Photo By Noriko Kudo | A Zama Middle High School player shoots a layup during a basketball game with local...... read more read more
Subscribe
CAMP ZAMA, Japan – American and Japanese youths fostered friendship through their shared love of basketball over two weekends of friendly, competitive play March 8 and 15 at the Youth Center and Yano Fitness Center here.
Camp Zama’s Youth Sports program, in cooperation with the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, invited boys’ and girls’ basketball teams from nearby junior high schools for the inaugural event.
Brandon Bergeron, the Youth Sports and Fitness director, said he invited the local teams to give children on the Army installation the chance to play with some Japanese players their age and have fun.
Both the American and Japanese hoopers played a very different style of basketball, Bergeron said. The event was a good opportunity for both groups to experience a new and unique challenge on the court.
“Everybody had high morale, and it looked like [the children] were really enjoying playing basketball out there.” Bergeron said. “It really is a good opportunity for us to showcase how friendly our communities can be with each other.”
Participating in athletics is an ideal way to form bilateral friendships, Bergeron said. There is little language barrier because a sport like basketball uses common shorthand language, he said.
“Win or lose, [this event is] all about enjoying the sport of basketball and loving the physical part of it,” Bergeron said.
Levi Schmidt said he was impressed and surprised by the speed and aggressive playing style of the Japanese team.
“It was a lot of fun playing with them … [and] good competition,” Schmidt, a freshman at Zama Middle High School, said. “It was a great learning experience for me, both individually and as a team.”
Yuhi Sadaishi an eighth grader at Nishi Junior High School in Zama, played against American players for the first time at the event. He said that although his opponents were taller and physically stronger, he felt he and his Japanese teammates were able to keep up with them, stamina-wise.
Sadaishi also saw a contrast between their playing styles. He was accustomed to his own team’s focus on team play and moving the ball around, whereas the American players focused on showcasing their individual talent.
“My teammates and I were very happy to have a new experience and definitely want to come back to play with [the American players],” Sadaishi said.
Rina Katayama, and eighth grader at Soubudai Junior High School in Sagamihara, was also new to playing against an American team. Before the game, she said she was intimidated by the taller opponents, but once the games started, she realized she and her team could keep up competitively.
“We were nervous at first, but as the game went on, we were able to show what we had practiced, and we had a lot of fun.” Katayama said. “My teammates and I said to each other that we would like to come back and play more games with [the Americans].”
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2025 02:28 |
| Story ID: | 493646 |
| Location: | ZAMA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S., Japanese youth foster friendship through love of basketball, by Noriko Kudo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
