The following are comments from the Venice Fireballers 6th grade girls basketball team about the Nikkei Basketball Cultural Values.
LIFE
Harmony (Mia Mayeda)
Harmony is when people from both teams are peaceful with each other. Showing harmony can be little acts like complimenting the other team or getting to know one another. Building relationships can lead to harmony because on the court the teams that have relationships can trust each other and not harm which is harmony. Showing the little acts may have the other team be nice to your team and relationships can be made through just the little acts. Harmony isn’t being mean or playing dirty because that isn’t peaceful with the other team. Playing mean or dirty can be like pushing the other team on purpose or making fun of them when they mess up or when they lose. These can lead to bad relationships which can be shown on the court too. The game wouldn’t be hamonic because if teams are mean to each other, no teams would be harmonic, together, or peaceful. This can even be shown in life. When you make good relationships with the people around you, everything around you would be harmonic and peaceful. These traits are important because you want to build good relationships and show them on the court and in life.
Kindness (Kalea Oshidari)
Kindness is the state, quality, or habit of being kind, it could also be a kind act or treatment. Kindness is a characteristic of concern and consideration for others that is usually recognized, although the best quality acts of kindness could care less about being thanked. It is important to be kind so you can make connections, gain respect, and help others because they need help. Kindness plays a role in many of the cultural values because it is such an important characteristic. What makes kindness so special is how it is contagious. While this virus continues to spread people are trying to help others stay safe. When people see others help it makes them want to help, And it’s an act of pure kindness.
Kindness (Makena Nishi)
Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness is something that can be interpreted in many ways, like helping an old lady across the street or helping a teammate out with a move he or she wants to master. Kindness can also extend sportsmanship, like at the end of a game you shake the other team’s hand out of kindness and sportsmanship. Another example of kindness is when a teammate falls down or gets hurt you would go over to help them up and make sure they’re ok. Great ways to spread kindness while still staying safe during the quarantine is to create sign or write letters to the first responders that are working hard to keep us safe.
Responsibility (Mika Kato)
In everything we do, great responsibilities come along with it. Today, due to the coronavirus, every person has many new responsibilities. Everyone must do their part in staying home and keeping social distance. It is difficult for many to stay inside their homes away from their friends and family. This can also be hard on kids because of distractions during our online school. This is why self discipline and responsibility are so important to make sure we finish our classwork on time and we attend our online classes. Basketball presents a different set of responsibilities. During this stressful time, we are still responsible for practicing and keeping up our skills. Before the pandemic, we were responsible for making it to games on time and going to our practices. This takes great responsibility because even though we can’t drive, we are responsible for reminding our parents to be punctual.
TEAM
Sacrifice (Mika Kato)
People make many sacrifices on a daily basis. This includes staying at home to save lives. In our society today, the coronavirus has been a great sacrifice for everyone. Many people have been losing their jobs, or risking their lives to save others. This is a huge sacrifice because people had to change their normal lifestyles so lives could be spared. In basketball, lots of people make many sacrifices to make our basketball experience a memorable one. For example, our coaches take time out of their day to come to our many practices and games almost every week. The referees and scorekeepers make our games possible and our parents drive us to almost all our games to support us, be a crazy loud audience, and most importantly give us our snacks. Sometimes sacrifices can be hard, but people come together and do the right thing.
Sacrifice (Madeline Sugimoto)
Sacrifice is the act of giving something up for the greater good. In the sport of basketball, sacrifices are weaved into everything somewhere and somehow. In many cases, players must give up playing time, birthday parties, and many events just to be there for their team. As a team player, we must do our part in order for the team to thrive. Coaches and parents also give up their time just for us to be able to play the sport that we love so much. Being part of a league sets forth so many sacrifices but in order for things to run smoothly and for us to have fun, sacrifices must be made here and there to allow us to enjoy our valuable time as a part of a league.
Sportsmanship (Audrey Nishida)
Sportsmanship is the fair and generous behavior or treatment of others, especially in sports. It is when one competitor/player demonstrates fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with the players of an opposing team. Sportsmanship builds teamwork & character, and teaches respect, honor, discipline, and kindness. Some examples of sportsmanship in basketball are helping opponents who have fallen over, shaking hands, encouraging everyone, and staying respectful to everyone at all times, even when your team has lost, or the other way around. Good sportsmanship is important not only because it is a practice of etiquette and respect in sports, but also because it helps teach athletes the quality behavior that is needed in other aspects of life.
