Volleyball: Japan vs. Canada

There are several differences between playing club sports in Japan, compared to in my home country (Canada).

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I played volleyball in Canada for 8 years from elementary school to high school and I was nowhere near prepared for what I experienced when I played with a girls volleyball team at Kashiba High School in Nara, Japan.

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First, at my high school in Canada, different sports rotated throughout the year. This allowed me to play on a different team each season of the year. In Japan, I was only able to choose one sport to play during the year. Second, in Canada, we had 2 morning practices and 2 afternoon games each week. School related sports only occurred during the week, thus weekend tournaments were optional to attend. In Japan, we had practices twice everyday--in the morning and after school. Games were hosted only on weekends (Saturdays). Third, sportsmanship and competitiveness also differed between the two countries. In Canada, it was common to have team members miss practices when it was inconvenient for them, as well as put down other team members when we lost a point. In Japan, it was quite the contrary. Team members were always at practice, unless they had plausible reason to miss it. After every point, gained or lost, the last person to touch the ball received a high-five from each player! This sportsmanship genuinely showed that whatever happens, everyone is there to have fun.

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This is the symbol or mascot for volleyball in Japan called "Babo-chan".

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I think that these differences between playing club sports in Japan vs. in Canada is primarily due to how students are disciplined in school.

I joined a volleyball circle (which doesn't require as much commitment as a club) at Kansai Gaidai . The TRAPxTRAP volleyball circle has 2 practices per week for fun scrimmaging (see above) and technique training.