Nanzan student
2024.03.19
Faculty of Business Administration Department of Business Administration 4th year
Shota Kondo (Interviewed in January 2024)
Mr. Kondo started playing baseball in the third grade of elementary school due to the influence of his father, who is a Chunichi Dragons fan. Although he temporarily stopped playing baseball in high school, he joined the hardball baseball club when he entered Nanzan University, and spent his days becoming passionate about baseball again. After his graduation, it has been decided that he will join the Kansai Independent League Sakai Shrikes, and his future activities are attracting attention.
This time, we asked Mr. Kondo about his memories of youth baseball and college baseball, his thoughts on baseball, and his goals after graduation.
-First of all, please tell us why you started playing baseball.
A big reason for this is that my father loved baseball. I grew up in a household where baseball games were always on TV, and I myself was a Chunichi Dragons fan for as long as I could remember. In particular, I admired Tatsunami, who is currently the manager of the Dragons, and before I knew it, he was holding a bat and a ball in his hands.
I joined the youth baseball team when I was in the third grade of elementary school. When I was in elementary school, I played baseball for three teams, partly because my parents were transferees, and when I moved to Nagoya in junior high school, I joined the Chukyo Boys. I think I was able to practice even harder by meeting so many players and being inspired by and admiring my teammates. In particular, I am still good friends with my teammates from the Chukyo Boys, and we continue to work hard together while encouraging each other.
▲At an alumnus game for the Chukyo Boys, which he belonged to when he was in junior high school (Mr. Kondo is on the top right)
-I understand that you took a break from playing baseball in high school, but why did you decide to start playing baseball again in college?
Aiming for Koshien, I went to a high school that had participated in Koshien, but due to unexpected circumstances I had to quit the baseball club in my first year. I worked hard at student council activities, but it was really painful not being able to play baseball, which I love. Once again, I strongly realized that I love baseball.
So I decided, “I’m going to play baseball again in college!” However, since I had been away from baseball for three years, I didn’t dare to aim for a top school. I decided to apply to Nanzan University because I thought I could continue playing baseball in a fun and smart way in the baseball club here. Many of my high school classmates did not take university entrance exams, so I managed to get through the exam study process by sharing information about the entrance exams with my Chukyo Boys teammates on SNS.
―After that, you were successfully accepted into Nanzan University and joined the hardball baseball club. I heard that it was difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic, how was it?
I feel like I have fewer opportunities to play baseball because my club activities didn’t start until August and I couldn’t hold training camps. I couldn’t even hold an entrance ceremony, and classes continued online, so I didn’t have many opportunities to meet other students. So, now that the coronavirus has subsided, she has once again realized that she is actually attending university (lol).
-What kind of goals did you set for your baseball team?
The team’s goal was to get promoted to Division 2, and they practiced hard every day. Due to facility restrictions, we could only practice on the field once a week, so we all worked together to think about what we could do for the team as much as possible, such as doing sprint-type training that could be done even if we weren’t on a baseball field. I feel like I’ve been there. We made sure to actively communicate within the team, such as by always setting aside time for meetings after practice. As a result of our efforts, we won the 3rd division in last year’s fall league and were able to compete in the 2nd and 3rd division competitions. Unfortunately, we were not able to advance to the second division, but it was a good experience to be able to play at Mizuho Stadium with an audience and to be able to play against pitchers who would go to the BC League.
*Baseball Challenge League is an independent professional baseball league that operates in one prefecture in the Koshinetsu region, five prefectures in the Kanto region, and one prefecture in the Tohoku region.
▲With teammates from our university’s baseball club
-Looking back on your four years at university, what areas of yourself do you feel have changed or grown?
Compared to when I was in first grade, I am now able to think more deeply about things. I was often surprised by the high level of thinking ability of the people around me in university classes, and I think this naturally influenced me. Whether it’s baseball or studying, I try to think carefully about current issues and how to deal with them, and then take action.
Especially lately, I’ve been feeling the depth of baseball every day, and I’m sharing new knowledge and the feelings I gain from practice with my baseball friends, thinking deeply about it, and practicing through trial and error. I’ve also been putting a lot of effort into strength training and flexibility exercises, so I’ve made a lot of changes in my body, such as increasing my weight by over 10kg.
– After graduation, you will be joining the Kansai independent league “Sakai Shrikes.” When did you decide to aim for an independent league?
It was at the end of my third year at university, when I was thinking about my career path. I decided to aim for the Kansai Independent League for two reasons: “I want to continue playing baseball, which I love,” and “I want to return to Kansai, where I spent my time until elementary school.” The Sakai Shrikes is a team that has won three consecutive league titles since its second year of existence, so I decided to join the team because I wanted to improve my level here.
▲Wearing the Sakai Shrikes uniform
– Mr. Kondo, please tell us about your future goals.
Team practice will begin in February, so I would like to practice as hard as I can until the season starts, with the goal of participating in as many games as possible. To that end, my goal is to face my current situation, constantly think about what needs to be resolved, and what I can do to improve my skills, and update myself on a daily basis. Fortunately, I have an environment where I can devote myself to baseball, so I want to do my best while receiving advice from the manager, coaches, and seniors. In order to be able to play baseball at a higher level than possible, I plan to focus on baseball seriously for the next two years. How will I grow from now on? – It’s my first time leaving my parents’ house, so I’m a little nervous, but I’m really excited right now!
-Finally, please give a message to your juniors in the baseball club.
We still practice together, and there are many members who are much better than our generation, which I think is wonderful. I am sure that they will be able to achieve the promotion to the second division that we were unable to achieve, and that they will be active on the stage of the second division, and I will continue to support them even after they graduate. Let’s all do our best to enjoy baseball in our own ways and get better at it! I would be happy if some members of the club continue to play baseball and aim for a higher level.
2024-03-19 09:20:54
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