IMコースでは現在総勢100名を超える生徒が、カナダ・ニュージーランド・オーストラリアの3か国で留学中です。先発部隊の高校2年生は3月11日が帰国日になりますが、1年の最終局面でもそれぞれの場所で頑張っています。

今日は留学中のSさんがアメリカンフットボールを通した成長についてリポートをしてくれました。体格の違いや、文化の違いはスポーツの世界でも露骨に現れます。同時にスポーツは文化を言語を乗り越えるのには、最適な方法です。S君がアメフトを通して、不安や葛藤を乗り越えて成長する姿を、一生懸命記事にしてくれています。ぜひ、お読みください。

SPORTS are universal. However, are languages, money, culture, and people also universal?

NO, I don’t think these are universal. So many Japanese International students experience hardships because of all these differences.

I started playing football last year and I've only been playing football for two years but I’m not big. So, I was worried about playing football in Canada because Canadians players are bigger than Japanese people and I can’t say I’m a good English speaker.

Before I started playing football in Canada, I was worried about making friends on the team. I was weak, my English wasn't great...

I stopped thinking negatively and started thinking positively.

When I jointed the first practice, I didn’t think everyone took me seriously. However, as we practiced more and more, my teammates recognized my abilities and gradually began to treat me as a friend. And in my first game, I was able to play as the starter.

Even now I am recognized by my teammates, I am still seen as weak by the other team. So, it is still scary at the beginning of the game. But I am lucky that I wear a red helmet, which makes me stand out. I also love to compete because I am a small Asian guy, so at the end of the game I get along well with my teammates, and we complement each other. One day, some Canadians in the audience told me that I was the brightest. I was so happy at that time!

But not every game went well. I got punched by the other team and every game has a fight, so I am afraid of the game. But remember I am a small Asian guy? So when fights happen, when I get punched, my teammates treat me like a girlfriend, they protect me, and sometimes punching back to someone who hits me. Japanese respect each other but Canadians are not sometimes.

When I arrive at the game field, some audiences shout some bad words or cry “BOO”. This is usual because this is one of their cultures. All of these are what makes the game of football so fascinating!

Finally, my dream to be a champion in Canada hasn’t come true yet, but I think I got more than that. I have many nice friends and I can spend good time in school. I believe I have the most friends of any international student in Canada!

So, what I want to say here is that if you want to make friends, play some sports with local people because it’s easy to make more friends. Make more friends than I have and break my record.