Volleyball coach Naomi Masuko eschews the berating of  elementary school team players when angered at a mistake or lack of effort that she was once subjected to. 

Instead, Masuko does not yell but "gently points out" to the players that she is upset. 

It is part of her efforts to break a cycle of verbal abuse and physical discipline common in youth sports.

Masuko, 56, a former player on the Japan women’s national team who has attended anger management sessions, has spent seven years passing along this strategy to other coaches.

She organizes a meet where coaches are challenged to rein in their frustrations and create a friendlier environment.

"I want them to coach in a way that kids can learn the fun of sports and feel the joy of improving their skills," she said.

LONGSTANDING PROBLEM

Physical abuse has been a major problem in afterschool sports activities across Japan. Although the number of these cases has dramatically declined over the past decade, alarming instances continue to emerge.

The Himeji International School in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, held a news conference on Oct. 3 to apologize after a softball club coach in his 40s struck a first-year female student.

According to the institution, the coach became so irritated when he learned she had forgotten to bring her uniform to a late September meet that he slapped her face.

Her guardians told the school that she was having difficulty opening her mouth and was diagnosed with a dislocated jaw. It required one month of medical treatment.

On Sept. 27, the Nagasaki prefectural board of education announced that it took disciplinary action against a teacher in his 20s at a city-run junior high school in Isahaya, suspending him for one month.

The teacher was served with a written warning and removed from his position as coach for a girls’ volleyball club in March after he physically punished several students during club activities, including pressing a ball against their faces.

He is further alleged to have kicked a volleyball club member in her side during gym class in July. Since April, he had been attending classes as part of a year-long program to prevent a relapse.

In Saitama Prefecture, a man in his 30s working as a coach of a kendo club at the private Honjo Daiichi Junior High School was arrested Aug. 25 on suspicion of committing physical violence against club members.

He apparently slapped their faces with his bare hand and poked their sides and throats with a bamboo sword. He was issued with a summary order to pay 200,000 yen ($1,340) in fines in September.

According to the ministry, educators faced disciplinary actions for inflicting physical punishment in 4,175 cases during the 2013 academic year.

That figure sharply dropped to 485 in the 2020 academic year, during the pandemic, with 20 percent involving after-school club activities.

But the number only represents the cases where wrongdoings were exposed and those responsible were held accountable.

A Japan Sports Agency official suspects that there are many more cases yet to be uncovered.

CHANGING MINDSETS

Educators such as Masuko are seeking to end the abuse at the source, by creating healthier coaching practices.

She advises coaches on how to provide clearer instructions, compliment students on their strengths and gently correct issues instead of demanding perfection.

Her strategies align with new guidelines compiled by the education ministry after a highly publicized 2012 case, where a Sakuranomiya High School student, who was verbally and physically abused by a basketball coach, killed himself.

Local boards of education created their own rules to address the issue.

Nippon Sport Science University is also recognizing the cyclic nature of abuse, acknowledging that many student athletes will become teachers and coaches themselves and must be shown a better way.

"No matter how hard we try to explain in regular classes that physical punishment is unacceptable, there are always some students who remain unconvinced," said Saori Nanbu, a professor at the university's Faculty of Sport Culture specializing in sports emergency management.

Since 2016, she has been hosting a seminar series where students can hear from bereaved family members of victims. Around 200 to 300 people, including teachers, typically attend the sessions.

When a mother speaks of losing her child, silence falls over the venue.

Some students approach bereaved families to vow to protect the lives of children.

When students are asked to fill out a survey after the session, many look back on their own experiences and say they were always afraid of their club coaches and were sensitive to their moods.

"We need to increase the opportunities for students seeking teaching jobs, active teachers and school club coaches to listen to stories from bereaved family members and promote the importance of protecting the lives of children," Nanbu said.

She said staff consultation services also need to be strengthened so children can speak out about their feelings after they experience or witness physical punishment.