Sports Of Course

Spring = Sports Days

I do believe the Japaneses have turned sports days into an art form. In our area the last 3 weekends have been filled with Undokai (sports day) Festivals.  These are usually all day events.  Special obento (box lunches) are packed.  It is fun, but crazy.

May 21st nearly every elementary school in the city had their undokai.  The school grounds were a beehive of activity.

Joshua's Sports day was May 28th. and was only a morning event due to the student's special needs.  Joshy's course only does 1 race while the more able bodied students do more.  Joshy's classmates were paired off to "run" a relay depending on their ability.  Those who have walkers were encouraged to walk while other students were put into their standing frames and pushed by their teacher.  The course was 50 yards of so.  They "raced" to the midway point, where they put on costumes of famous Japanese characters (Josh was Momotaro).  Then they continued on to the finish line.  

 

  It was a hard race!  Making your walker go on a dirt track vs racing up and down the school halls is a totally different experience.  The hallways look a bit like a drag race course on a normal school day!  The outdoor track was more of a snail race.  

Kei's school had their Sports Festival yesterday.  Her school does not have an an outdoor sports ground so it was all in the small school gym.  Because of this the elementary/junior high had their events in the morning and the high school event was in the afternoon.

Kei's school also had 2 activities going at once.  Half the gym was set up for curling and the other half was set up for badminton, followed by table tennis, & a rousing game of 1 bounce volley.  The students all took turns playing and/or keeping score.

Next there was a short break while the gym was turned into a hockey rink for a rousing game of wheelchair hockey where the puck was a ping pong ball.  The 1st round was students, next round parents, then back to the students, next was alumni.  It was WILD!

 

There will be another round of sports days come fall.  Any school that didn't have their undokai in spring, as well as many communities, will have it in the fall.

The community that plays together stays together???????