![]() Kobayashi says Ohtani succeeded in playing on his own terms, facing down objections. He played for the team from 2013 to 2017. straight out of high school, but he consented to remain in Japan to play for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, on the condition that he be allowed to both hit and pitch. Kobayashi says Ohtani's efforts to continue his dual role. Many Little Leaguers in Japan are allowed both to hit and pitch, but it is rarer in pro baseball, partly because pitchers need to rest their arms, while hitters may play in every game. "I think even now, he plays with the mind of an elementary school kid who loves baseball." "No matter what the results are for him, his team's victory simply makes him happy," says former catcher Sasaki. Kobayashi says that anyone who has ever had fun playing baseball as a kid will be reminded of it when they see Ohtani play. So Ohtani has continued to enjoy baseball the whole time." "But Coach Asari let his players grow freely. "Most Japanese baseball players train hard how to play, suppress their own feelings, be patient and practice exactly as their coach says," explains sports journalist Nobuya Kobayashi, who has written a book about Ohtani. Anthony Kuhn/NPRīut Coach Asari took an unconventional approach, emphasizing fun over winning games. Young baseball players in Japan use repetitive drills to hone skills such as bunting or executing double plays. Players with the Mizusawa Pirates hop over a ladder for agility drills during a weekend practice. As in martial arts, Japanese Little League players hone their skills through repetitive drills, and in Ohtani's days, strict discipline often included corporal punishment. In Japanese, players who excel at both pitching and hitting are called nitoryu, or "two-sword style," a term that recalls the samurai warriors of Japan's past. In the beginning, I couldn't catch his pitches at all." "Also, his slider curves too much," he says, "and my body couldn't react in time. He remembers the numerous sprained fingers that the pitches caused. "I had never caught a ball from a pitcher who could throw at more than 87 miles per hour," says Ryuki Sasaki, Ohtani's catcher in high school. Not only were they hard to hit, they were also very hard to catch. He hurled faster fastballs and his sliders curved more than other pitchers'. Opposite-field home runs require more power, as the batter swings later and the bat has less time to accelerate.Īs a kid, Ohtani also excelled at pitching. Ohtani's opposite-field home runs have become a signature of his hitting, including the hardest-hit opposite-field homer by a left-handed hitter since Major League Baseball's Statcast data system began tracking them in 2015. I think that was when he found the fun of opposite-field hitting." "He shot me a dagger-like look, and then hit his next homer to left field. ![]() "So I jokingly told him, 'Don't pull your hits, Shohei!'" he recalls. ![]() Asari says the cost of lost baseballs began to add up. ![]() Batting left-handed, he often hit home runs over the right-field fence and into the river. Ohtani's capabilities quickly surpassed his teammates'. "I thought this boy could make it big, and he gave that impression, but he was very skinny at the time." Observations not only aid in creating the curriculum but also give insight into the development, knowledge and skill levels of each individual child."But he looked straight into my eyes and said, 'I want to play hardball with this team,'" says Asari. We believe observations not and assessments are excellent tools to use when planning a curriculum. We strive for a developmentally appropriate, child-centered atmosphere where children have the opportunity to master new challenges through activities and topics that are meaningful to them, thus building their self esteem as they develop and learn.Ĭhild should be given choices, responsibilities, and opportunities to initiate their own learning. Security and trust are very important components as well, of my relationships with each child. ![]() Therefore, the goal of my program is to make this ongoing learning experience safe, positive, and fun, nurturing the whole child as I strive to guide them into the next stage of development with confidence in themselves and an excitement for continued learning.Ĭhildren need the assurance of being loved and cared for while they are enjoying an educational environment. These include: physical, social/emotional, cognitive, and communication. We believe learning is happening all the time and is interwoven through all developmental domains. The early years of a child's life are busy. ![]()
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