On February 1, the Chuo University Volleyball Team announced that athletes Takahiro Yanagida (3rd-year student at the Faculty of Law) and Jin Tsuzuki (1st-year student at the Faculty of Law) will participate in short-term volleyball training with Italian professional teams starting from February. Italian professional volleyball is at the highest level in the world.

Overseas Support Program: THE FUTURES

Yanagida will join the Tuscany team in Serie A (League A) and Tsuzuki will join Lamezia in Serie B (League B). Each athlete will spend about one month participating in practices with professional players.

The two athletes were sent abroad by THE FUTURES, an overseas support program operated by the Chuo University Volleyball Team Support Association. This program seeks to cultivate next-generation athletes who will perform on a global level. The program has been started through partnership with Chuo Vision 2025, a ten-year development plan of Chuo University.

Yanagida and Tsuzuki are following in the footsteps of Yuki Ishikawa (4th-year student at the Faculty of Law) and Issei Otake (4th-year student at the Faculty of Commerce), members of the Chuo University Volleyball Team and the Japanese Men’s National Team. Ishikawa has twice been affiliated with Italian teams, while Otake selected a German team.

At a press conference held on the Tama Campus, newly-appointed team captain Yanagida gave the following inspired statement: “I will always be thankful for this opportunity to play abroad, and I will use this opportunity to benefit my career as a volleyball player. As captain, I am also responsible for using what I learn to benefit the Chuo volleyball team after returning to Japan.” Yanagida plays the position of libero, a defensive specialist. He will refine his receiving skills while facing powerful serves from the world’s top players.

Tsuzuki was also elated at the opportunity: “I recognize how special this experience really is. I want to experience as much as I can, grow as a player, and give back to Chuo University. My goal is to lead other players in my same age group.” Tsuzuki went to the same high school as Ishikawa and plays the same positions—wing spiker. He is known for his powerful play.

Yanagida received advice from his older brother who played overseas: “If you attempt to communicate sincerely, people will understand.”

One concern of the two athletes is living overseas on their own. Yanagida received advice from his older brother Masahiro Yanagida, who is a member of the Japanese Men’s National Team and previously played for the German team TV Ingersoll Buhl. “Surprisingly, many of the players don’t speak English, so you are going to encounter some difficulties,” said Masahiro. “However, if you attempt to communicate sincerely, people will understand.”

Both Yanagida and Tsuzuki recognize that their trip to Italy will be a challenging opportunity for growth. At the photograph session following the press conference, they both held up a clenched fist to show their resolve.

Kanto University League games started on April 7

Kanto University Spring League games started on April 7 and continues until the last game on May 26 (scheduled). Don’t miss the exciting play of Yanagida, Tsuzuki, and the rest of the Chuo University Volleyball Team.

Three consecutive intercollegiate victories prove the strength of Chuo University

(Waseda University won in 2017. Chuo University’s fifteen total victories lead all universities.)

2014	13th total victory	Final Score	Defeated Nippon Sport Science University: 3-0
2015	14th total victory	Finals	Defeated the University of Tsukuba: 3-0
2016	15th total victory	Finals	Defeated Tokai University: 3-1
2017	3rd place	Third-place Match	Defeated Tokai University: 3-0

Also attending the press conference was Rio Matsunaga (photograph), former coach of the Chuo University Volleyball Team, current Team Advisor, and Chairman of the Association to Support The FUTURES Project. The following is a message from Matsunaga:

“Playing volleyball overseas is a wonderful opportunity in our era of globalization. Our goal is to raise the level of Japanese volleyball and win a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”