My first-year middle school daughter's sports day changed my values.

The spring sports day season. While some places hold them in the autumn, at my daughter's (first-year middle school) school, it is held in May.

Practice started after Golden Week, and for the two weeks leading up to it, she went to school with her gym clothes almost every day. She would be exhausted when she got home, so I could tell she was working hard at practice (my daughter doesn't say much).

Then, the other day, the day of the sports day arrived. Since it was our first time and we didn't have much information, my husband and I headed to the venue. It was only held in the morning, and looking at the program, it seemed like a simple structure. So, I thought I would just watch my daughter's turn and then relax in the shade (the high temperature that day was 30 degrees Celsius. The sun was painful).

However, once it started, it was a parade of ingenious competitions, and I found myself enjoying cheering so much that I realized I had been standing and watching almost every event.

To be honest, I don't have much of an emotional attachment to sports days. A big factor is that I am not good at sports (especially running slowly). Even if it were a physical fitness test, I have lived my whole life questioning why we have to be exposed to the superiority or inferiority of running speed in front of all the students and parents (though I am against everyone holding hands and reaching the goal together). I think I participated in other events seriously enough, but I couldn't deny the feeling of 'just doing it' or 'being made to do it,' and I don't have many memories of feeling genuinely happy.

Of course, unlike when I was a student, I want to unconditionally cheer for the children as they do their best. But it is also true that my own experiences would flicker in my mind, leading to negative thoughts.

It is no exaggeration to say that this sports day changed my values. I would like to look back on what was different while I write this.

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1. Eye of the Typhoon

This is the competition for the first-year students, including my daughter. It is a class-versus-class battle. 'Eye of the Typhoon' is a relay-style competition where several people hold a bamboo pole horizontally, run around a triangular cone, and come back.

This time, they were in groups of five, but the bamboo pole was long enough for eight people. There were two triangular cones, and it seems they had to make one rotation around the right side at the first cone, and two rotations around the left side at the second cone. Moreover, there was a rule that the end of the pole had to be brought close to the cone.

When they started, the five of them crowded toward the right end, which served as the center, while running. By doing this, the force required to rotate at the center is minimized, the circumference they run is shorter, and it is efficient. When going to the next cone, they crowd toward the opposite left end. I was already impressed here, thinking, 'I see!'

The return trip is just running straight back. Once they cross the marker line, everyone except the two at the ends lets go of the pole. Then, the remaining two pass the pole under the feet of everyone in the class (the whole class jumps in a wave from the front), and finally, they move the pole over their heads from the back to pass the baton to the next group. It seems incredibly difficult. Moreover, if even one person's foot got caught, it would likely be a disastrous situation. But I was surprised that every group went through it smoothly.

My daughter was in the middle of the anchor group (I learned this then). At the ends of the pole were a tall girl and a visibly sturdy, athletic boy. Their running speed was also fast. My daughter, who is not very fast, held the pole desperately and kept up. Her leg turnover was faster than usual.

'Go for it!! Don't fall!!' I realized I was shouting at the top of my lungs (the day before the sports day, my daughter had fallen and scraped her knee badly).

My daughter finished running without falling. And my daughter's class, which had excellent teamwork (especially during the jumping part), came in first place (congratulations).

I heard later that they had been in last place during practice the whole time. But they practiced many times, and they discussed and adjusted with the whole class regarding the members of the group, which position was suitable, and the order of the groups. Furthermore, the third-year students came to teach them the tricks for jumping. Was it the result of strategy and practice?

I wondered, was 'Eye of the Typhoon' always such an exciting competition?

The grade-level competitions for the second and third years were also amazing!

2. All-member relay

As the name suggests, it is a relay where every student in the class passes the baton. It is a class competition. There are 40 students in one class. However, they don't run the relay with all 40 at once; they are divided into teams of 10 and compete four times.

There are two main strategies for this event. One is to make good use of the baton pass zone by deciding the order so that fast runners cover as long a distance as possible (receiving the baton at the start of the pass zone and running until the very end of the next pass zone), and slow runners cover a shorter distance (the opposite of the above). This alone makes the overall time overwhelmingly faster.

And the other is the team composition. Whether to balance the four teams equally or create a team that is guaranteed to win. It seems they discussed and decided this as a whole class. They tried it out in practice and adjusted it while considering the balance with other classes.

In reality, there were moments where they dropped the baton or fell down and didn't get the ranking they hoped for, but the result included all of that.

What I felt while cheering was that regardless of whether they were fast or slow, no one was left behind (though that might just be the perspective I view things from). I felt the enthusiasm from everyone to "just fulfill my role," and I was impressed that the strategy was different for each class.

This was held for each grade level and was very exciting. By the way, there were no footraces in the program.

3. Cheering squad performance

When I think of a cheering squad, I imagine selected members in school uniforms doing things like "San-san-nana-byoshi," but this school was completely different. The entire student body participates.

In the school as a whole, classes are divided into vertical groups called 'dans' (teams). For example, 1st year Class 1, 2nd year Class 1, and 3rd year Class 1 are the Blue Team, and so on.

Each team comes out onto the field, combining dance and cheering squad performance to showcase, and after the final pose, they run back to the cheering section. The event ends when everyone is seated and the team leader raises their hand. In addition to the judges' evaluation points, the time between events (bonus points for hitting the set time exactly), and whether there were any forgotten items during practice are also subject to bonus points.

Every team was wonderful. My daughter's team was also well-coordinated, and they looked like they were having a lot of fun dancing to Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Ao to Natsu." During the practice period, it seems they were scattered and hopeless at first, but the 3rd-year students showed them videos of the practice sessions to give feedback, and they also discussed in class how to get in sync and practiced accordingly.

