Satoshi Tashiro: From 11-Player Football to Japan’s Best DB | Kansai University

• #Kansai Student American Football

• #Kansai University

The Kansai Student League Division 1 American Football League will have four games in round 6 on October 25th and 26th. On the 26th,the Kansai University kaisers,who tied 17-17 in the previous match against Sekiseki and have four wins and one draw,will face the Ritsumeikan University Panthers,who have won all five games,at Takebishi Stadium Kyoto.Tomomasa Tashiro (4th year, Ichiritsu Nishinomiya), a SF (safety) who is the last of Kansai University’s DBs (defensive backs), grabbed the starter’s position in his last year at university. In the spring of his third year of high school, he led Nishinomiya City, which had 11 players, to participate in the Kansai tournament, and then entered the Kansai University School of Commerce through the general entrance exam. When I joined the club, I felt an overwhelming difference in level, but I have steadily made progress.

“If you become number one in Japan, your life will change.”

Tashiro is small at 169cm tall and weighs 75kg, and is not particularly fast on his feet. Anyway, he loves football and has a smart way of living. I have continued to grow by taking the best aspects of my seniors, classmates, and juniors and making them my own. In the previous match against Kwansei Gakuin university, the opponent gambled with the first offense, but Tashiro sharply stepped up and tackled the run near the center. His friends came and pushed him away, preventing him from renewing his attack rights. In the second quarter (Q), Tashiro stopped the opponent’s fumble ball when they were in front of the goal. “No one noticed that the ball had spilled, so I jumped in desperately,” Tashiro said.The fumble itself was fully the opponent’s mistake, but Tashiro stole the ball and the first half ended 7-7.

Tashiro, who has been in the starting lineup since this spring season, said this before the match against Ritsumeikan. “Right now, I think everyone except me is making the team win. I want to be more involved in the play and make big plays that help the team win. Becoming no.1 in Japan will change your life. That’s why the fact that I’m playing defense means I’m carrying the burden of everyone’s lives. With that awareness and duty, we will win against Ritsumeikan and become No. 1 in Kansai and No. 1 in Japan.”

Departing from “Hyogo’s weakest” with 11 people

Born and raised in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture. He started playing baseball in the second grade of elementary school and continued until the third year of junior high school. As an outfielder, I liked playing by thinking about changing my defensive position at my own discretion and deciding on the ball I was aiming for at the turn of the bat. “I think that’s where I fit in with football.” At Takarazuka Municipal Junior High School,there was Atsunori Hamada,a well-known American football commentator and referee,but he had no experiance teaching him directly. Though, when I was in elementary school, Mr. Hamada came to teach me flag football. That was Tashiro’s first contact with football.

He went on to Nishinomiya Municipal High school, which has a good academic record. He felt he had reached his limits in baseball, and when he was forced to practice with the American football team, he was moved by the coolness of the uniforms. More than anything, football seemed fun. The team’s nickname was the Weathercocks.When I joined the club, I started practicing playing QB (quarterback) and DB. Once the spring tournament is over, third-year students retire and shift to studying for entrance exams.The 17 students who are one year older than them were unable to compete due to the cancellation of the third-year spring tournament due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, so they retired without being able to compete. The new team, including Tashiro and his seniors, was reduced to 11 members, barely enough to play a match.

In the fall of his second year, he lost in the first round of the Hyogo prefecture qualifying round for the national championship, and also lost in a match between the losers. Even though other high schools had third-year students remaining, they started out as “the weakest in Hyogo.” However, around this time, they learned that the following spring’s Kansai Championship would be the 50th commemorative tournament, and three schools from Hyogo would be able to compete. At the usual two schools, the seats would have been reserved for Kansai gaku High School and Keimei Gakuin, so this would be an remarkable prospect for other high schools. The 11 members of Ichinishi also became motivated all at once.

With 11 players, everyone has to play together. Ichinishi ran thoroughly during the winter. We ran while encouraging each other, saying, “If we finish this run, we can go to the Kansai tournament.” Spring has arrived, and the Hyogo prefecture qualifying round has begun. Due to the coronavirus,the usual 1Q was shortened from 10 minutes to 8 minutes. This was a tailwind for Ichinishi. Hiroshi Shikimori’s offense was centered around runs from the Pro I formation, and the defense was put together by Satoshi Murakami.

From High School QB to College DB: A strategic Shift

The story of Tomochika Tashiro, a key player for Ichinishi, exemplifies the team’s journey. Tashiro, who initially aimed to continue his football career at the collegiate level with aspirations of reaching the pinnacle of Japanese football, set his sights on prestigious institutions like Waseda University and Kansai University.

I thought I didn’t have the ability to be an ace QB in college, so I planned to play DB, Tashiro explained, highlighting a strategic pivot in his playing career. This decision was further reinforced by his high school coaches, who recognized his potential as a defensive back.His two teachers at Ichinishi also told him that he might have talent as a DB, the article notes.

Tashiro’s ambition was clear: to find a program where hard work could translate into a starting role. After receiving no positive news from Waseda, he committed to Kansai University, a decision that would soon reveal a stark reality about the level of competition.

The Shock of the Big Leagues: A Wake-Up Call

Upon arriving at Kansai University, Tashiro was met with a humbling realization. I was surprised when I entered Kaisers. Many of the other freshmen had completely different fundamentals. Different steps,different hits. I realized that the quality of what I had done in high school was completely different, he recounted. This experience is not uncommon for athletes transitioning from high school to higher levels of competition, akin to a promising high school quarterback in the U.S. facing the speed and physicality of a Division I college defense for the first time.

