On May 7th, C.R.O. Nakata (hereafter referred to as Coach Nakata) participated in a practice session at the School Tone-Shono campus. The Tone-Shono campus was established in response to requests from local residents and utilizes the outfield of the Tone-Shono/Miyanodai baseball field in Chiba Prefecture. Currently, 50 children, ranging from kindergarteners to junior high school students, are active there.
The first hour began with Coach Nakata calling out names from a roster to take attendance. When they were about to start a game, one child said, "I want to be on a different team from Coach Nakata! I want to take the ball from Coach Nakata," and as soon as the game started, they immediately went to try and take the ball from him. In the 5th and 6th-grade course, many children wanted to be on the same team as Coach Nakata, and while Coach Nakata was deliberating which team to join, once he was on a team, he played with his usual "serious competitive spirit."
The autograph and photo sessions during the school break were also a huge success.
On May 27th, Coach Nakata participated in the School Takahagi campus. The Takahagi campus offers a comprehensive program from kindergarten to a special course for 5th and 6th graders, and currently has 90 active members.
As soon as Coach Nakata arrived at the ground and joined the children's game, the children bravely challenged him.
The autograph and photo sessions held during the breaks had long queues throughout, and the fathers and mothers were especially excited.
By the time it came to the 3rd and 4th-grade class in the second hour and the 5th and 6th-grade class in the third hour, the level was quite high, and Coach Nakata, sweating profusely, conveyed to the children through his play in serious competition, "For Antlers, it's important to be committed to winning!"
On June 3rd, Coach Yanagisawa, after finishing practice with the top team, participated in the School Shimotsuma campus. The Shimotsuma campus is provided by LIXIL's Shimotsuma factory ground, which supports Antlers, and currently has 50 active members. This ground has natural grass, providing the best environment for the children.
While enjoying himself with the children, Coach Yanagisawa also showcased various feints in the one-on-one drills, captivating the children.
He also diligently memorized each child's name, calling out during matches, "Nice goal, XX!" and "You're good, XX, nice play!" The children responded with happy smiles.
The autograph session was attended not only by school students but also by about 100 people working at the LIXIL Shimotsuma factory, as the school venue was the factory grounds. Coach Yanagisawa was very popular with both children and adults, and the autograph session lasted for over an hour after the school finished.
