And you thought my cheerleading days were over...

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If I thought everyone in Japan stared at me normally, I clearly hadn't thought about what would happen if I wore a cheerleading uniform to a high school soccer game.

This weekend I relived my cheerleading glory days in the spirit of Tokusho.

It all started when I went to their soccer semi-finals two weeks ago. Yagi-sensei, a blunt, feisty and wonderful woman who once told me "you will not marry" when I said that I didn't like to clean, drove me to the game along with some of the cheerleaders. This somehow hatched into the idea of me cheering with them at the championships - uniform and all. It would be hilarious. Of course I said yes.

Walking into the stadium with the other girls is the funniest thing I've done in Japan, and possibly in my life. The jaws of the opposing team and the spectators were on the floor, and I literally couldn't help laughing out loud. There are no foreigners in Tokushima, so I (with my uniform and poms) was a conundrum and a half.

The experience, from trying to learn twenty cheers in Japanese during the past week of practices, to having my students tease my hair for the big day, to watching the soccer team achieve victory, was amazing.

And through my actual cheering, I felt the atmosphere of high school sports in Japan.

There were some differences: one student in the cheering section was in charge of calling out the cheers and keeping the beat with a giant drum. Another student told the cheerleaders which cheer they would do next, and they didn't start until the designated girl signalled that they were ready. That whole process took seconds - again with the orderliness.

But the overwhelming feeling was that high school kids are the same everywhere, no matter how well they can organize themselves. Their spirit, rowdiness and sense of humor really made me miss high school.

On a separate note, the drive to the stadium, a little ways outside the city, was breathtaking with the bold reds and faded yellows of autumn splashed onto the mountains. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

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Photos

Autumn leaves
Taken at Tokushima's Castle Park

Even More Autumn Leaves
I like the way it fades from left to right, yellow to red

Comments

[James Salvona]

Yagi-sensei is WIN. But talking to her in English can be somewhat laborious.

[Tom Hafkenschiel]

Fantastic! I can't believe you did this. Very Funny!