John Patrick was a successful coach in the Bundesliga for ten years. In Japan he builds on the successes – but not only that.
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When John Patrick sits in the Kullmann’s burger restaurant in Ludwigsburg this summer and drinks an espresso, everything is almost like it used to be when he was still the coach of the MHP giants – and not just on home leave. He is noticed from time to time, but less so than recently in Japan, his second home. “I’m recognized everywhere there, whether on the street or at Starbucks,” says the 55-year-old about everyday life at his club Chiba Jets in the greater Tokyo area, but adds: “The players, of course, even more.” They enjoy something like that in Japan like cult status, similar to the soccer players here, even if the country is not necessarily one of the best in basketball. From a sporting point of view, in terms of marketing, but definitely.
Many fans are female
Hundreds of meters of queues form before home games, where the mostly female fans wait for hours for the players to get their autographs. “We have a huge department, just for social media, which just got the first prize from the league again,” reports Patrick. He must know. Not only does he speak the language, which is rare for foreigners, he has been working for the Jets for a year – very successfully: the team won the cup and was runner-up. Patrick can be completely satisfied, not just on the floor. “If I have to choose between Germany and Japan, it’s not an easy choice, it’s almost a luxury.” Both countries are similar – and yet different. On the one hand it is safe and clean, as is often the case in this country (keyword Kehrwoche), but there are differences in the culture and attitude of the people. Above all, politeness, true to the motto of life, which translates as: The well-being of others is paramount, not one’s own.
This even carries over to the basketball court, where the teams have to clap themselves when the opponent scores a basket – or the referees are explicitly instructed to explain to the audience: We are there to ensure a good game for the spectators. That means: We need the fans in the mostly sold-out halls and of course the sponsors. How good are the services? “Better than many here think,” says Patrick. Of course, there are certain deficits in terms of physicality and size. Which is why one of the legionary positions (often with Americans) is often occupied for the large positions. One shouldn’t forget, according to Patrick, that a foreigner who collects a six-figure sum here in the Bundesliga in a year can quickly get three to five times that amount in Japan. In addition, there are lucrative advertising contracts from cosmetics or fashion labels for the stars, which makes the league lucrative.
Especially since two days a week are free of training. Two games are scheduled for the weekend, plus the Asian Champions League for the top clubs during the week; For example in the Philippines, where Patrick’s Club played in front of a record crowd of 55,000 spectators – so much for the basketball enthusiasm in Asia, which will now also be felt at the World Cup. And on the days off, there are regular advertising appointments. From nothing, comes nothing. The club’s own PR department does a great job. “Sometimes I wish that more would happen in the Bundesliga in this regard,” says Patrick.
In the Far East, the mix between success and relaxation is just right, in Ludwigsburg that wasn’t the case recently. After nearly ten years, John Patrick, along with chairman and friend Alexander Reil, was something of a go-anywhere man. Patrick was on the verge of burnout and emphasizes from a certain distance: “That was just too much.” But Patrick simply added a second season with the Jets to the originally planned sabbatical year, especially since he is 10,000 kilometers away from Germany never feels lonely. Not only because of the technical means of communication, the family of five visited us from time to time and surprisingly also many friends and acquaintances from the first stay in Japan. “Almost all of them came back from America and Europe,” says the former Ludwigsburg coach.
New hall for the club
A sign that it can be endured in Japan. Life there has remained comparatively cheap, and workers are urgently needed. Maybe there will be another season, especially since the club is planning a new arena with 10,000 seats (previously around 4,500). “I don’t know: you should never say never.” This is complemented by a brilliant infrastructure and good food. Speaking of which: the food is calling. John Patrick is in demand as a cook at home. But not for sushi – that’s back in Japan.
World Cup in and with Japan
Kader
Yuki Togashi, a 1.67m tall playmaker from Patrick’s Chiba Jets, is also part of the squad for the Japan national team, which will face Germany in the group stage of the World Cup. On the other hand, NBA superstar Rui Hachimura, who wants to concentrate fully on the Los Angeles Lakers, is missing, with whom he is said to have received $ 50 million for a three-year contract. “It’s a great loss,” says John Patrick.
venue
Nevertheless: “It won’t be that easy for Germany,” says Patrick, also because of the home advantage. The group will be held in Okinawa, a two-hour flight south of Tokyo, where it is very hot and humid. In addition, many Americans still lived there because the region was once a US air force base. “But Germany has players of all-star caliber in Schröder or the Wagner brothers.”
2023-08-23 14:10:43
#Luxury #Japan #Germany