The article hints at a notable difference in the foundational skills and training methodologies between high school and university football in Japan. This disparity underscores the importance of rigorous, high-level coaching and progress programs.

What’s Next for ichinishi and Tashiro?

The Kansai tournament, despite the initial setback, has undoubtedly served as a crucial learning experience for the Ichinishi team. For Tashiro, the transition to Kansai University presents a new set of challenges and opportunities. His willingness to adapt his position and his acknowledgment of the higher skill ceiling demonstrate a maturity that bodes well for his future.

Potential Areas for Further Examination for U.S. Sports Fans:

* The Development Pipeline in Japanese Football: How does the Japanese collegiate football system compare to the NCAA in the U.S.? What are the key differences in training, recruitment, and overall program structure?
* Tashiro’s DB Development: How will Tashiro adapt his skills to the collegiate level? What specific drills and techniques are being employed to hone his abilities as a defensive back?
* The Future of Ichinishi Football: Can this team build on their Kansai Championship appearance? What are the long-term prospects for the program, and how can they bridge the gap with more established teams?
* Cultural Differences in Sports: Exploring the unique pressures and motivations of athletes in different cultural contexts can offer valuable insights into the global aspects of sportsmanship and dedication.

The journey of Ichinishi’s football team, and particularly Tashiro’s personal evolution, is

, Ryu Kawamura and Keita Ishii (both of Seki Daiichi), who are like me in SF, seemed to me to be above the clouds.

in the fall league games of his first year, he was unable to play most of the games, and during the games his role was to write down the routes run by the opposing receivers on paper. In his second year, he began to participate in games in the kicking game.On the other hand, I kept watching and asking questions of my SF seniors, and by doing so I expanded my abilities. “Such as, Kanayama (Masoryu)’s sense of command over the entire field, and Ishikawa Satoshi’s (Satoi) play-leading speed. I’ve been adapting and incorporating what he taught me in my own way.”

In his third year, he was able to play defense depending on the development of the game. Though, the distance between him and Ishii, whose positions completely overlapped, felt endless. I kept thinking,“How can I get out of this?” but I couldn’t find an answer. “what I’ve come to understand is that it comes down to speed. It doesn’t matter if you’re tactical or not, if you’re overwhelmingly fast, you can destroy everything. Ishii has that speed, and I don’t. That’s why you can’t win just by being a little better tactically.”

After losing to Waseda in the first match of the All-Japan university Championship, his three-year season ended and he felt a sense of helplessness. “While my classmates continued to excel, I wasn’t able to help this team become the best in Japan, and Ryo Terada, who helped me the most, retired halfway through the game.I hated myself for that. I had been thinking about football for a long time. if I still didn’t understand, I would consult my coach and classmates. But I learned not to rely on them too much. I tried to change myself by thinking for myself and coming up with answers.”

“I want them to see me grow” Two mentors

Around February of this year, due to team circumstances, Ishii was moved from SF to Nickel, which is also a DB position. Tashiro was automatically promoted to SF number one alongside Kawamura. Of course I was happy, but I also felt sorry for Ishii. “Ishii played receiver at the beginning of his freshman year,but he moved to DB as he wanted to play safety alongside kawamura. Nickel requires higher physical ability than safety, so it’s difficult for me. So when Ishii went, I couldn’t team up with Kawamura. I’m sorry for that. Ryu kawamura is a special player who has been outstanding as his freshman year, so I’m proud to be able to play alongside him in a game, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Shinichi Takeda, who returned to the team this year as an advisor, was very vital to the team as they entered the game as a SF, the last bastion of defense. “I learned so much from him that I can’t say enough about everything from tactical aspects to technical aspects.” Tashiro is fighting,thinking through each and every play,feeling the challenge and fear of science fiction in his entire body.

Kotaro Takeno (Seki University), a LB (linebacker) who is Tashiro’s classmate, wrote “Tashiro-kun” in response to the question “respected teammate” in the player introduction caption for the online broadcast of the game against Kansai University. takeno says. “When I entered the school, I found out that he was Ichinishi’s QB from that generation, and I thought from the beginning that he had something hidden.When we started playing football together, he was able to clearly express his opinions and was well-liked by everyone, including his seniors, classmates, and juniors. His position was like a control tower for Kandai’s defense, and he is always calm and has a football IQ that allows him to adapt to any situation. I really think that if it wasn’t for Tashiro, he wouldn’t have been able to defend as well as he did.”

None of the six players he played with at Ichinishi continued to play football in college. Even when I called out to them, “Come watch the game,” no one came. “Everyone is enjoying their university lives, so I can’t help it (lol).Though, I want Mr. Kasumori and Mr. Murakami to watch the matches from here on out.I feel like it’s the last time, and I’m really grateful to these two teachers, so I want them to see how they’ve grown.”

In the spring of Tashiro’s third year of high school, I followed the battle of Ichinishi obsessively. After losing in the first match of the Kansai tournament, I spoke to each of the seven third-year students. Tashiro said, “I might not play football anymore.” I selfishly replied,“You’d better do it. It’s better not to end here.” When I saw his name among the rookies at Kansai University, I murmured, “That’s good.” From there, I watched him climb the stairs little by little. I was so proud of it as if it were my own.