This is a dream event that many adults can’t help but wish they had attended when they were children. On November 29th, the “1st Ichiro DREAM FIELD DAY” was held at Wako Sports Island in Saitama.
This event was held by Uniqlo Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s leading apparel manufacturers, together with former professional baseball player Ichiro, as part of the “Ichiro DREAM FIELD” project, which aims to give children an opportunity to “find what they love” through sports, and was the first event of the project.
“I was introduced to baseball when I was 3 years old. As I devoted myself to what I loved, I started getting better at baseball and felt more and more challenged. I realized that it was fun, and it felt great. Baseball is a team sport, so you can meet all kinds of friends. As you progress to a higher level, you hit a wall. It’s a challenge, but finding something you like can lead to a lot of good things. I want you to try out not only baseball, but also tennis and soccer, and find something you like.I want it to be an opportunity for you to find something you like.
On the day of the event, a total of 161 children from fourth grade to third grade of junior high school gathered. In addition to baseball coach Ichiro, current professional tennis player Kei Nishikori, who is in charge of tennis instruction, and former professional soccer player Atsuto Uchida, who is in charge of soccer instruction, came to the event, allowing the children to experience three sports.
In the morning “CHALLENGE course,” children took turns trying out baseball, tennis, and soccer for 40 minutes each. In the baseball program, Mr. Ichiro taught the basics of catch, such as how to throw, catch, and hit the ball from the tee, and told the children that it was not necessary for them to be able to do it, but that they should just have fun.
“Baseball is supposed to be difficult because of its complex movements, but I was happy to see that even beginners were quickly getting better at it and were able to feel that it was fun and felt good.It reminded me of how I felt when I first started playing baseball.” (Ichiro)
In tennis, Nishikori taught the children how to get used to the ball with a racket, the basics of ground strokes and volleys, and made sure they had fun playing tennis.
“It was a lot of fun. Tennis is difficult at first. You have to be careful about your coordination with the ball…Everyone did their best.” (Nishikori)
In soccer, all the children cheered each other up and encouraged each other, creating an atmosphere of unity from beginning to end as Mr. Uchida coached the soccer team.
“Misses are natural in soccer. I’m glad they kept trying even when they made mistakes. I’m glad we learned a lot from them and everyone worked together to improve teamwork, winning, and getting better.” (Mr. Uchida)
At the “DREAM SESSION” that followed, a roundtable discussion was held where Mr. Ichiro, Mr. Nishikori, and Mr. Uchida told the children how they encountered their respective sports and how they became obsessed with them.
“I don’t remember my first encounter with baseball when I was three years old, so I don’t know (lol). What made me fall in love with baseball was the moment I realized that I was getting better at it. When I was a kid, the more I played, the more I got better. That’s what motivates me. When I hit that wall, if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t be able to stand up to it. I think I’ll be able to stand up to it because I have the confidence that I’ve been passionate about doing until now.” (Ichiro)
“I started playing tennis when I was 5 years old. My parents liked it, so I played tennis. At first, I played it with my parents and older sister at the park, and the dog would fetch the ball for me. After all, having fun is the most important thing. I was able to play many different sports while also studying. I played soccer, baseball, swimming, and since my mother was a piano teacher, I also played the piano.I chose tennis because I loved it and was good at it.”(Nishikori)
He also told me what to do when you don’t feel motivated or things aren’t going well.
“During regular training, there are a series of set actions, and I don’t feel motivated, but when I do them, my body somehow wakes up.I don’t feel motivated, but my body moves in a direction that makes me want to do it.In the professional world,” (Ichiro)
“Even if you don’t feel motivated, you have no choice but to try to aim for No. 1. Worst case scenario, if you really think you can’t do it, you forget about tennis. Basically, you have no choice but to do it. You have no choice but to do it, so you do it.” (Nishikori)
He also talked about the routines of athletes.
“There are a lot of things, and I carry the ball on my shoulders. When I go up the stairs (to the field), I start with my left foot. If I get a hit, I go to the left. If I get a hit, I go to the right. When the game is over, I don’t want to leave a feeling that I didn’t do what I did today. I did everything. However, I want to make sure that the reason I didn’t get good results lies within my own baseball skills. Polishing my glove every day is very important to help me sort out my feelings if something happens the next day.”
“I’m a zero. I’m a zero, but I’m a fan of having a routine. I just don’t do it. There was a time when I tried to do it, but I’m too lazy to do it. It didn’t last for three days, so I decided to quit.” (Nishikori)
After the roundtable discussion, Ichiro took on a different sport challenge of tennis and soccer. First, Ichiro tried to return Nishikori’s serve and also hit the crossbar of a soccer goal. Ichiro was trying out for the first time in a row, but he showed how he was both serious and having fun, and the venue got very excited.
“Nishikori-san and Uchida-san both have beautiful form. This is a characteristic of people who are good at competing. They look big, and they look beautiful.” (Ichiro)
At the end of the “CHALLENGE course,” Mr. Ichiro spoke kindly to the children, asking, “Did you find (what you like)?”
“This is a rare opportunity, so I want you to remember the feelings and feelings you had on this day. Maybe your parents will remember it better, so I want you to tell your children what happened today.”
In the afternoon, the “BOOST course” provided full-fledged instruction for experienced athletes to improve their competitive ability. In baseball, Ichiro taught the children detailed points based on his experience as a baseball player, such as how to use the shoulder blade and how to open the body when pitching, the angle of the bat relative to the ball when swinging, and how to use the hip joints when running the bases.
Mr. Ichiro instructs the children’s batting with gestures.
“Everyone was so good at it, so I put a lot of effort into it, and at the end I almost gave up again (bitter smile).Everyone had a great competitive atmosphere, and it wasn’t just a fun level, it was reliable.There were some kids who were much better than me at the time.That’s why I really hope they can continue like this somehow.” (Ichiro)
Nishikori and Uchida also gave the following impressions after completing the BOOST course.
“There were a lot of good kids, and I had a fun time thinking that some of them might go on to become professionals.” (Nishikori)
“Nowadays, we live in an era where all sports are becoming more and more popular around the world.Communication is a part of this.Even though I can communicate in Japanese, I get a little fidgety.Regardless of the sport, I want people of this age to acquire this skill.I think this is the generation that will carry Japanese soccer and sports on their shoulders from now on, so I hope they don’t get injured and continue to enjoy sports.” (Mr. Uchida)
At the end of the event, Ichiro sent a message to the children as a summary.
“I’m very happy that this event was held in such a positive atmosphere, filled with hope and brightness. Everyone’s potential is limitless, and the more you try, the better you’ll get. If you continue to love what you do, you’ll improve even more. I hope everyone will use this as an opportunity to find something they love, whether it’s baseball, soccer, tennis, or any other sport, and work hard at it.”
By holding the “1st Ichiro DREAM FIELD DAY” this time, a dream event that many people have imagined has become a reality, but I hope that it will not be a one-off event, but a sustainable one. This will require not only the efforts of athletes such as Ichiro, but also the support of UNIQLO, which is promoting the project.
I would also like to hope that someday, among the children who participated in the event, professional athletes will emerge who will surpass Ichiro, Kei Nishikori, and Atsuto Uchida and become more successful in the world.
