Promotion activities since 2014…Contents of a survey conducted by Fuji High School coach Keisuke Inagi
Behind the activities to promote baseball for kindergarteners and elementary school students is a strong crisis regarding the current state of after-school baseball. On the 17th, the Prefectural Fuji High School Baseball Club in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture held a baseball class for local elementary school students. Manager Keisuke Inagi, who has been active for many years with the aim of contributing to the community through baseball, says, “If we don’t change after-school baseball, the number of baseball players will continue to decline.”
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This is the 10th time that the Fuji High School Baseball Club has held a baseball class for local kindergarteners and elementary school students. When Iwamatsukita Elementary School asked them to use the glove they received from Dodgers player Shohei Otani, they readily agreed.
Fuji High School began promoting baseball in April 2022, when Coach Inaki was appointed. Fuji High School is a continuation of the efforts that were focused on at his predecessor, Mishima Minami High School. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for high school baseball players to interact with kindergarteners and elementary school students, but it started at Mishima Minami High School in 2014. It became a model for the entire country.
Coach Inagi continues to promote baseball because he wants to put a stop to the serious decline in the number of players. That’s why he places more emphasis on interacting with inexperienced players, such as kindergarteners and early elementary school students, than with those with baseball experience. In fact, some children have even bought baseball gloves or joined a team after attending baseball classes.
However, as Coach Inagi continued his activities, he realized that the problem with after-school baseball was a major reason why the number of players was not increasing. If you watch after-school baseball games or listen to comments from parents who have participated in baseball lessons, you will find that the negative image remains deep-rooted. Director Inaki speaks.
“We ask parents to complete a survey during baseball classes.Many of them say that after-school baseball has long practice times and parents find it difficult to join the team. I feel that this has become a “leisure activity” for coaches who have more time after raising children.”
Practicing all day on Saturdays and Sundays is a hurdle…Some people say, “I want you to practice for half a day.”
Looking at the survey results, it seems that there are more children interested in baseball and parents who want their children to play baseball than expected. The biggest bottleneck is practice time. When he practices all day long on both Saturdays and Sundays, he has no time for anything but baseball. It is recognized that in order to join a school baseball team, one must be prepared to sacrifice others.
Coach Inagi says, “Parents say they want their children to play baseball if it’s a half-day practice.If the practice is from morning to evening, baseball is a good option for children and parents who want to balance it with their studies or do other lessons. “It’s no longer an option. If we don’t take on the challenge of doing things other than baseball and try our best at baseball, the number of players will continue to decline,” he says emphatically. And continue like this.
“Saturday half day teams, Saturday and Sunday half day teams, Saturday and Sunday all day teams. Teams that bunt a lot and full swing teams that aim for home runs. There are various options, such as teams where parents are heavily involved and teams where only transportation is available. I would also like to see more flexibility in transfers.Although new types of teams are beginning to exist nationwide, it feels like the old-fashioned types are continuing, especially in regional areas.”
The problem of long practices is also common to high school baseball. In some cases, club activities, which are originally a part of school life, take up the majority of students’ lives. Since Fuji High School is one of the leading preparatory schools in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture, Director Inagi is looking for ways to produce the maximum effect in a limited amount of time. Instead of making time for extra practice, you can study at home and get enough sleep.
They have half-day practices on Saturdays and Sundays, and a complete day off during Golden Week, giving them time to enjoy things other than baseball. Director Inagi said, “Many students live alone in college, so I want them to cherish the time they spend with their families and friends while they are still in high school. Club activities are one way to enrich their high school life, and everything is important. “It’s not,” he said, explaining his intentions.
The Otani glove, which has been delivered to elementary schools across the country, is an opportunity for children to become interested in baseball. However, unless the negative image of baseball, including long practices, is dispelled, the number of players will not increase.
(Jun Aida)
2024-02-24 09:31:20
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