Wednesday update by Lauren Hickey, Kawasaki, Japan

 

It was another great day for Team Stars & Stripes. The weather was gorgeous and the team is right on track for Saturday’s game. The four late arrivals – Achilles Flowers, Jason Simpson, Steve Caruso, and William Griffin – were immediately welcomed to the good and by the end of the day you would never think it was there first day with the team!

 

Today was the first day with only one practice as the game is getting closer and the coaching staff wants to make sure all the players will have legs for the big day on Saturday!

 

After the practice, it was off to a Japanese high school for a cultural exchange! When we arrived, the whole group removed our shoes and sat on the floor in groups of three with a student from the high school to get to know one another. Connor Farquharson on a previous day asked if we always had to take your shoes. After asking he stated, “‘Cause my feet get cold.” I think he was having too much fun to remember his cold feet!

 

Some of the of girls giggled away about being next to big American football players and one male student was a big hit with Team Stars & Stripes as he walked right up to this group and high-fived the players! For the rest of the day, that was their buddy continually giving high-fives at every opportunity.

 

The team split up into two groups to do the activities the school had planned for us. Each group got to experience the art of Kendo – a Japanese sport of sword fighting, this was a big hit and will put money on it that many purchases of Samurai swords will be made in the near future!

 

The other activities were different depending on what group you were in. One group experienced a tea ceremony and learned Japanese activities.

 

My group attempted the art of Japanese writing. Here are some tips I learned, first you do not want excess ink on your brush, then it helps if you hold the brush straight up and keeping it pressed down for the whole swipe. You have to make each swipe only once, meaning you can not go over the same line twice.

 

As we practiced our writing, the group was taught how to write Japan which is broken into two kanji’s – Rising and Sun. When we thought we mastered the technique we then wrote a kanji of our favorite words on our fans. When I was looking around some of the fans were impressive, but come to find out the players are very persuasive and got the students to help them out!

 

After the high school visit, it was off to the Welcome Banquet where the players would meet their competition for the first time. Immediately waking into the room, the cameras started going off. Players from each team were taking pictures with one another and this would continue throughout the night.

 

Also at the banquet was all of the host families and it was very evident that they have developed a close bond with each other.  Parents and family of Team Stars & Stripes that made the trip over – the Faipler’s (Erie, PA), Warren’s (Jacksonville, FL), Gibson’s (Greenville, AL) and Evan McKissack’s father (Hoover, AL) attended the banquet and had the opportunity to meet the people their sons were staying with.

 

A player from each team addressed the people at the banquet, Kody Day (Sahuarita HS, AZ) spoke for Team Stars & Stripes thanking the city and people of Kawasaki for welcoming us to this great country.

 

And then the moment arrived, the much anticipated karaoke competition. Team Stars & Stripes was trying to redeem them selves from last year’s singing performance. Brandon Meckelberg (Wautoma HS, WI) walked up to the stage and began singing, his very impressive voice had everyone’s arms swaying in the air by the end of the song!

 

The Japanese player also had a good performance and in the end it was decided that it was a draw and the competition would be decided on the football field!