私は密かに「こいつ絶対理科が嫌いなんだ」と思っていました。
というのも５年生、６年生にかけて
数えるほどしか理科の授業がなかったことを覚えています。
お陰様で私は理科嫌い。
大学１年では自然科学でＦを貰い
卒業に絶対にいる単位だったので４年でまた受講して辛うじてＣを貰って
卒業したという経験があります。
話を黒木先生に戻して・・・
理科の授業のたびに
「おい、皆。外に出てバレーボールをしようか」と言ってました。
本当に毎日１時間はバレーをしていたような気がします。
しかも放課後もそのまま皆でやっていました。
当時マーガレットという週刊漫画雑誌で
鮎原こずえ主人公の「アタックNo.1というのがすごいヒットをしていて
さらに「サインはＶ」というのも出てきて
空前のバレーボールブームでした。
私にとってバレーは命のようになりました。
バレーに明け暮れる２年間でした。
そして星陵中学に入学して
当然のようにバレー部に入りました。
部員は１年生だけで６０人以上いて
顧問の小関先生はABCと３つのチームを作りました。
私は１年生全体のキャプテンに選ばれました。
当時は9人制で私はAチーム前衛の右
つまりアタッカーでした。
１年生ながらクイック攻撃もマスターしていました。
３年生からなるレギュラー・チームは
北九州大会で優勝して県大会に出ましたが
エース・アタッカーの不調で負けました。
そして３年生の引退。
いよいよ２年生、１年生の番です。
私はもう一人の１年生和子さんと一緒に
レギュラーのポジションを貰いました。
厳しい練習が始まりました。
あまりの練習のきつさにもどすほどでした。
新人戦が近づいたある日
小関先生は皆を集めてこう言いました。
「２年生たちから抗議があった。
１年生をチームに入れたくない。
２年生だけで新人戦に勝つ自信がある。
というものだが
お前たちは皆そういう気持ちなのか？」
結局新人戦は２年生だけのチームで望みました。
結果は予想通り１回戦で負けました。
小関先生は「俺は結果を知っていたが
チームワークを考えてお前たちの望む通りにチームを作った。
結果は見ての通りだ。
もしお前たちが勝ちたいなら
清子と和子をチームに戻す。
勝つチームを作りたいか、
それとも仲間だけでチームを作って楽しく過ごしたいか。
お前たちが決めろ」と２年生たちに迫りました。
次の日から私たちは２年生とチームになりました。
またさらに厳しい練習が始まりました。
お正月も元日から早朝練習でした。
私は２歳の時にひどい腎盂炎を患い入院した経験があります。
その厳しい練習のため
私の腎臓は悲鳴をあげていました。
そして遂に自宅療養をするように
ドクターから言い渡されるほどに悪化していました。
３ヶ月ほど休学して療養しました。
ドクターは入院の必要はないといいました。
十分は年齢なので食べてはいけないものを口にする事はないだろうから
自宅療養でいいでしょう・・・という事でした。
こうして私の選手生命は終わりました。
春、中学に入学した妹は
私が抜けたポジションを貰いました。
写真は１年生の時のものです。
祖母の家の前で。
Mr Kuroki transferred into my elementary school when I was a 5th grader,
and he became my class room teacher.
I secretly thought he must hate Science.
He always said "let's play volleyball instead of studying Science today."
It was not just a couple times he did,
but almost everyday we played volleyball.
Because of that, I came to hate Science, too.
I remember that I got a big F for one of the Science classes on my report card
when I was a freshman in college.
I really needed that credit for my graduation,
so I had to take that class again when I was a senior.
Well, back to Mr Kuroki.
We played volleyball most of our Science class time and after school, too.
Around that time, the comic Manga "Attack No.1"
from the weekly magazine Margaret became so popular among the girls.
The heroine Kozue Ayuhara, who was a talented spiker of the national team
became big Idol for the girls who play volleyball.
Also the other magazine started a new Manga about volleyball, called "The sign is V".
So volleyball became a big boom.
Playing volleyball became a big part of my life.
I lived with volleyball in my hands the next 3 years.
When I became a 7th grader, I started to go to Seiryo Junior High School.
I naturally joined the volleyball club.
There were over sixty 7th graders in our club.
Our coach Mr Koseki split us into three groups, A, B and C teams.
I was chosen to be a captain of the 7th graders.
We played 9 people in a team in those days.
My position was front right, that means I was a spiker.
Even though I was just a 7th grader, I already mastered the quick attack.
The varsity team was made with just 9th graders.
They won the No.1 in the city. My city was not a small one.
It had over million people there.
So you can see how good our varsity team was.
I have to tell you the Japanese school system first.
The begining of April is the begining of school year.
The first semester is from April to July.
Then we have about 6 weeks summer vacation.
The second semester is from Sptember to December.
Then we have about 2 weeks winter break.
The third semester is from January to March.
Then we finish the school year and have about 2 weeks Spring break.
The elementary school is from 1st grader to 6th grader.
The junior high school is from 7th to 9th.
Then we have to take high school entrance exam.
Depending on how good you are, you can decide to take the exam for which high school you want to go to.
If you pass the exam, you can go to that school.
If you fail the exam, you need to go to your 2nd chosen school.
So for the 9th grade students have to study so hard to prepare for the exam next spring.
Our senior team members were not different.
They retired from playing volleyball to study hard in July.
After they retired, Kazuko and I were chosen to be in varsity team
even though we were still 7th graders.
In September we had a big competition for the new teams in our town.
Just a few weeks before that, Mr Koseki called all of us to listen to him.
He said," 8th graders complained that they got two 7th graders in their team.
They want to make a team just with 8th graders."
All 8th graders wanted kick us out from the team.
As we thought would happen,
they lost that big competition without Kazuko and me.
Mr Koseki told us, "I knew it would happen.
But you chose to have all 8th grader in your team,
so I had to teach you a lesson.
If you still want to keep this team, it's your choice.
But if you want to win, you have to accept Seiko and Kazuko in your team."
Well, Kazuko and I became the varsity team again.
We practiced so hard , I sometimes threw up during the practice.
We even had early morning practice on January 1st.
In Japan, New Years Day is a big holiday.
We celebrate these holidays over 3 days with our family.
So you can see how diligent we were to our practice.
I was once hospitalized with Kidney disease when I was 2 years old.
Because of the hard practice, it came back.
My doctor told me that I had to stay home to get rest.
He said I was old enough not to eat the food that was not good for my body,
so I didn't have to stay in the hospital.
But I couldn't go to school for about 3 months.
That was end of my volleyball career.
The next spring, my sister started to play volleyball when she became a 7th grader.
And she took my position.
This picture was when I was a 7th grader.
In front of my grandmother's home.
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