SILS × Lacrosse Team
» Japanese
Name: Hidaka Anri (Japan)
High School: Makuhari Senior High School (Japan)
Study Abroad: Humboldt State University (USA)
Name: Takahashi Misato (Japan)
High School: Oita-Uenogaoka High School (Japan)
Study Abroad: California State University, Chico (USA)
1. Sports and athletics in Japan
Sports and athletics in Japan have an image of being very strict, but through our experience, we found out there is much more to it. Of course, sport teams require committed and motivated players, but they are also places where you can experience so many things of Japan you can never find elsewhere. They are places where you can directly experience the social structure of Japan, where elder members are considered superior to younger ones. Also, it is possible to become teammates and friends with Japanese students from other undergraduate schools who are not necessarily interested in cross-cultural experiences. Sports clubs are thus good places to get to know very Japanese students. If you have played lacrosse before, the lacrosse club is also be a good opportunity to try your skills and competence in a different country and challenge yourself.
2. Our experiences through lacrosse
We have both experienced lacrosse outside of Japan, when we joined lacrosse teams in U.S. during our exchange programs. We were able to make our time abroad very special and the friends we made abroad through lacrosse are irreplaceable. We thus strongly recommended joining a sports team because it is a good way to maximize your experience in a different environment.
Of course, it may seem that language differences can be a big hindrance. However, this is only a small problem. In our Waseda Women`s Lacrosse team there are many returnee students who are fluent in English, and many others eager to learn and communicate in English. We actually had an exchange student from the U.S. on our lacrosse team last year. She joined our lacrosse team from April to July 2009, when she went back to the States. During her time on the lacrosse team, she enjoyed playing lacrosse and also spent time with the team members outside of lacrosse. We would go to school, have lunch and dinner together as well as hang out in our free time. Language is not a barrier when it comes to sports.
The good part about the lacrosse club is that practice is only in the mornings, from 7am to 11am. You will therefore never miss a class because you slept too late, and classes are prioritized so we never miss morning classes. Of course, it requires some commitment but, in my case, I learned to work out my schedule with school, work, lacrosse and free time. In a way, I was able to make the best out of my four years of college because of lacrosse. In addition, learning Japanese through sports is very efficient because not only will you feel the urge to learn more but also you are exposed to a larger amount of the language than you would be otherwise.
4. Waseda has a traditionBeing able to represent Waseda University is a rare opportunity. But you are able to do this on the lacrosse team, especially when we have our Soukeisen. Every May, we have our Soukeisen, which is a game versus our biggest rival, Keio University. It is one of our most important games and it is a great place to wear the Waseda uniform and be cheered by the Waseda cheer team and supporters.
What we can say about being both SILS students and lacrosse team members is that both experiences made our college years far more satisfying than we expected. Joining the lacrosse team, or any other team, is a great chance for you to expand your skills and see Japan in a new way. Why not spend a challenging time in Japan that is worth it?
Up Date:2011/04/27