A competitive match between elite athletes and local children? Promoting the sports island through All-Oshima Volleyball Days

Location: Oshima High School gymnasium. Just before the end of the summer break, All-Oshima Volleyball Days was held over two days, on August 23rd and 24th, 2022.

In addition to around 40 Oshima schoolchildren who play volleyball, two guests made an appearance too: Kumi Nakada, previous head coach of the Japanese national volleyball team, and former national team player Rika Nomoto, who only stopped playing as recently as June 2022. Twenty years ago, Ms. Nakada visited Oshima High School with the Youth Volleyball Coaching Caravan, and it was thanks to a letter from the school's volleyball club graduates that she finally returned to Oshima this time around.

On Day One, around 40 students who play volleyball at elementary, middle and high schools on Oshima got together.

They were greeted at the reception by staff in breezy Hawaiian-style outfits, while infection control measures continued to be observed.

First, Oshima's representative Mr. Kobayashi offered a brief explanation of the background to the event and the significance of this initiative: "I hope that if everyone comes together and interacts, this will help people see Oshima as a wonderful island and want to come again."

Mr. Yamamoto has been involved in volleyball coaching on Oshima for 20 years. He presented stories of the Youth Volleyball Coaching Caravan 20 years ago that led Ms. Nakada to visit Oshima again, and of their hard work running Oshima High School's volleyball club with just three staff members.

On Day Two, around 20 middle and high school players took part in a higher-level volleyball experience.

The first half consisted of an elite-level warmup planned by Ms. Nakada, while the second half was a competitive match, where a team of middle and high school students coached by Ms. Nakada faced off against a team made up of Ms. Nomoto and local adults. The adult team had the upper hand at the beginning, but the schoolchildren were up to the task, defending valiantly and demonstrating strong attacking play. A feeling of unity gradually developed between Ms. Nakada and the student team.

Excited smiles could be seen on the faces of the participants, who had the chance to get closer with other children who normally play on different teams, and to take inspiration from national team veterans.
Also, thanks to their interactions with local children putting everything into volleyball, Oshima became a truly memorable location for all the guests too.

When the programs for the two days ended, children and adults alike went to the harbor to watch sadly as Ms. Nakada and Ms. Nomoto's boat departed.

With this event, the volleyball lovers of Oshima came together as one, and laid the groundwork for building up Oshima's appeal through volleyball. In order to promote Oshima as a volleyball island and further increase the number of regular visitors in the future, there are plans for other initiatives such as conducting familiarization tours.