Let’s discuss young talent in sports

This week's featured article

Sometimes, the sport you are playing might not be the right fit for you, and you might have the potential to excel in something else.

So why not switch sports?

The Japan Sports Agency and Japan Sports Association have launched a new initiative called the Japan Rising Star Project to identify young talent — currently among junior high and high school students — who could potentially be Olympians in other sports.

At the Aug. 26 event at Nippon Sport Science University in Tokyo, a total of 40 boys and 66 girls chosen through the application process in June gathered to showcase themselves and go through physical tests looking for a chance to become future national team athletes at the Olympics.

The project, which began in July, is being held at nine different sites for Olympics sports and five for Paralympic sports, and is scheduled to end later this month.

Diving, rowing, weightlifting, handball, cycling, softball and rugby sevens (for female athletes only) are the Olympic sports. Boccia, swimming, powerlifting, wheelchair fencing and cycling are the Paralympic sports.

The tests participants went through for the Olympic sports included vertical jump, 30-meter dash, medicine ball throw, shuttle run, mini handball and riding a Wattbike (indoor training bike).

The applicants listed the sports they like to play on their applications, and those who pass the physical tests will advance to the training camp-style selections run by the national federations of each respective sport, starting in November. A total of around 40 athletes will proceed to the final stage.

The project provides a great opportunity for the young athletes as well as for the sports federations. Some federations, especially for minor sports, are desperate to find talent.

Rowing, for example, is a sport that can be picked up late, but it's not easy to find the right talent. Yuya Inohana, of the Japan Rowing Association, explained that athletes must have "a lot of output power" and be able to perform "for a long time," and that the Wattbike test is ideal to look for those qualities.

The federation had held talent-identification events across the country, but Inohana hopes that the government-led project will advertise the sport and that more young athletes will become interested.

First published in The Japan Times on Sept. 6.

Warm up

One-minute chat about the sport you're good at.

Game

Collect words related to sports, e.g., training, games, athletes.

New words

1) excel: to be exceptionally good at, e.g., "He excels in Japanese."

2) initiative: first action, e.g., "They are taking the initiative to change things."

3) desperate: seriously eager, e.g., "I was desperate to leave home."

Guess the headline

Japan R_ _ _ _ _ Star Project aims to maximize nation's young t_ _ _ _ _

Questions

1) What is the aim of the project?

2) What kind of physical test do the participants take?

3)How many people will make it to the final round?

Let's discuss the article

1) Have you ever tried or thought about trying the sports listed in the article?

2) What do you think about this new initiative for young athletes?

3) What do you think is needed to enhance the situation of sports industries in Japan?

Reference

2020年の東京オリンピック・パラリンピックが近づくにつれ、スポーツ界の盛り上がりは熱を帯び続ける一方、オリンピックを夢見ながらも力を発揮できていない若者や、人材の不足に悩んでいるオリンピックスポーツの競技もあるようです。 このもどかしさを解消すべく始まった新たな取り組みによって、東京オリンピックでは日本のメダルラッシュが期待できるのでしょうか。

朝の会に参加し、皆さんで話し合ってみましょう。