that is difficult to fly
Director Doi played as a shortstop at the public Toyota Nishiko in high school. In Aichi, where “four-strong private schools” such as Chukyo University Chukyo and Aichi Institute of Technology Meiden High School are enshrined, he has the experience of advancing to the top four in the summer of 3 (2005).
Although the first year ended at the bottom of the Tokai tournament, which was a round robin of three teams, it didn’t take long before he was called a female softball powerhouse. From the second year to the national competition. In the fifth year, he was close to winning one more victory until he won the national championship.
After graduating from high school, he turned to softball and played an active part in some leagues in Toyota City. He is familiar with “the way of fighting peculiar to the softball”, but he does not ask the players for it.
“In the softball, where it is difficult to score points, it is the mainstream to hit the bat (hit the bat from above to hit a high bound ground ball), but I did not want to play such baseball. We aim to be a team where everyone from 1st to 9th can hit a home run. “
There is also a desire to “enjoy the joy of flying far, which is the real thrill of baseball.” However, it is not easy to hit a home run with a softball that is said to be harder for girls to fly than a hardball. Athletes also work hard on weight training to gain power, and every day to get bigger, they flatten a heavy lunch box. As a result of these achievements, most of the seven third-year students this year also recorded “crossing the fence” home runs.
Reina Kawasaki (3rd year), who belonged to the softball club in junior high school, said, “In junior high school, it was a meat batting method, so it took some time before I could make a full swing, but I hit the fence. I will never forget the feeling when I was there. “
Chukyo University At Chukyo, women’s softball is also practiced on the same site as the hardball and softball baseball clubs. The same place as the prestigious baseball club is “some places are under pressure” (Director Doi), but it seems that it creates a feeling of tension in practice and fosters “Chukyo University Chukyo Pride”. ..
I want to be cool even in the bottom of the situation
“Play SMART” is the slogan of the Chukyo University Chukyo Women’s Baseball Club. It was devised by Director Doi, and “the intention is that” always behaving coolly promotes the growth of individuals and teams. ” For example, in a match, assume every case and be wise and astute. Even if you make a mistake, don’t be upset. This is the motto.
The third grader, who had been aiming to embody “Play SMART”, was “tried” when it was decided to cancel the national tournament for the second consecutive year. In late June, the players were informed by Director Doi that the big goal of “becoming the best in Japan” had been lost.
Deputy captain Kimiho recalls, “At that moment, the feelings I had been up to that point were cut off.” Shiori Maeda, who started playing baseball in high school, reveals that “the goals that have supported my heart suddenly disappeared and I don’t know what to do.”
It took time to recover.
There is no national tournament anymore, so let’s retire as it is …
There was also a sense of unfairness.
There are also tournaments that are held in Corona. Why are we …
The feeling of loss without a goal was too great. Even so, the discussions were repeated among the players, and while Director Doi said, “Let’s do it together until the end,” we will switch little by little. Ki said, “I wasn’t just pessimistic, I thought I had to do what I could,” said Ayaka Hanaki. “I also thought that it was for the parents who supported me. Every morning. He made lunch boxes from an early stage, and he also went out to practice independently. “
I want to be cool as a person until the very end. All the third graders who returned to the spirit of “Play SMART” participated in the Tokai area qualifying league. Although it was not tied to the national tournament, he fought with all his might and won the championship. Even if the goal was lost, I put out everything I had cultivated in two and a half years.
Following the cancellation of the national tournament for the second consecutive year, the Chukyo University Chukyo Women’s Baseball Club has begun to focus on it. That is to raise the profile of women’s baseball. I want you to know that girls face baseball as seriously as boys, just like softball and hardball. Actively disseminate information while using SNS etc. We are conducting public relations activities.
On the other hand, Director Doi thinks, “In order to increase the name recognition, the subsequent appearance of the graduate students is also important.”
“How are the members evaluated by the people around them after graduation? This directly leads to the evaluation of women’s baseball. I think it is one of the public relations activities to be recognized by each person.”
It also raises issues for the development of women’s baseball. What is urgent is that there are not many changing rooms on the ground where the game is played. However, this is not limited to women’s baseball, and I hear that women are changing clothes in the bathroom in other sports as well. The changing room problem for female athletes is a problem for the entire sports world, and improvement is desired.
Communicate what you have cultivated in two and a half years in your own words
August 28-. A big opportunity came to the third grade members. Participation in “Summer Online Koshien Tournament 2021”. This tournament, which was held for the third time, started last year when the summer championship was canceled following the spring senbatsu due to the corona wreck. The tournament executive committee chairman, Toshio Kawashima, took the lead in launching the game based on the belief that the “goal” of Koshien was lost, but the “purpose” of high school baseball was not lost.
This tournament, which presents how to face high school baseball in a presentation format, also competes for ranking. The second tournament was held in March this year. For the culmination of summer, the “Spring Online Koshien Tournament 2021” was held, looking back on the efforts from autumn to spring and making a “statement of determination”.
A new initiative carried out at Corona. What is “Summer Koshien Tournament Online” that asks the purpose of high school baseball? (Shinichi Uehara) –Individual–Yahoo! News
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/ueharashinichi/20200920-00198996
In the 10-minute presentation, the five third-year members clarified the tournament rules (clarify the purpose and goals of the team by introducing the school / baseball club in 3 minutes / what they achieved as a team, what they were disappointed with, and their dreams for the future. I told the viewers and the selection committee (who evaluates the presentation) how they have embodied “Play SMART”.
Presentation
(2021) Chukyo High School attached to Chukyo University[Online Koshien 6th Match]
The presentation, which conveyed the shock that the national tournament, which had been the main goal at the beginning, was canceled for the second consecutive year, struck the hearts of the viewers. And the two and a half years of the members who put everything into women’s baseball struck a chord. Chukyo University Chukyo Women’s Baseball Club received the highest evaluation among the seven participating schools, including those that passed the preliminary round by document screening. He won the championship in his first appearance. Chairman Kawashima commented, “The high-quality content backed by the daily appearance impressed the adults obediently.”
Yoko Takahashi, who supported the Chukyo Women’s Baseball Club at Chukyo University as a tournament executive committee member, talks about the back side of the presentation.
“Originally, the ratio of presentations and video usage was half and half, but when I advised that it would be better to have more live presentations …, just before the tournament, they decided to use words. I increased the number of parts to convey. “
The 3rd grade members had extraordinary enthusiasm for the “Summer Online Koshien Tournament”. Hanaki speaks for everyone, saying, “I lost the opportunity to become the best in Japan at the real national tournament, but I definitely tried to be the best in Japan here.”
The work of squeezing the content of the presentation was also a “journey” to explore what was cultivated in the two and a half years at Chukyo University Chukyo Women’s Baseball Club. Maeda says, “By putting what I need to convey into sentences and words, I can clearly understand what it is.”
A retirement match was held after the “Summer Koshien Tournament Online”, and seven third-year members said goodbye to baseball for the time being. However, the spirit of “Play SMART” is engraved in the center of measles and heart. It should also be a strength for their future goals, such as PE teachers, professional baseball team staff, and trainers.
