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Masahiro Yanagida - Sports Graphic "Number" Web
; thread
Masahiro Yanagida's "transformation" that led the team to its first V-League title in 14 years
Article: https://number.bunshun.jp/articles/-/847727
Published: April 11, 2021
@y_masaaaa_yk
#柳田将洋
Masahiro Yanagida - Sports Graphic "Number" Web
; thread
Masahiro Yanagida's "transformation" that led the team to its first V-League title in 14 years
Article: https://number.bunshun.jp/articles/-/847727
Published: April 11, 2021
@y_masaaaa_yk
#柳田将洋
DISCLAIMER [
] I am not a native speaker, nor learning Japanese formally, hence the ROUGH TRANS[
] All mistranslations are on me[
] I am very much open to corrections[
] DO NOT REPOST MY TRANSLATIONS WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDITS
"A different person, he's different." Masahiro Yanagida's "transformation" that led the team to its first V-League title in 14 years
The Japanese captain was replaced, but "I'm not shocked because it's Ishikawa."
The Japanese captain was replaced, but "I'm not shocked because it's Ishikawa."
“PLAY HARD”
This is the team slogan of the Suntory Sunbirds, who won the V.LEAGUE in the 2020-21 season. Last year, when the Corona disaster prevented them from practicing as a whole, they did group work and the players decided on this theme by themselves. The gymnasium has (+)
This is the team slogan of the Suntory Sunbirds, who won the V.LEAGUE in the 2020-21 season. Last year, when the Corona disaster prevented them from practicing as a whole, they did group work and the players decided on this theme by themselves. The gymnasium has (+)
(+) a banner with the words "PLAY HARD" written in black ink and the walls are covered with tips on what to do on and off the court.
For example:
・ Follow the ball to the end. Don't give up until it falls.
・ Communicate what is and isn't done. Keep someone from (+)
For example:
・ Follow the ball to the end. Don't give up until it falls.
・ Communicate what is and isn't done. Keep someone from (+)
(+) compromising to improve each other's level
・ Self-conditioning before and after practice
・ Have one rally conversation with everyone at least once a day.
When the team started last June, the person who embodied this "PLAY HARD" the most was Masahiro Yanagida, who (+)
・ Self-conditioning before and after practice
・ Have one rally conversation with everyone at least once a day.
When the team started last June, the person who embodied this "PLAY HARD" the most was Masahiro Yanagida, who (+)
(+) returned to Suntory after a four-season absence.
From man-to-man practice, he chases the ball with a different look in his eyes.
Yanagida became a key member of the national team and a popular player after his performance at the 2015 World Cup. In the past (+)
From man-to-man practice, he chases the ball with a different look in his eyes.
Yanagida became a key member of the national team and a popular player after his performance at the 2015 World Cup. In the past (+)
(+) three seasons, he has also achieved results in the German and Polish leagues and has been appointed captain of the Japanese national team. He is a spectacular player who decides the match with his competitive spikes and serves.
However, his attitude toward volleyball is rugged. This surprised both the younger players and those who hadn't played together in a while.
Yanagida's "attitude" that changed Suntory
Yanagida's "attitude" that changed Suntory
The captain of the team, third-year setter Masaki Oya, said, "He has a great attitude to push himself. Even if it's one against a person, he will definitely slide in and chase the ball until the end, even if he thinks it's impossible."
Coach Kota Yamamura immediately felt the change in his team.
"Japanese players often have a wait-and-see attitude, but Masa (Yanagida) has come back and is setting a good example. The atmosphere and attitude of everyone during practice have changed. (+)
"Japanese players often have a wait-and-see attitude, but Masa (Yanagida) has come back and is setting a good example. The atmosphere and attitude of everyone during practice have changed. (+)
(+) I think Masa learned firsthand that in a foreign country, no one will respond unless you speak up and nothing will change unless you take action. I feel the hungry spirit. I was very grateful for the mindset that he was going to be better, that he was going to be stronger.(+)
(+) When he first joined, Masa practiced the most. The people around were inspired to say, 'This isn't enough, I need to do more,' and 'How can I go on like this when a national player like Masa is doing so well?'. With the slogan "PLAY HARD," we have been saying (+)
(+) 'Let's give it our all,' but I think it was Masa who taught us what 'all' means and how to work on it. I think that was what our team needed the most.
The opening game of the season. Yanagida was a fighter.
