The Passion Invested

This season has arrived.
The 'Final Summer'is where the third-year students will give their all.
They will demonstrate the skills, physical strength, and mental fortitude they have cultivated until now.
'Lose and you retire'is the kind of battle it is.

Yesterday, I went to watch my middle school son's basketball game.
It is the final summer for my child as well.
They managed to advance, extending their final summer by another week.

Their teacher is encouraging them by saying, "Let's play basketball with this group for even one more day, one more game."
The goal is to win next week and advance to the city tournament.

On the other hand,
there are teams that win, and teams that lose.

After a close match, a rival team was defeated.
It is a team we have been honing our skills alongside for a long time.

The third-year students who are retiring,
were crying.
Without caring who was watching.

They are cool; they are true sportsmen.

I don't know the exact reason,
whether it was frustration because things didn't go well,
or sadness thinking about the present and the future,
but in any case,
I believe those tears are shed precisely because they 'invested everything'.

If you were half-hearted, you wouldn't feel that way.
I believe they must have practiced with all their might.

It reminded me.
Long ago, I was a high school baseball player too.
I was half-hearted about everything else,
but high school baseball was perhaps the only experience in my life that I faced head-on.

My mentor used to always say,
'What does it mean to invest yourself?'

We were a weak team,
but we practiced with all our might.
Day and night, we thought about baseball.

It's not just about doing your best while on the field.
To practice even a little longer, we would cut back on other things,
and beyond just managing our physical condition,
we paid attention to avoiding injuries in our daily lives.

For example,
when going out, we wouldn't wear slippers. Always shoes. If you injure your feet, you can't do anything.
We would never turn on the air conditioning. If you get used to air conditioning, you can't stand on the black soil of the field.

The same goes for clothing, grooming, and daily attitude.
If you aren't disciplined, you'll make errors at critical moments, or the momentum won't come your way.

Even in the height of adolescence, we didn't try to look cool with our hairstyles.
We couldn't be bothered to worry about how our hair looked under our caps like professional baseball players (laughs).
We didn't have the energy to spare for such distractions.

It might be like a form of faith, but I believe baseball is that kind of sport.
The god of baseball is watching.

Someone who is usually irresponsible will never shine in their final summer.
Someone who worked hard, even if they weren't skilled, will hit a bloop single.
The ball will get caught in the tip of their outstretched glove.
I have seen many such dramas.

'Investing yourself'also seems to be about stripping away other things.

To gain something, it is also important to discard something else.It is about not being swayed by various things and focusing your energy there.

Giving up other things is not the same as being half-hearted.
For example, just because you play baseball doesn't mean it's okay to sleep during class, right?

If you take it a step further,
to truly invest yourself,
you could say it also means properly prioritizing other things and creating an environment where you can focus.
Even in the case of studying, I practiced during exam breaks.
That's because if you listen properly in class, you don't need to skip practice.

I believe that investing yourself
is not just about giving things up, butabout sharpening your focus.I think.

The wish that comes to mindwhen you put your hands together in a final prayer to God.The future you wish for
even in the moment a shooting star streaks across the sky.I think that
continuing to hold onto such thoughts is what it means to 'invest yourself'.I think.

I learned many things in high school baseball.

There are many things that go without saying, but apart from that,
I feel like I also learned something likework-life balance, time management, and how to prioritize and focus.

My sons must also be gaining something through sports.
Even in this heat, they are working hard to move their bodies.
Even though it's their day off, the teachers are here to guide the students.
I'm sure that more than the content of the play,there is something they want to teach.I think.
As a parent, I would be happy if they couldgrasp that, experience it, and grow.

Thank you for watching again today.

To all of you who are facing your 'last summer,' pouring in everything you have invested so far.
I am rooting for you.

People who work hard are beautiful.
A dedicated figure is beautiful.

I am sure that for the individuals themselves and for those around them,it will become a source of strength and a light.

They lost, butthe tears of the junior high school students from another schoolmoved the heart of this former high school baseball player.

The photo at the beginningis a work by 'Photo is Breathing <Kosaitaro> | note'.Thank you very much.