Tomorrow
Most able-bodied people probably envision their lives as follows: finishing their school years, becoming adults, getting married, starting a family, raising children, and growing old. But I suddenly wonder if this is the ideal form of happiness that people seek.
There is a world where what is normal for you does not apply at all. If you suddenly got sick and couldn't move, would you have any hope for tomorrow?
In the eyes of others, you are a pitiful person. I would be happy if you could keep in mind that there are people with disabilities who are living more vibrant lives by taking on challenges, even if they seem to be handicapped.
Kanagawa Prefecture is one of the few prefectures in Japan where seven soccer organizations for people with disabilities are active and where there are many J clubs.
Kanagawa is one of the few prefectures in Japan where there are seven disability soccer organizations and a number of J-Clubs. The seven disability soccer organizations are: (1) Amputee Football (amputee), (2) Blind Football (visually impaired), (3) Deaf Football & Futsal (hearing impaired), (4) CP Football (cerebral palsy), (5) Electric Wheelchair Football (severe physical disability), (6) Football for the Mentally Challenged (intellectual disability), and (7) Social Football (mental disability). (mental disability).
Six J-Clubs and a soccer organization for the disabled have come together to create a unique space through the tool of soccer. This was the online event "JFA Football Day Inclusive Football Festa Kanagawa 2021" held on Saturday, October 9. Organized by the Kanagawa Football Association and co-sponsored by the Japan Disabled Football Federation (JIFF), this event was the first of its kind to be held in Kanagawa Prefecture, with the aim of creating opportunities for people to learn about the seven types of soccer for the disabled and for everyone to enjoy it at home, with the aim of realizing a symbiotic society where people can mix with each other regardless of their disabilities. This was the first time the event was held in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Behind the Values Report
Only a limited number of people gathered at the venue, and the rest of the event was designed to be enjoyed online. Our electric wheelchair soccer players had to refrain from participating in the event due to the spread of corona infection. The event was led by able-bodied staff and with the help of Shonan Bellmare staff.
The "competition briefing" in the first half was recorded by me in advance and delivered as is. At the end of the session, I played a video commentary by Mari Nagaoka, a player who has represented Japan in the national team and who had prepared for this event with me.
The second half of the event was a "Maze-Koze-Soccer" activity with audience participation. "Maze-Koze-Soccer" is a soccer game where people of all ages, with or without soccer experience, as well as electric wheelchair users and blind people can participate.
The activity is a collaboration between a soccer organization for people with disabilities and a J-Club to carry out various projects. Since electric wheelchair soccer is difficult to play online, a penalty shootout was held. One of the kickers was Mr. Go Kitazawa, former Japanese national team player, who is the president of JIFF. The other was Mr. Suzuki, a staff member of Shonan Bellmare. During their free time on that day, they trained hard under the guidance of Kaneda, my team's general manager.
A heated penalty shootout. King Bell I, the mascot of Shonan Bellmare, played the role of keeper and made a fine save on the last kick of the two-goal game by Mr. Suzuki of Shonan Bellmare. He showed a tremendous reaction at the moment and won the confrontation between the two teams. And the game ended with a victory for Chairman Kitazawa.
Other soccer groups for the physically challenged also presented various performances, making use of their own characteristics. The event ended with a finale with the viewers joining in and moving their bodies in a dance.
Anytime, Anywhere (ONLINE)
Through this experience, I thought again. With the Corona disaster, people can no longer easily meet in person, and the value of communication applications such as zoom has increased dramatically. As long as you are online, you can communicate with someone at any time, as long as the timing is right. As long as you have a free schedule, you can easily participate in events that utilize online communication. And they are global in scale.
I felt a sense of unity with everyone at the event, and enjoyed the sense of fulfillment of creating an enjoyable event through the screen. Even people from other prefectures were able to participate in the event because it was online.
I want to believe in the power of sports.
It was an invaluable day that made me realize that I will continue to do everything I can to promote and develop soccer for the disabled without stopping. The power of sports to turn a negative into a positive is great.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)