Due to the travel restrictions caused by the Corona disaster, (+)
The opening game of the season. Yanagida was a fighter.
Due to the travel restrictions caused by the Corona disaster, (+)
(+) the Russian national team's Dmitry Muserskiy and the Chinese national team's Ji Daoshuai were late to join the team, so Suntory started the season with only Japanese players, but Yanagida led the team among them.
Suntory took the first set from the Wolfdogs Nagoya, but (+)
Suntory took the first set from the Wolfdogs Nagoya, but (+)
(+) midway through the second set, WD Nagoya changed the flow of the game by using Poland's Bartosz Kurek, and Suntory lost the set.
Until last season, it would have been easy to lose the game. However, before the start of the third set, Yanagida gathered the starting (+)
Until last season, it would have been easy to lose the game. However, before the start of the third set, Yanagida gathered the starting (+)
(+) six players on the court, slapped each of them on their behinds, and said, "Hey! One more time, let's go!"
He scored 23 points, second only to Masashi Kuriyama's 24 points in the opening game, and contributed to the victory in the opening round.
He scored 23 points, second only to Masashi Kuriyama's 24 points in the opening game, and contributed to the victory in the opening round.
(+) After the game, libero Taiki Tsuruta, who played with Yanagida for the first time in four seasons, had this to say.
"He's reliable. He plays well, and he is very vocal and inspiring. When he makes a good play, they would get excited. (+)
"He's reliable. He plays well, and he is very vocal and inspiring. When he makes a good play, they would get excited. (+)
(+) It feels like he's a foreigner (laughs). He's completely different from before. A different person, he's different."
In the second game, Yanagida scored the most points on the team and was the mental pillar of the team, leading them to two consecutive wins in the (+)
In the second game, Yanagida scored the most points on the team and was the mental pillar of the team, leading them to two consecutive wins in the (+)
(+) opening game. The start of the winning streak without Muserskiy gave the team a lot of confidence.
The "Muserskiy reliance" has been broken.
It was something that Suntory lacked until last season. At 218cm, Muserskiy is an outstanding play-maker as an opposite, but the (+)
The "Muserskiy reliance" has been broken.
It was something that Suntory lacked until last season. At 218cm, Muserskiy is an outstanding play-maker as an opposite, but the (+)
(+) team relied on him both in play and in mentality. At the end of last season, when Muserskiy was out with an injury, they lost three straight games to lower-ranked teams. The reliance on Muserskiy was undeniable.
This season, the confidence of winning back-to-back games against WD Nagoya in the absence of Muserskiy has been the driving force behind the team's ability to win close games and not fall apart even when outmatched throughout the season.
Yanagida himself once expressed his difficulty in maintaining motivation in the middle of a long league that lasted nearly half a year.
"As the league continues, it is not good that it has become habitual and uninspiring in a bad way. I have to keep motivating myself (+)
"As the league continues, it is not good that it has become habitual and uninspiring in a bad way. I have to keep motivating myself (+)
(+) to do so. Overseas, there were so many orders from people around me, asking me to do this, do that, why not do this (laughs). I respond to it, and we argue about it. It was like a bunch of egoists.
The way we spiked was different (from Japan), and I was always tense, (+)
The way we spiked was different (from Japan), and I was always tense, (+)
(+) feeling the pressure of not knowing what I would be told or when I would be cornered. Of course, I still have it, but obviously, my position and many other things are different here than overseas, so I think I need to find my own motivation here."
He said that, but what made him step up a gear was to rethink his goals.
"Just rethinking the idea of mid-term and long-term goals was enough motivation for me. First of all, our goal is to win the league championship, and next is the Olympics, so I want to fight one more (+)
"Just rethinking the idea of mid-term and long-term goals was enough motivation for me. First of all, our goal is to win the league championship, and next is the Olympics, so I want to fight one more (+)
(+) time with the Japanese flag on my back. That's our mid-term goal. My long-term goal is to find out what I can do as a professional player and how I can make this volleyball world more exciting. That part is still vague, but it's something I've been thinking about."
And on April 4, Yanagida accomplished one goal. First V-League championship. At that moment, Yanagida, who had been hugging his teammates, jumping up and down, and being innocently happy, suddenly started crying with a crumpled face right after hugging the staff. (+)
(+) He wiped his tears with his uniform and his shoulders shook.
It is rare for Yanagida to show tears. It was the first time for him since the Spring High School Volleyball, and he smiled, saying, "I was surprised myself."
