芝生化奮闘記

夕方のニュースで日本サッカー代表がワールドカップの準備の一貫としてアメリカに渡って、アメリカ国代表との交流試合をしたことが報道されました。

結果はどうでも良いから、報道の中で、「滑りやすい芝生に慣れていなかった日本代表がかなり苦戦した」と言うコメントが出ました。

その瞬間、僕の頭の中では「頼むから、なぜ日本の選手だけが慣れていないかの解説というか分析をしてくれ」と画面に向かって叫びました。

でも、案の定、「これはドイツ大会までの4ヶ月の間の課題の一つ」と言う無難ないわゆる決まり文句で締めたのです。

だから、僕は理由を教えます。

アメリカの選手の皆がエリート選手となりトレセンで練習できる様になってからでは無くて、小さい時から自分の庭、近所の公園、幼稚園、小中高大学の校庭、国の全ての競技場や運動公園で色々な季節と気候条件の下で何万回と芝生の上で遊んだ事もサッカーを含めて色々なスポーツをやったことがあるから少し湿っていて滑りやすいからって、苦戦することはないと比べて、日本の選手がトレセンに行けるエリートとなり、初めて毎日の様に芝生の上でサッカーをやっているからです。芝生と接する総時間がはアメリカの選手の数千分の一に違いないからです。

経済大国である日本は芝生という遊び場を向こうと同じ様に提供できる国にならなければ、いつまで立っても今日のニュースで流れた聞き苦しい言い訳を続けなければいけないです。

The Japanese soccer squad is currently in the US, playing some friendly matches as part of their preparation for the World Cup later this year.

Leaving the result of yesterday's match aside for one moment, I would like to discuss a comment in the news report to the effect that "the Japanese players, not used to slippery grass, struggled throughout the match".

I involuntarily screamed at the TV screen for the reporter to make some attempt to explain why only the Japanese players struggled with the grass.

As always, the reporter rounded out his piece with a bland clich? about how this was one issue the team would have to deal with in the four months left before the tournament.

I will tell you the real reason.

None of the US players had to wait until he was accepted into a national soccer academy as one of the elite few in order to be able to train and play on grass. Every day of their lives, every one of them has played on grass in his own garden, at any of the many local parks, in his kindergarten, primary, intermediate, high school and university (all having grass grounds), and at any of the sports grounds throughout the land. Every one of them has got used to different types and lengths of grass in all sorts of weather and seasons. None of them struggled with their footing because 'the grass is a bit slippery'. By comparison, every one of the Japanese players first was privileged to train and play on grass as a natural state of affairs only when he had proven his potential and been accepted into one of Japan’s training centres.

Despite its proven status as an economic superpower, Japan will continue having to offer poor excuses for its teams’failings until it provides the same access to grass fields and grounds to all children and sportsmen as is available in most normal countries.