Interview with Chiba School for the Deaf Baseball Team Manager Masaki Fujita[Midori Ward, Chiba City]| Chiba Prefecture’s local media “Chiikomi!”

Chiba School for the Deaf (Midori Ward, Chiba City) is a special needs school for hearing-impaired children, with a kindergarten through high school level. We interviewed Mr. Fujita, who is working hard as the school’s baseball team coach.

Published 2024/11/19 (Last updated 2024/11/13)

Passionate guidance while communicating with the heart

Mr. Fujita is from Ichihara City.

For Mr. Fujita, who was the captain of the baseball team at Ichihara Nozomi High School attached to Tokai University and became a high school teacher after graduating from university with the intention of coaching baseball at his alma mater, his assignment to the Chiba School for the Deaf was a surprise.

At first, I had some trouble communicating, but I continued to interact with the students, believing that “if you want to convey your feelings, you will be able to convey them,” and even learned sign language from scratch.

Most of the first-year junior high school students who join the baseball club have no baseball experience at all.

Mr. Fujita says that while it is difficult, there is also the joy of growing rapidly through instruction.

While dealing with honest and upright children, the guidance that used to be harsh gradually changed to one in which they looked at the children from the same perspective and encouraged them to think for themselves.

Even so, the team’s goal was to aim for the championship, and the coach should be the most enthusiastic cheerleader.

Grow through baseball and spread your wings

The Kanto Schools for the Deaf Baseball Tournament is like a summer Koshien tournament for schools for the deaf.

This year, it was a tournament where we had to win back-to-back, but unfortunately we came in runner-up.

There were some difficulties, such as not having enough members and asking students from other clubs to help the baseball club, but everyone fought together as one.

“In baseball, there are always moments when anyone can play a leading role. Even if you fail, you have a chance to try again. I want you to help your teammates and grow through the experience of being helped by your teammates,” Fujita says passionately.

There are currently seven members, six second-year high school students and one first-year junior high school student who joined the club for the first time in four years.

For the fall tournament, we teamed up with baseball teams from other schools, and we decided to participate in the Kanto Tournament for the first time in Chiba School for the Deaf’s history!

While the number of children enrolling in residential schools is increasing due to advances in medicine and enhanced early support, the number of students in schools for the deaf is decreasing year by year.

Mr. Fujita continues to search for the ideal form of the baseball club as the number of members decreases.

Still, on the field, the members of the new team are practicing hard with the aim of winning the championship, and the alumni are also watching them.

On days when there are no club activities, alumni can be seen playing adult baseball on the field.

Mr. Fujita’s passion for baseball will continue to be passed down.

※inquiry
Phone number/043-291-1371
Chiba Prefectural Chiba School for the Deaf