Sportsmanship (Alexa Lee)
Sportsmanship This is something this team has developed over the years, since we got used to the fact that losing was okay. Something the team lacks is self confidence, which can be good and bad. If we are too confident, there would be no room for sportsmanship, because in order to show this characteristic as a team, you would have to be open to losing, and know what to expect. Many teams are overly confident, and are never expecting to lose. This is what causes them to get mad, and not take in the fact they have lost. An example of bad sportsmanship would be not high fiving the opposite team. This is not showing a good attitude towards the opponents. Poor sportsmanship is not only found in losing, but also in winning. Our basketball league has found ways to prevent this, and has come up with some rules of their own. Teams will stop playing full court defense, if they are already winning by a lot. If one team is winning by more than a certain amount of points, the scoreboard will be shut off. Sportsmanship, in a way, is the most important part in basketball because it requires the virtues of being responsible, respectful, teamwork, fairness, self-control, friendship, and humility. “You can’t win, if you don’t learn how to lose.” -Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Teamwork (Madeline Sugimoto)
The word “teamwork” is pretty self explanatory, but it has a much deeper meaning when being part of a team. It describes not just the actions that the team players execute, but also the mindset required to work well together and not just as an individual. The saying “you are only as good as your weakest player” is a great way of saying that a team isn’t just about the best player, but it’s about the team as a whole.
Teamwork (Madison Moon)
Teamwork is when a group of multiple people work together to fulfill actions or solve problems. Teamwork allows players to function with their teammates and forget about individuality. In basketball, there is not one player who carries the whole team. Every player does their equal share and works together with the other players. Teamwork is important in basketball because a teamwork environment promotes friendship and loyalty. Not only does it motivate other players, but it also makes it easier to attain a common goal. For example, the common goal in basketball is to win the game. Teamwork makes winning easier because more teammates are working together and doing their share to get the job done better and quicker. If all of the players do their job individually, there would be much confusion and no sense of unity. In conclusion, a team without teamwork is not a team. It is just a collection of individuals playing for themselves without the common goal for the team.
MINDSET
Endurance (Kalea Oshidari)
Endurance is the ability to withstand difficult and or unpleasant situations without giving up. It is not only working on the body to push it to its limits, but it is also serving the mind. Endurance is usually used as a bodily term, but there are a lot of mental factors as well. To keep performing for long periods without giving up, you need the endurance to endure and live through the pain. It is a skill built up over time by practicing consistently. If you practice running farther every, you will become better at it and be able to endure longer distances. But if you are not consistently practicing, you will not become used to it, and you will not be able to endure the farther runs. Moving on, most people have heard that if you keep telling yourself you can’t do something, you won’t be able to accomplish it, but if you stay open-minded and tell yourself you can, it will be much easier to accomplish the task. Thus, if you keep telling yourself something hurts, you won’t be able to endure the pain.
Perseverance (Mia Mayeda)
Perseverance means you keep on trying and never give up. It is important to always have this mindset. Whether it’s on the court, in school, or in any task that is given. When you persevere, you can be better at a skill you never knew that you could be so good at. You can also accomplish new things in your own life that can make yourself proud. But when you don’t, and give up, you may never be able to do those things. You may not experience a skill that you could’ve been good at or accomplish something that is hard. Perseverance is not just a good mindset of a person but can also make yourself feel good as well.
Perseverance (Madison Moon)
Perseverance is not giving up when something is difficult. It is overcoming an obstacle or a problem that is being faced. There are many examples of perseverance in basketball. For example, when there is a problem or a setback in a game such as a teammate getting injured or the team losing, persevering through it would then lead to success. For instance, if one team is struggling to win, they could make improvements to their plays to help them achieve their goals. In conclusion, having perseverance and persevering through problems is extremely important in the game of basketball.
