Competition and Friendship Highlight International Event
College Marks 100th Anniversary of Japanese Basketball By Steve Roulier
Director of Marketing and Communications
WHEN QUINN MCKENNA walked into Osaka Arena, the clarity was startling. Two school-aged Japanese children dressed in basketball uniforms, flanked the Springfield College basketball senior on each side, tightly clenching his hands. The three processed onto the court in front of 3,000 cheering fans attending the international game between Springfield College and the Japan young men’s national team. This is what McKenna had dreamed. It was one of those goose bump moments. This was real. The men’s team was awarded
the unique opportunity to spend a week in Japan in July through an invitation by the Japan Basketball Association as part of its 100-year anniversary of basketball. Springfield College’s rich history with the YMCA, as well its reputation worldwide as the Birthplace of Basketball, made it a fitting representative. Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper, PhD, DM, accompa- nied the team on the trip along with her husband, Dave, and the Director of the International Center Deborah Alm. The team played one game each in
modern arenas in the Kansai region cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe in front of high-spirited crowds of nearly 3,000 each day. Rarely seen in U.S. stadiums, during the games, the home crowd actually cheered for both teams. Frequent chants from the arena announcer encouraged fans to shout “Let’s go Springfield,” to which the crowd enthusiastically responded. “The most amazing aspect of the trip was the way the Japanese
two teams would go in an auxiliary gym and cool down together. Everything was very much in the true spirit of competition.” For McKenna, the experience reminded him of Springfield College’s important role in encouraging and supporting diversity. “Two different worlds came
together around one similar focus point—basketball,” said McKenna. “It was exciting to see how students on opposite sides of the world share the same determina- tion, hard work and competitiveness. While everything thing else about the two teams may have been different, the will to play as hard as possible and become victorious was the same. Things like this, finding similarities in difference, are what bridge the diversity gap. The take home message from this trip for me is that although you may be worlds
apart, there are always similarities that can enlighten you and connect you to other cultures.” Springfield College is committed to diversity. The College’s unques-
“Two different worlds came together around one similar focus point—
basketball ... It was exciting to see how students on opposite sides of the world share the same determination, hard work and competitiveness.”
public embraced the team before, during, and after the games,” said Springfield College head coach Charlie Brock. “Never have I been in a situation where the fans were literally rooting for both teams competing, and competing hard. Then, when the game was over, the
TRIANGLE 1 Vol . 85, No. 2
tionable mission of educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others provides a compelling rationale for encouragement and celebration of diversity. Under President Cooper’s new leadership, one of her five priorities for the College calls for a focus on diversity and includes goals and strategies supportive of diver- sity and inclusion. Multiple initiatives designed to enhance the recruitment
and retention of students, faculty, and employees from under- represented populations are included in the plan. The trip to Japan serves as one example of Springfield College’s commitment to this initiative. “Basketball was instrumental in providing us an opportunity to travel abroad,” said Cooper. “Sport in many ways builds a bridge between individuals who otherwise may not have the chance to
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