Series: 4 years by professionals.
Yuko Tanaka
2022/06/25
(final update:）
Takanashi has also been active as a representative of Japan since 2020 (Photo: Wolfdogs Nagoya)
This serialization “Professional talks 4 years.” Is outside hitter Kenta Takanashi (25) who also participated in the Tokyo Olympics last summer as a representative of Japan for men’s volleyball. He is currently playing at Wolfdogs Nagoya. The first part of the second series is about the first year of Nippon Sport Science University, which went through Yamagata Johoku High School (Yamagata).
I can’t practice until I can touch the basketball ring
He was unknown until high school.
Under the influence of his two older brothers, Takanashi started playing volleyball in the sixth grade of elementary school. As she recalls, “it was a lot of fun,” she touches the ball as an extension of her play. Originally, she loved playing outdoors, and she made full use of the nature of Yamagata, playing baseball and kicking the can in a nearby park, playing tag on a bicycle, and building a base. She was more fit to move around than to stay at home.
However, Takanashi says, “Not so” if he had outstanding motor nerves. She wasn’t particularly overwhelming even after she started playing volleyball, but rather the players who entered the center and left were the teams that were considered “aces” at the time, and Takanashi’s position was right. I can’t think of it now, but his attacks were countless.
Even in junior high school, the prefecture’s best 8 is the highest grade, and in high school, I went to the same local Yamagata Jokita as my older brother who is 4 years old. He was thinking at the time that he was “volleyball up to high school. Let’s get a job after graduation.” He was 180 cm tall and had a blessed body, but he had no jumping ability at the beginning of school, and the director said, “I can’t practice until I can touch the basketball ring,” rather than touching the ball. First of all, I was devoted to steady practice to improve my jumping ability and physical strength.
It wasn’t until I was in the second year of high school that I had a chance. He does not focus only on the technique of the small hand, but sets the goal “to touch the basketball ring”, and thanks to the guidance that does not neglect the basics such as jumping firmly and hitting, the jumping power and attack power increase at once. rice field. His teammates are all smaller than Takanashi, and they all tried to pursue speed in order to attack, but it didn’t work. Was told by.
“All you have to do is raise it to Kenta. Kenta decides.”
Entrusted as an ace. I was happy, but the practice match was more difficult than the official match. When multiple schools gather during summer vacation or spring vacation, dozens of sets are done a day, and most of them hit by themselves. “Every time I finished one set, I was wondering how many more sets I had (laughs). But my body was tight, but I never wanted to quit or dislike it.”
“I wonder if I’ll end up picking up balls for four years.”
Taking advantage of his chance, he participated in the national tournament, which was far from junior high school, twice in high school. The offensive power cultivated in his three years has also been refined, and after graduating, he moved to Tokyo and went to the prestigious Nippon Sport Science University, which belongs to the Kanto 1st division league. This is a big turning point, but it is a completely unknown world for Takanashi at that time.
“I didn’t know anything about the strength of the Kanto volleyball or the strength of Nippon Sport Science University. When I was asked by the high school director, I was told,’I rarely have such a chance.’ It would be difficult if I entered with a light feeling like let’s go to the size of my body (laughs). When I just entered, I thought it was over (laughs). “
Even in high school, there was a role to play in the rigor of practice and the court, but in college, the strictness of hierarchical relationships and the rules of communal living. Only things that Takanashi has never experienced. It is also the job of the first grader to prepare for practice at 7:45 when the morning training begins, but it is the responsibility of what to prepare for each, and Takanashi was in charge of the net. .. You have to finish the tension quickly without loosening, and you will get sweaty even before practice. Even if she wasn’t in charge of herself, her daily goal was to be blamed if someone made a mistake, to improve volleyball, and not to get angry before she couldn’t.
“I haven’t had that kind of experience by high school, so I don’t know why I’m angry at first. Looking back, I think it’s abnormal, but I was desperate at the time. It was a lot easier because my seniors relaxed me, but at the beginning I thought, “I think I’ll end up picking up balls for four years.” , I might stop soon (laughs) “
Teachings of former libero director Yamamoto
Not only was he unfamiliar with the hierarchy, but he also emphasized the basics at the beginning of school and struggled with the rigor of thorough practice. Director Kenji Yamamoto, who leads Nippon Sport Science University, was also a libero and defensive specialist during his active career. Not only do you make an underhand pass and an overhand pass exactly and accurately, and not only do you make a pass facing the front in pairs, but also the N-shape and triangle, the step when moving while changing the lineup, the posture when going down, etc. Receive guidance to focus on the details.
In order to control the ball and cooperate with the surroundings, the pass practice, which is performed for 1 minute by changing the distance to 3m, 6m, 9m using two balls in a group of three people, is restarted from the beginning if the ball falls in the middle. While feeling the gaze of the seniors who manage the number of times with familiar hands, fight against the pressure that can not be cleared. But why is this practice necessary, not just being done? He recalls that Yamamoto’s instructions were accurate.
“There are various answers when you ask, not only from the perspective of libero, but also the position when the spiker hits the spike, and where the ball will fly at that time. It’s so awesome that it’s convincing. I’m still not good at receiving, but being able to enter the V-League and serve receive in this way has a lot of experience in college. It was tough, but I was taught a lot more than just the ballet. I’m sure it was because I had that time, and I can’t thank you enough. “
We value the basics, foster relationships that are different from before, and achieve dramatic growth while being rare. The days when I looked back on “it was painful” were also the beginning of leading to a new stage later.
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The second part will be released tomorrow on June 30th.
