Third update – Monday, March 16… Yokota Air Base & Kawasaki, Japan, By Lauren Hickey
Today Team Stars & Stripes spent their final day at Yokota Air Base that began with a 7am gathering to participate in a team bonding exercise of loading everyone’s luggage in the buses. The team showed great teamwork forming human chains to skillfully pack the bags in the back of buses. I decided it would be a good time to be a supervisor and designated cheerleader with the help of Athletic Trainer Cailee Welch. We are still in the process of coming up with our finalized cheers!
The team then headed back to the football field for another two practices as Team Stars & Stripes continues to prepare for the big game. The players are becoming more comfortable with each other and you can sense a real camaraderie among the players, especially on the buses which continue to get louder with the occasional singing which could help prepare the team for the Banquet on Wednesday since karaoke was a part of the evening during last year’s Welcome Banquet!
During the practices, some players made their media debut as a member of Team Stars & Stripes being interviewed for Armed Forces Network (AFN). Alex Wulfeck (The Bolles School) was the first player to be interviewed and the weather was brought up for discussion. As a person who grew up in Vermont and currently lives in Massachusetts the 55-60 degree weather was borderline beach temperature for me, but punter Wulfeck was a little chilly on the football field who left 85 degree weather in Florida.
As they finished their final practice of the day, the team headed off to showers to prepare for the much anticipated meeting of the host families! There was an array of apparel that emerged from the lockers rooms from the US sweats to jeans and polo to a player pulling out a three-piece suit!
Leaving the Air Base, we witnessed another part of Japan – the traffic! Some players used the time to visit with their new teammates while other used the time to catch up on some sleep as one player we discovered has a nice and loud snore!
Finally reaching Kawasaki Stadium, the players and the host families sat on either sides of the room that was filled a nervous-excited atmosphere as they waited to be matched up for the week.
The first name was called – and the room filled with cheering similar to a NFL draft day and a Team Stars & Stripes player yelled ‘You’re the number one pick!’
Each of the players names were called, walking up to the front of the room to get their pictures taken with their new host families and out the door they went to get the ultimate Japanese culture exposure.
I am sure there will be some great stories from their first night discussed at tomorrow morning as they have their first practice at the Kawasaki Stadium!
