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Aomori Yamada’s gateball club uses the school’s futsal court for practice sessions.
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Aomori Yamada Principal Hanada Atsushi at first dismissed gateball as a sport for old folks, but he says he changed his mind when he saw his students throwing themselves into practice.
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Aomori Prefecture Gateball Association chairman Kumeta Yūji (second from right), who pushed for the creation of the gateball club, joins the club instructors. One female instructor in her thirties (far left) has been playing gateball since she was a child.
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Club members practice while Aomori Yamada’s nationally ranked soccer team drills nearby.
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Veteran members and their instructors pose with newcomers trying out the club for their very first time.
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When the weather turns bad, just roll out the artificial turf, place the gates, and practice indoors.
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An older club member (right) patiently explains the tricks of striking the ball to a nervous freshman.
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Gateball requires thinking many moves ahead. Players position their own balls where teammates can easily deflect them through a gate.
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Debate arises frequently over the most advantageous spot to leave a ball.
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Aomori Yamada teacher Norita Shūichi puts long hours into advising the club, even getting a medium-sized motor vehicle license to take them to out-of-town matches.
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All gateball club members are in Aomori Yamada’s special academic track for students seeking to enter Japan’s top universities. Except for Mondays, when they have afternoon gateball practice, they are all in class until 6:00 every school day.
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Club members all say gateball is a welcome change of pace from their relentless studies.
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Club members head home after another day’s practice, some with mallet cases hand-stitched by their mothers slung across their backs.
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