It is rare for Yanagida to show tears. It was the first time for him since the Spring High School Volleyball, and he smiled, saying, "I was surprised myself."
"While I was overseas, there was a staff member who cared about me for a long time, and he kept telling me, 'The Sunbirds are far from winning the championship.' I had rejected him every time (laughs), but he accepted me back here, and I was able to win here. When I hugged (+)
(+) that person, it brought back all the memories I had up to that point."
The staff member is Keisuke Kurihara, the team director. Kurihara was in charge of scouting Yanagida when he was a university student, and they have been close friends in their personal lives.
The staff member is Keisuke Kurihara, the team director. Kurihara was in charge of scouting Yanagida when he was a university student, and they have been close friends in their personal lives.
"Kurihara has been a great support to me in my life abroad."
Kurihara became the regular setter in the 2003-04 season when Suntory won an unprecedented five consecutive V-League championships and was the captain when the team won the championship in the 2006-07 season.
Kurihara became the regular setter in the 2003-04 season when Suntory won an unprecedented five consecutive V-League championships and was the captain when the team won the championship in the 2006-07 season.
At that time, Suntory was a "team that always wins." The following year, however, they narrowly missed out on the finals and were out of the league for 14 years. For Kurihara, who has been involved with the team as a coach and team director since his retirement, (+)
(+) winning the championship was a long-held dream.
"You did it. Thank you."
The moment Kurihara said that to him and they hugged, Yanagida's emotions overflowed.
"He didn't just say that he doesn't have anything to do anymore because I had left for abroad, but he was (+)
"You did it. Thank you."
The moment Kurihara said that to him and they hugged, Yanagida's emotions overflowed.
"He didn't just say that he doesn't have anything to do anymore because I had left for abroad, but he was (+)
(+) always concerned about my difficulties overseas and came to see me every year, saying, "How are you?". That kind of concern was very important to me, and I was also very happy that he kept calling out to me, so I was a little overwhelmed remembering that."
He looked back at him a little embarrassed.
The addition of Yanagida was the final push to win the championship for Suntory, which finished third last season and was just one step away from the finals. Kurihara said:
The addition of Yanagida was the final push to win the championship for Suntory, which finished third last season and was just one step away from the finals. Kurihara said:
"He became a role model in terms of attitude and professionalism, something that was lacking in the team until last season. Of course, there is the play on the court and the captaincy, but there is also the attitude of daily practice and the encouragement to the (+)
(+) younger players. Oya also had a lot of work to do as captain, but Masa talked him through it. He instilled in the young players what they wanted to be and what they needed to do. I don't think that a coach or a manager can change that kind of thing, so the fact that the (+)
(+) players showed it with their attitude was huge. I think that thinking about the team as well as the individual led to this victory."
And once the V-League is over, Japan's national team will begin its activities for the Tokyo Olympics.
And once the V-League is over, Japan's national team will begin its activities for the Tokyo Olympics.
The day after the final, the members of this year's Japanese national team were announced.
The captain of this year's Japanese team is Yuki Ishikawa. Yuichi Nakagaichi, the coach, told Yanagida, who was the captain until last year, that he had been informed during the V-League.
The captain of this year's Japanese team is Yuki Ishikawa. Yuichi Nakagaichi, the coach, told Yanagida, who was the captain until last year, that he had been informed during the V-League.
"I'm not that shocked, really. I was also told that Ishikawa would be the next captain, so I had nothing to worry about. I'm sure Ishikawa will be fine. So I thought that the team would go in a positive direction, and what I would do would not change that much. I don't think (+)
(+) this year will be any different from what we have done in previous years. I think that improving my condition, contributing to the team, and getting a starting position is a simple step up, no matter if I am the captain or not. I don't really like the idea of doing (+)
(+) something because I'm the captain, or not doing something because I'm not the captain. I don't think it will change the way I stand.
Of course, there are things that Ishikawa has to do as captain, and I respect that very much, but I think the most important thing for (+)
Of course, there are things that Ishikawa has to do as captain, and I respect that very much, but I think the most important thing for (+)
(+) me is to continue thinking about what I can do."
Regardless of whether he is the captain or not, Yanagida's attitude toward volleyball and the passion he puts into each and every shot will continue to bring others into the game.
Regardless of whether he is the captain or not, Yanagida's attitude toward volleyball and the passion he puts into each and every shot will continue to bring others into the game.
[end of thread]
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading!
