This weekend, the students of Hanamaki schools will go to a two day sports meet to determine which teams will go to the annual prefectural meet. Today, schools conducted a special assembly for the school to rally behind their athletes and for those athletes to promise to do their best.
This is something uniquely Japanese: the athletes don't just take the encouragement and pocket it, they announce formally that they'll try and not disappoint their classmates, teachers and parents. It's a lot of responsibility on their sinewy little shoulders, a hefty dose of humility with all that prestige.
Parents were in and out of な junior high all day, observing the classes and just keeping tabs. In America, this would be considered 'helicopter parenting,' but in Japan, the parents are very concerned with how their children are educated. The school takes on a surrogate parent role and naturally, the parents want to see their expectations met.
Some parents stuck around through the afternoon to watch the rally. I stood to the side and watched the event unfold. Here I've detailed a generic guideline for how to hold such a cheer session. Every school will differ to some degree, but this is just my impression of the ceremony of it all. Enjoy!
10 minutes before the rally begins, the band will commune in a corner of the gym. Three platforms will be set up in front of the stage and chairs will be provided for the parents attending. A boy stands behind a taiko at the front of the gym.
Three boys will approach the platforms and in unison will jump up at least half their height onto the platforms. In their right hand, they will twirl a baton with a large flag attached to it. The center boy shouts "Practice 'rei'" and the boy at the taiko beats the drum in a rapid staccato.
In two groups of neat rows with an aisle dividing them, the non-athlete students lean back at the knees at nearly a 45 degree angle and shout a long, resonating "SSSSSSEEEEEEEEIIIIII." Repeat several times.
At the set time, the student council president will call the rally to order. The music teacher strikes the band to play "76 Trombones" and all of the sports team members race into the gym in sleek uniforms for volleyball, tennis, badminton, baseball, basketball, and the traditional clothes of the judo and kendou teams. They form a neat, color-coordinated block of bodies behind the platforms. They turn sharply and face the congregated audience.
The student council president calls for quiet and introduces the principal and head of the PTA. Both make brief and encouraging speeches. The rally proceeds.
As each team is called forward, the wall of athletes shifts to fill the vacated space the advancing students leave as they mount the stage. The three cheer leaders leap back onto the platforms. Onstage, one representative announces their name, their sport and promises to do their utmost and not disappoint the school.
The middle cheer leader calls "Rei, (insert sport)" and the three boys snap their flags back and forth before raising them solemnly in front of their bodies, droning "Reeeeeiiiiii, reeeeiiii, (in-sert-sport here)." The rest of the students clap their hands in a slow rhythm and scream "REI REI (sport) REI REI REI" and then lean back and roar as they did in practice. At the end, the team leader thanks their supports and the next team is called to the stage.
Please note: should a team such as kendou or judo, or a sport such as tennis have both boys and girls on one team, girls will form a second line on the stage behind the boys and only address the school after the boys have spoken.
At the conclusion, the athletes and the rest of the students will stand and sing the school song while the band plays. Afterwards, the band will play fanfare as the athletes sprint from the gym on to triumph or defeat.
No comments:
Post a Comment