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Lacrosse is
Personal growth
Sports that allow you to

College of Arts and Sciences Third-year students
Girls' Lacrosse Team Defense Leader
Graduate of Tokyo Metropolitan Yamazaki High School

Mirei Shimao

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Seeing my seniors and classmates, I decided I wanted to start playing lacrosse here.

My interest in J. F. Oberlin University 's girls' lacrosse club started when I saw posts from seniors on social media before enrolling. After enrolling, when I first encountered lacrosse at a trial event, I felt that precisely because it was difficult, it was rewarding and that I could grow. Above all, the club was lively, and seeing seniors working hard and classmates practicing happily made me want to try lacrosse here, so I decided to join.
 
I joined the club three months later than my classmates, so at first I was worried about whether I could keep up with everyone and fit in. But the upperclassmen invited me to practice passing, and my classmates kindly taught me things, showing that they were considerate enough to help me blend in. Every day with club activities is fulfilling, and I'm really glad I joined. The charm of lacrosse is being able to share the joy with your teammates. When I score a goal during a game, everyone gathers around with smiles on their faces and says, "Nice shot!" At that moment, I realize once again how great it is to have teammates.

What the team needs now is the ability to communicate. I'll start by speaking up.

J. F. Oberlin University women's lacrosse team is said by other universities to have stamina and tenacity even among teams in the third division. We run a lot in practice, and it's not hard to push ourselves physically hard. Strong teams can keep running even in the second half, so even when it's tough, we encourage each other and strive to see it through to the end. The current challenge with the team is communication during practice and matches. Encouraging and giving advice, ...... practicing what we want. Everyone needs to develop the ability to communicate their thoughts, but first, I make a conscious effort to take the initiative and share my thoughts with everyone.
 
As the defensive leader and team executive, I'm acutely aware of the challenges of uniting a team. During play, I have to lead from the front, but if I show any hesitation, that hesitation spreads to the whole team. I constantly seek advice from the coach when I'm unsure about something, and I review practice videos of my seniors to deepen my knowledge of lacrosse so that I can always make accurate decisions.

We will use this season's results as motivation to win as many games as possible next season.

Lacrosse is a sport primarily run by students. In high school, the environment was provided by those around us, but in university, we have to manage everything ourselves, including tournaments, matches, and practices. There are challenges along the way, but there are also many opportunities to interact with other universities, meet various people, and broaden my perspective. It also made me realize that nothing starts unless I take action, and in my daily life, I've learned to listen to others' opinions and think carefully about what I want to do, rather than leaving things to others. The fall league has ended, and now we are identifying areas for improvement for the next season. We want to overcome each of these challenges one by one and make the team stronger so that we can win as many games as possible next season.
 
Lacrosse is not only fun as a sport, but it's also a sport where you have the potential to grow as much as you want depending on your own efforts. I want to make sure I convey the appeal of lacrosse to the new students who will be joining us next year.

Interview date:
This was done in October 2022 for the "Obirin Sports" website.

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