“Kyūto Kiryu Baseball Lab” opens in Kiryu City, Gunma…”Revitalize your hometown with high-performance equipment that can be used by men and women of all ages”
A groundbreaking baseball facility has opened in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, which calls itself the “baseball capital.” The Kiryu Minami Sports Academy, a general incorporated association, has opened the “Baseball Capital Kiryu Baseball Lab” using the facilities of the prefectural Kiryu Minami High School, which was closed as of March 31, 2021, and equipped with the latest measurement equipment. . Representative Director Shigeo Araki, who is in charge of waving the flag, once served as the head of the Chiba Lotte Marines’ business headquarters, and is also an alumnus of Kiryu Minami High School baseball. We asked him about the background and thoughts leading up to its opening.
[PR]Professionals in various fields provide video explanations Baseball training and skill improvement program “TURNING POINT”
“I feel both a sense of excitement and a sense of mission to create a facility that truly represents Japan.” At the opening ceremony held on the 2nd of this month, Mr. Araki spoke with a slightly flushed face.
“Kyūto Kiryu Baseball Lab” renovated the judo and table tennis field from Kiryu Minami High School into an indoor baseball practice field with 10 million yen in donations collected through crowdfunding. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art measuring equipment. “Rhapsode” uses a high-precision radar to measure ball speed, rotational speed, axis of rotation, rotational efficiency, amount of change, release position, etc.; “Blast” uses a sensor attached to the bat to measure swing speed, swing trajectory, etc.; It is equipped with “Pulse Throw,” which uses a sensor attached to the body to visualize the load applied during pitching, and “Inbody,” which measures muscle mass, body fat percentage, and performs nutritional assessments.
Mr. Araki said, “For example, all 30 major league teams and 11 out of 12 professional baseball teams in Japan have the Rhapsode.There is an image that it is a device used by high-level players, but at our facility, it is used by people of all ages and genders. It can be used for.” Furthermore, he emphasized that:
“Our theme is “practice reform.” Grit and spirit are important, but we also want to make practice fun.Instead of “just doing our best” like in the past, we should “visualize” all of our strengths and make them concrete. After setting a realistic goal and understanding the gap between your current situation and your goal numerically, you can fill it with training. By repeating this cycle over and over again, practice becomes more enjoyable.”
“Measurement is power”…Accumulating data for all generations, from children to the elderly
Indeed, in the world of professional baseball, everything has recently been quantified, and abstract expressions such as “quick release from the ball”, “brightness”, and “extension” are becoming “invalid”. The idea is to use this facility to spread the word to men and women of all ages.
Even during batting practice, up until now, we could only tell whether we were doing well or not, but by using cutting-edge measuring equipment, we can now see things like batting speed for each course. However, I can understand this by saying, “I haven’t been able to hit the outside angles low at all, so let’s focus on practicing.” “If that happens, practice will be more fun,” Araki says with a nod.
One of the aims is to accumulate data on all generations, from children to the elderly. “I hope this will be a stepping stone to extending your healthy life expectancy.There is a saying that “Consistency is power,” and I would like to say “Measurement is power.”” he said with a smile.
Four sports science experts, including Professor Yoichi Katsumi of Tokyo University of Agriculture, will be involved in data analysis and training menu development as advisors. There is a fee to use the facility, and it will be pre-opened to people and teams living in Kiryu City during March. The program is scheduled to begin in earnest from April, targeting people outside the city.
After graduating from Kiryu Minami High School, Mr. Araki completed a master’s program at Aoyama University’s Graduate School of International Management, and spent about 20 years as an office worker at a foreign-affiliated computer and communications company. In January 2005, following the baseball reorganization in 2004, he was invited to Lotte as the team’s executive officer and business manager, and worked hard to reform management and fan services. He was also involved in the launch of Pacific League Marketing, a joint venture between six Pacific League teams, and NPB Enterprises, which operates the Japanese national baseball team, Samurai Japan.
He left the group in 2009 and became independent. When he reached his 60th birthday last year, he moved to Kiryu City “with the desire to revitalize his hometown.” He looks overwhelmed with emotion as he builds a “dream fortress” on the site of his alma mater, which has since closed.
Originally, Kiryu City promoted itself as the “Baseball Capital” because baseball was popular there. The veteran Kiryu High School has participated in Koshien 26 times in the spring and summer, and was runner-up in the selection tournament twice, and Kiryu Daiichi won the national championship in the summer of 1999. In 2022, September 10th will be designated as “Battle City Day,” a play on words.
“I would like to use what we do at this Baseball Lab as the “Baseball Capital Kiryu Model” and disseminate it to the baseball world and the sports world at large,” says Araki, whose challenge is just beginning.
(Hirohisa Miyawaki)
2024-03-07 22:29:38
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