![]() The move is aimed at eliminating “excessive efforts to win at all costs” seen among some judo instructors, according to the federation. The All Japan Judo Federation has decided to abolish a national tournament for elementary school students from this fiscal year. This growing trend is not limited to baseball. This shift changes the approach that exposes them to fierce competition to one focused on long-term and healthy mental and physical development through efforts based on the latest scientific knowledge in various fields including sports medicine. These stories signal a notable shift from the traditional coaching approach designed to develop young talented athletes. To avoid imposing too much physical strain on the young pitcher, the team adopted an unusual policy of ensuring that he got at least 10 days of rest in between starts during the regular season. Last year, Yasunobu Okugawa of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, who started his career in professional baseball the same year as Sasaki, contributed greatly to the team’s winning the Japan Series. The perception that the long-term well-being of athletes should be given a higher priority than winning now is spreading within the sports community. The manager also thought the team should not depend entirely on one star player for winning. Kokubo made the difficult decision, which caused a stir, to avoid causing the high school pitcher, who was still in an early development stage, serious damage by driving himself too hard. Ofunato's manager, Yohei Kokubo, did not allow Sasaki, the team's ace, to take the mound because he had pitched nine innings in the previous game the day before. Ofunato lost in the finals of the regional qualifier for the National High School Baseball Championship, an all-important annual nationwide high school baseball tournament held every summer at Hanshin Koshien Stadium. Sasaki first drew the notice of many Japanese baseball fans when he was a member of the baseball club of Ofunato High School in Iwate Prefecture. ![]() ![]() There is another unforgettable episode concerning Sasaki’s development as a pitcher. His coaching approach is focused on helping players acquire the ability to think on their own instead of peppering them with advice or guidance. The Marines’ long-term development plan for the pitching sensation was mapped out by Masato Yoshii, the team’s pitching coordinator, who played in both NPB and Major League Baseball.Īfter retiring from professional baseball, Yoshii studied baseball coaching theory at the Tsukuba University graduate school. Last year, Sasaki, according to the team’s policy, spent a lot of time mastering pitching mechanics that helps him avoid shoulder and elbow injuries while building up his physical strength. In 2020, his rookie year, Sasaki accompanied the top team but was not allowed to take the mound in any regular-season game. He has also received great support from his team’s well-thought-out talent development program. Sasaki’s stunning performance should be credited not just to his own outstanding pitching might and prowess, which enables him to throw 100-MPH fastballs. Sasaki completely subdued the opposing hitters, striking out 19 of the 27 batters he faced. ![]() He became the first NPB pitcher to throw nine innings without allowing any batter to reach base in 28 years. ![]() Roki Sasaki, the 20-year-old ace of the Chiba Lotte Marines, pitched a perfect game on April 10 in a victory over the Orix Buffaloes. ![]()
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