Although we came to Japan to explore a new culture, we also came to compete against a top international team. Yesterday we had the opportunity to play in the 25th annual International Friendship Game against the Japanese national team. The Drexel University men’s lacrosse team played the Japanese men’s national team, and together we sought to represent American lacrosse. Lacrosse is not well known in Japan; therefore, our participation is one step to aid in the growth of the game. The Japanese players expressed their desire to watch and learn from how we play to further the game in their home country. Thus, we have dedicated the three days we play here in Japan to not only playing Japanese teams, but also teaching Japanese players what we know.
As we stepped onto the field for the opening ceremonies, we were in awe. The stadium stands were filled with at least 5,000 eager fans waiting to watch the talent of American lacrosse players. The scale of the event was not like anything we had anticipated it to be. But, it was an opportunity to play in front of thousands of ecstatic fans that we would not have in Palo Alto. We lined up next to the three other teams participating and listened as the crowd cheered after every speech. The energy was like nothing we had ever experienced.
A Japanese princess attended the game, a privilege we also did not expect. She, the Mayor and the head of the Japanese Lacrosse Association all spoke, welcoming us to the event and expressing its importance. Both our head coach and the Drexel head coach also spoke acknowledging how grateful we are for this opportunity. “Lacrosse makes friends” is the motto of the association, one that all speakers took to heart. In fact, one speaker initiated a cheer: when he said “lacrosse”, we were to respond with “makes friends.” Needless to stay, the cheer has become a team favorite.
The game was exciting and fun. The crowd cheered at every goal and ooo-ed at every check or interception. Such an animated crowd only added to the thrill of the lacrosse, something that none of us had ever experienced.
It is incredible to see how exciting the Japanese players are to play against us and meet us. We partook in an endless amount of selfless and received an abundance of gifts. Their excitement fuels our own as we come to remember why we began playing lacrosse so many years ago.
After the game, we headed to a boat cruise around Tokyo where we were served a freshly caught meal and sang Karaoke. I can’t speak to the food considering I ate a nuts, edamame and rice, but the singing was horrible. Despite the lack of pitch my team has, singing karaoke with our team and staff was one of the funniest and most memorable experiences of this trip. Everyone let loose and we acted like a crazy, large, dysfunctional family. Without any hesitation, our assistant coach Lo Schwarzmann got up and kicked off the karaoke with a beautiful (…) rendition of Britney Spears’ Lucky. Head Coach Amy Bokker reprised her performance of Don’t Stop Believin’ and our athletic trainer Nina Holley and sports performance coach Lesley Moser also joined in. While Lesley rocked the boat with her dance moves to Love Shack, Nina chose to remain seated for her emphatic performance of Man in the Mirror. By the end of the night, everyone was singing and dancing to classics like Sweet Home Alabama, Piano Man, and the infamous Wannabe. The servers even said, “I hope you had fun. You guys are crazy,” as we were walking off the boat. Crazy? Yes, we were. We were singing our heads off as we had probably the most productive team bonding session we had ever had. We were enjoying one of our last nights as a team before the seniors head off to the real world.
With one night left in Japan, we can only look back at our adventure with a smile. The trip was nothing like we could have ever anticipated it to be.
stanfordwlacrosse 