Team Stars & Stripes Arrives in Japan

Every day during the Global Challenge Bowl, the event’s media team of Michael Preston and Lauren Hickey will post an update here on the official site of Team Stars & Stripes.

First update – Sunday, March 15, 8.15am… Yokoto US Airbase, Tokyo, Japan, By Michael Preston:

So the blog begins some 36,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, where Team Stars & Stripes is set to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime.

That sounds corny, but there were some expectant faces among the 60 or so players, coaches, staff and a few parents who boarded Singapore Airlines flight 11 from Los Angeles a little before 3pm today.

By today I mean Friday, though when we arrive it will be Saturday evening, which in the US is still Saturday morning.  Confused?  Yes, so am I and I am yet to figure out what happened to Friday night along the way.

This week Team Stars & Stripes press officer Lauren Hickey and I will be charged with blogging from Yokota Air Base, Kawasaki and Tokyo, an as the event PR Director, I felt compelled to get the ball rolling.  Last year I experienced Tokyo and its surroundings for the first time for the inaugural Global Challenge Bowl and can assure everyone that this is going to be a wonderful week of discovery both on and off the football field.

Organizer Patrick Steenberge was the first on hand at LAX around 7.30 this morning to begin welcoming and checking in the party as they arrived from 12 different states across the country.  Make that 13 if you count the media team flying in from Massachusetts.  Patrick’s first concern is his players and coaches, so when he finally got around to checking himself in for the flight, all that remained in the way of available seats was one of those undesirable seats in the middle of a group of four people on the double-decker 747.  But don’t worry.  I just chatted with Patrick in-between on-demand movies and one of the players was kind enough to give up an aisle seat to our leader.

Here’s a question for you: what is the difference between US domestic airlines and international carriers?  Well where do I start?  My six and a half hour flight from Boston to Los Angeles came with two rounds of free soft drinks and a sandwich, which was available for six dollars.  I actually can’t knock the movie – The Express – which put me in true football mode since it depicts the life of Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, but I had to crane my neck to see a screen for general viewing and fork out another two bucks for headphones. 

I don’t mean to complain, more to compare.  I just finished watching Quantum of Solace, the James Bond movie on my personal stowaway TV screen and I was able to pause the film for a bathroom break.  Next up, the Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, which I’ve selected from a choice of a few dozen movies. 

Then there’s the food – all complimentary of course, as are the wine and beers (though our athletic trainer Cailee Welch has suggested we avoid alcohol on this 12-hour flight). 

I believe most of the team opted for the international serving of smoked salmon salad, braised beef in red wine sauce with vegetables and potatoes, followed by ice cream and coffee or tea.  Personally I preferred the Japanese option of Zensai (a combination of starters including sushi, which the players have suggested they are reluctant to try and my wife thinks I don’t particularly care for), Japanese cold noodles, braised chicken with steamed rice, green tea and ice cream.  Writing this I’m starting to crave the next meal.

My point is, that having flown internationally with Japanese, British, German and French airlines, they all outdo the Americans when it comes to food and service.  Who’d have thought?

The stewardesses are friendly, polite and immaculately dressed in elegant outfits that I imagine include an element of national costume.  (Singapore Airlines gets my vote in case you hadn’t noticed, as did ANA last year)

Oh, I almost forgot the free headphones, socks, wash cloth, toothbrush and toothpaste and the cologne in the bathrooms.’

Coach Jeff Scurran went on ahead of the team to give a coaching presentation to the Japan American Football Federation (JAFA) at its annual congress, so his assistant coaches who made the trip last year – John Storey and Greg Patrick – have been assisting Patrick Steenberge with keeping everyone heading in the right direction.  Equipment manager Jose Duran has also returned and the banter between he and those who know him well that has already started!

Jose will be one of the busiest people on the trip this week.  We’re already asking him for extra sweats or the blue USA jerseys that all the players are wearing today.  They created a lot of interest walking around LAX before departure in their matching shirts…

So here we are now at Yokoto airbase, which the team will testify is a tiring two-hours bus ride from Tokyo Narita airport.  Once the excitement of arriving in Japan and enjoying spectacular nighttime views of downtown Tokyo as we drove through the city, tiredness set in and the majority of the traveling party slept on the buses. 

Once security check in had been completed, coach Jeff Scurran met us at the Kanto Lodge where the team is staying for two nights.  Used as a holding area for families either moving into or out of the base, the Lodge will be Team Stars & Stripes’ home for two nights.  Three or four players are sharing a fully-equipped apartment with either a coach or member of staff and the first night proved to be a short one as once pizza and rehydrating water were consumed, it was time for lights out.  At least that was the case in my apartment where Christian Ramirez (Salpointe Christian, AZ), John Norman (Santa Rita, AZ) and Bruce Maldonado (Glen Oak, OH) got some welcome rest after an 11-hour flight.  And we still haven’t figured out what happened to Saturday once we crossed the international date line…