The result of that was clearly visible in the performance on the day. I was impressed that they managed to finish it so well in such a short period.

4. Tug-of-war

This was also a vertical team competition. The teams were divided into two groups and competed based on the total points from matches against other teams. Since one match is a 60-versus-60 tug-of-war, it is quite powerful. The rope also felt much longer than any I had seen before.

Basically, the 3rd-year students were lined up first, but students with good physiques were placed near the front even if they were 1st-year students.

And as I was watching, for some reason, my daughter's team had no chants like "Heave-ho, heave-ho." I heard later that if you pull while chanting, there is a moment when the force slackens in time with the rhythm, so they intentionally didn't chant and instead used a strategy of just pulling continuously. This was another eye-opener for me. Perhaps thanks to that, this team won every match.

There were also various strategies depending on the team, such as teams wearing work gloves or teams wearing jerseys (the theory was, apparently, to add weight for the opponent to pull against). I thought the way they discussed, practiced, and united across grade levels was amazing.

5. Results Announcement & Awards Ceremony

At the closing ceremony, the third-year student sports committee chair announced the results. He was a deeply tanned boy who looked every bit the sportsman.

As soon as he stood in front of the stand microphone,

"Everyone! Thank you so much for all your hard work today!!"

he said in a loud voice, instantly brightening the somewhat tense atmosphere. He was totally an extrovert and like a famous MC.

The sports committee chair continued.

Everything is encapsulated in those words.

Then, the rankings for each grade's classes (competition category), the cheering squad performance rankings, and the overall team rankings were announced. The way he announced them was also,

"In first place is..., ... (a pause of about 3 seconds) Team XX!!"

He created a pause each time to build excitement, and cheers and applause erupted. He was truly good at building excitement. Some students even jumped for joy (so cute).

Surprisingly, my daughter's team won the cheering squad performance and the overall team competition. Applause and cheers of joy rose from the parents' seating area as well. I was very happy too. Perhaps the parents felt like they had become members of the team too.

And I didn't miss it. Surprisingly, the principal was in tears. Having watched the students closely since the practice sessions, the emotion must have been all the more profound. I watched, thinking what a lovely sight those tears were.

After that, the leaders and vice-leaders of each team came to the front and received certificates, the championship cup, and the championship flag (overall winner) from the principal.

Surprisingly, the leader of the winning cheering squad (a girl) was crying. She must have worked hard through many difficulties (I heard third-year students start preparations from the day of the opening ceremony). The other leaders and vice-leaders also had bright, clear faces that seemed to say, "We gave it our all."

I was moved by that scene, and my eyes kept welling up (it definitely wasn't because of the dust).

6. Singing the School Anthem

The excitement didn't end there. It was time for the school song, and the third-year girl in charge of conducting who stepped to the front said this.

I had never experienced 'singing the school song for fun,' so I was honestly surprised.

And then, the students really did all put their arms around each other's shoulders. There were groups of a few, and some places where the whole class was in a circle.

A cappella, with no accompaniment. They started singing with just the conductor.

Apparently, this middle school has been famous for its choir for a long time, and the school song is even divided into parts for girls and boys. It is a fresh memory that the harmony of the school song performed by the third-year students at the entrance ceremony was so wonderful that it gave me goosebumps.

And today. Under this blue sky, the sight of middle school students in the prime of puberty, all with their arms around each other's shoulders, singing the school song in loud, harmonized voices. My heart aches at how pure it is.

Youth...

As if to add to the impact, harmony could also be heard from the spectator seats. I wondered what it was, and it turned out that graduates (high school students) who had come to visit were also singing with their arms around each other's shoulders. When I looked closely, there were even parents singing along.

—Whoa!

A voice I couldn't describe came out of me from surprise and emotion. What love for their alma mater.

7. Dissolution Ceremony

The sports day ended, and it was time for the teams to disband. My husband and I watched from afar for a while, curious about what they would do.

They gathered by team and formed circles. First, they all savored the results. The third-year team leaders, vice-leaders, and the coordinators for the second and first years also came to the center of the circle and gave speeches one by one. I couldn't hear them clearly because it was far away, but I assume they were words of gratitude. Applause and laughter occurred every so often. The homeroom teachers also gave speeches. The teachers, wearing items in their team's colors, were truly passionate. And finally, they took commemorative photos in a chaotic, fun way, and then disbanded. In any case,


they are on good terms regardless of whether they are seniors or juniors. For me, having grown up in a school culture from the early Heisei era that was tense and emphasized hierarchy, it was nothing but a surprise.

*

That's about it. I looked back on it so much that it became unbelievably long...

I was constantly impressed by how much the students could act on their own initiative. There was a clear distinction between 'having fun' and 'doing things properly.' Considering that the first-year students were elementary schoolers just a short while ago, it is nothing but a surprise.

Even though there are rules, I don't feel any unnecessary (in my opinion) strictness. Even though there is competition, there is proper respect for the opponent. There is absolutely no sense of being forced by the teachers; if anything, the teachers are just as passionate and shining as the students, on the same level. It really comes across that they trust the students.

Could it be that if I had been born in this era, things would have felt more right for me? That thought even crossed my mind. In any case, I was overwhelmed by the changing times and the wonderful school culture.

So, here is what I ultimately thought.

I am grateful to the students and teachers who made me feel this way. I'm so glad we found this school.

That night, while watching the footage my husband had filmed, my daughter told me, "Mom, your voice is the loudest," which was clear proof of how excited I had been. It's a little embarrassing.

My daughter was incredibly tired, but she said, "It was the most fun ever!" so even though it must have been tough, I'm sure it was a fulfilling experience.

It was a day that made me look forward to her middle school life even more.

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Thank you very much for reading until the very end.

Please feel free to check this out as well.