International cooperation through baseball in Costa Rica—Our university's baseball team contributes to youth development.
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From February 3rd to March 2nd, twelve students from our university's baseball team participated in international cooperation activities through baseball instruction in the Republic of Costa Rica in Central America. This activity began in 2016 as part of a university collaboration project with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), and this was the eighth iteration of the program, marking the final year of a new three-year dispatch contract signed in 2023.
The dispatched students were based at the Santo Domingo Baseball Association, where they were assigned, and worked with the objectives of "promoting the healthy development of young people through baseball" and "fostering cross-cultural understanding between the two countries and developing global talent."
Before the dispatch, the students gave a farewell speech to Vice President Yuji Yamaguchi and expressed strong aspirations for their activities on site. Vice President Yamaguchi offered warm words of encouragement, saying, "Although difficulties are expected in unfamiliar environments, I hope you will overcome them and return growing significantly."
During their stay, the students primarily focused on providing baseball instruction at the Santo Domingo Baseball Association, but also visited local elementary schools and conducted activities in the provincial city of La Cruz, interacting with a total of 1,415 children. In addition to teaching baseball techniques, they also conveyed the spirit of Japanese baseball, which emphasizes equipment management, field maintenance, teamwork, and discipline. Through eight consecutive dispatches, it was confirmed that these values are steadily taking root in the local community.
At the elementary school, in addition to baseball instruction, the students deepened their connections beyond the realm of sports through activities such as origami. It was impressive to see the students, despite struggling with Spanish, earnestly trying to communicate through the common language of baseball.
In addition, we visited the Japanese Embassy in Costa Rica, interacted with students from the National University, and participated in a 16-day homestay. The homestay not only deepened our understanding of different cultures but also provided an opportunity to reflect on the essence of communication.
On the final day, a final presentation was held at the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the culmination of their activities, where each student presented their findings in Spanish. The event was broadcast to the world via social media and received high praise from various quarters, including within Costa Rica.
Upon returning to Japan, in addition to a debriefing session with Vice President Yamaguchi, we also paid a courtesy visit to Machida Mayor Koji Inagaki to report on our achievements. We shared our experiences, including cultural differences and our homestay, and reported that our activities had been very fulfilling.
At the debriefing session, students shared comments such as, "I connected with people I would never have met otherwise, and formed relationships that will be valuable assets in my life," and "I realized the difficulty and enjoyment of working creatively within a limited environment." In addition, they reaffirmed the significance of international exchange through interaction that transcended language barriers, and it also provided an opportunity to confront their own language skills and future challenges. Positive sentiments such as, "I want to continue studying languages in the future," and "I want to visit Costa Rica again someday on my own," were shared.
This project, which has been ongoing since 2016, has gone beyond technical instruction, instilling the "spirit of Japanese baseball," which emphasizes respect for manners and equipment, in the local community, while also providing students with an opportunity to cultivate an international perspective and initiative.
The current dispatch framework reaches a milestone this year, but the trust built with local communities is a great asset to our university. This experience of applying what we've learned to help others, even in challenging circumstances, truly embodies our university's spirit of "learning to serve others," and our students will use this learning as a foundation to continue contributing to the development of the international community.
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J. F. Oberlin University and Affiliated Schools General Planning Department, Public Relations Section
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