MISAWA, Japan – -- The creation of Misawa United brought people from two nations together to foster a greater understanding through a shared love of sports.
“On the soccer field, the language and cultural differences become obsolete,” said Shin Orikasa, the Misawa United team coach. “Regardless of the players’ background, they all share one common thing: a passion for soccer.”
Misawa United is comprised of local nationals, Misawa service members, spouses and even several Department of Defense Education Activity high school students seeking valuable skills gained from practicing with such a diverse team. The team is one of a kind in its league; it is the only one with both Japanese and American players.
“We started out with about 12 players and now we are up to almost 30,” said Staff Sgt. Jordan Churchill, a 35th Maintenance Squadron transient alert/crash recovery craftsman.
The team is part of the Misawa Football Association which opens up opportunities to play in tournaments against other Japanese athletes from all over the country. Although the base already offers an intramural league, players jumped on this chance to play alongside their talented Japanese partners during the winter season.
“The combination of Japanese and American players is not something you typically can experience in America,” said Casey Lademann, the 35th Force Support Squadron Teen Center director. “I enjoy playing with my teammates because it sharpens my skills and pushes me to the next level due to their speed of play and technical ball-handling."
According to Churchill, the Japanese style of play is slightly different than what American players are used to.
“The Japanese are so generous with the ball and rarely use a striker [primary scoring player],” said Churchhill. “They are all about the fundamentals of the sport.”
Churchill added, the Americans are more aggressive with attempting to make goals, whereas the Japanese are more strategic and spend more time passing the ball between players. However, the players quickly adapted to each other's styles and embraced their differences.
“Soccer is just one small component of the Misawa United team’s concept,” said Orikasa. “It’s about the bigger picture of enhancing the community’s relationship and strengthening the bond between Japanese and Americans through a different aspect, other than the military tie.”
For more information check out Misawa United on Facebook.