Photo By Staff Sgt. Janessa Dugan | Phillip M. Bennet coaches members of a basketball game during a Friendship Basketball...... read more read more
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Students with the Hamagawa Elementary School basketball team and Status of Forces Agreement children from Department of Defense Education Activity schools gathered for a Basketball Friendship event Dec. 3 on Camp Courtney.
The event brought Okinawa residents and SOFA members together through friendly competition.
“We organized this event to build the friendships,” said Satoru Sakumoto, a Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa youth sports recreation specialist. “Basketball is popular on and off base and we wanted to give the Okinawa students a chance to enjoy something familiar with someone different.”
The children divided into four teams and played in four separate games throughout the event.
“Because this is a friendship game, we divided the players into combined teams,” said Sakumoto, an Okinawa City, native. “This way, they can learn from each other and get to know each other.”
Service members and DoD contractors coached the MCCS sponsored event as parents cheered from the stands.
“Coaching today is a great way for me to give back to not just the military community, but the Okinawa community as a whole,” Staff Sgt. Jay Anderson, a Marine Corps Base Communications training center instructor with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations Pacific – Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Japan. “Instilling teamwork and sportsmanship is something we have in common and we are enjoying doing just that. Participation from SOFA personnel and Okinawa residents is really important here.”
At the end of each game, the players shook hands and congratulated the winning teams and took team photos together.
“We have all enjoyed coming on base and having fun with the American kids,” said Sawaka Kinjo, a Chatan, Okinawa, native. “We are observing fascinating cultural differences, but also enjoying similarities. We are all here to have fun and make friendships.”
As the day drew to a close, the students waved goodbye to each other as they went their separate ways.
“The hard work of the American volunteers from on base made this event happen,” said Kinjo. “Without their hard work and friendly spirit, this event wouldn’t have been possible. We are having lots of fun and hope to have our kids participate in these events in the future.”
| Date Taken: | 12.03.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2016 18:27 |
| Story ID: | 216508 |
| Location: | CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | INDIANOLA, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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