Resourcefulness (Audrey Nishida)
Being resourceful means that you have the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. By being resourceful, one would be able to make do with what is available to create a solution. People who are resourceful are able to adapt well to new or difficult situations and are also able to think creatively. In basketball, if you are resourceful, you are able to overcome any problems that may arise. For instance, if you are trying to pass to a teammate but an opponent is in your way, you must be resourceful and find an alternative way to get to your teammate or find another solution. Resourcefulness is a beneficial ability to have, as maximal results can be achieved from minimal resources.
PEOPLE
Friendship (Makena Nishi)
One of the greatest feelings in sports is getting to hang out with friends, sharing the experience of working hard and competing together against others. The relationships that kids develop during sport can lead to a lot of different outcomes. Having a friendship in a sport is indeed important, because a friend can help someone raise their self esteem, and uplift their ego. Friends are there when you need them the most. A friend would stand by your side through thick and thin. During the quarantine, we can’t be with are friends, which makes us unhappy and depressed, however we can still talk and comfort each other without coming into contact, and. That helps us to not feel lonely.
Friendship (Mia Mayeda)
Friendship is building good relationships with others. They are people who we can tell secrets to, ask for help, and being able to have fun with them. These are important in life because they can make you happy and feel important. As in the same way friends are there for you, you should be there for them. This is important because you want to contain these relationships. Friendships are important in life because it isn’t healthy to be alone and you can feel that someone is always there for you. You don’t have to go through life alone when you have friends.
Respect (Audrey Nishida)
Respect is showing regard or consideration towards somebody. When you are respectful to someone, you hold them in high esteem or honor and admire them. You respect others by listening to what they have to say, being kind, polite, and thankful towards them, valuing their opinions, and treating everyone equally. Respect isn’t just shown to humans, but also things such as plants, animals, and more. For instance, you can show respect to wildlife by walking around, rather than through, wilderness. In basketball, respect can be shown by listening to the advice and criticism of your coach. Part of being respectful is listening to others who may know better so you can learn and accomplish more.
SELF
Commitment (Mika Kato)
Commitment can come in many forms. Natalie Nakase is one of six female coaches in the NBA. She worked endlessly to do this starting out in the Japanese league just like my teammates and I and then eventually into UCLA during her freshman year. During this time, she injured herself causing her to get surgery and stop basketball for a year. Even though this was a big setback, she worked hard and was committed to getting herself well to play again. This led her to becoming one of the Clippers coaches. For our team, we must be committed to showing up to practices and games just like how Natalie showed her commitment through her injury.
Commitment (Makena Nishi)
Commitment often separates good from great. Commitment is about never settling or being satisfied, it’s about constantly striving to be your best, to get to a higher point then you were last time. A commitment is a promise to help or to be a part of something. My commitment to the team is to give 100% effort while playing at practice and at games. During the quarantine I still have a commitment to my team to practice skills at home to become a better player which will help the team when we start playing again.
Humility (Madison Moon)
Humility is the quality of being humble and modest. It is an important aspect of the wonderful game of basketball. For example, if a team wins a game, they wouldn’t boast about their success to the opposing team. The winning team would recognize the other team and compliment them, though they lost. If one player shows a poor attitude or shows off with how much they are better than the rest of the team, this is completely the opposite of humility. Not only does this make the team feel defeated, but it also detriments the success of the team. Another thing that happens in a situation like this is that it lowers the team’s confidence and self-esteem. It is important that basketball players show humility and kindness to other players in situations like this. In conclusion, humility is an extremely important factor in the game of basketball.
Self-Control (Kalea Oshidari)
To have self-control is to have control over one’s self, or of one’s own emotions, desires, actions, etc. It is the ability to control yourself, particularly your actions, emotions, and behaviors, primarily in difficult situations. Self-control is a skill you develop over time. To acquire this skill you must know your weakness, remove the temptation of out of control behavior, emotions, and actions, set a clear goal and implement a plan to accomplish that goal, build self-discipline, and produce new simple habits. Although you can develop self-control you can also lack it. Initially there is the possibility that one may have thinking difficulties for example, ADHD which gives them a hard time controlling themselves, another problem would be the lack of knowledge in social rules, and yet another example of lacking self-control could be the effects of frustration. The self-control element in a person is important, but there is a difference in self-control and willpower. Willpower is different in the fact that you are willing to do whatever you are aiming to do, but there is no need for control because you’re just doing it. Willpower is more similar to determination than self-control where you actively control your actions, emotions, and desires.