There may be people who seriously engaged in sports during their childhood or student days, thinking they wanted to become professional athletes in the future.
However, it seems that few people continue with sports after graduating from school.
Because they are busy with work, because there is no place to play, because they have no friends to play with.
There are various reasons, but there may be people who still want to seriously engage in sports in their hearts even after graduation.
In Kurashiki City Mizushima, someone has established a women's volleyball team to create a place for children who want to continue their beloved sport.
Suzuki Hideo (鈴木秀生) is the coach of Kurashiki Ablaze.
We will introduce the reasons why Suzuki decided to establish a women's volleyball team and what kind of team Kurashiki Ablaze aims to be.
What is Kurashiki Ablaze
Kurashiki Ablaze is a professional women's volleyball team based in Mizushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
It was established in 2019 and belonged to the corporate league.
In October 2022, it cleared strict criteria such as collaboration with the government and competitive performance, and obtained the S3 License.
Having stepped into the long-desired top-level V League, they will participate for the first time in the 2023-24 V.LEAGUE DIVISION3 tournament starting in November 2023.
Origin of the Name
The name Kurashiki Ablaze means "passion."
The emblem features a red "fox."
It embodies the desire to become a team that has more passion for volleyball than anyone else and to transform dramatically.
About the Coach of Kurashiki Ablaze
The coach of Kurashiki Ablaze is Suzuki Hideo (鈴木秀生).
Suzuki is from Nara Prefecture and was dedicated to volleyball aiming for the Inter-High during his student days.
However, due to work, he temporarily quit volleyball and moved to Kurashiki.
When Suzuki was 20 years old, he established "Hideo Eisei System Tech Co., Ltd."
Currently, he balances two professions as the coach of Kurashiki Ablaze and the representative of a construction business, continuing to challenge himself for the players and the community.
Employment of Kurashiki Ablaze Players
All players of Kurashiki Ablaze, including coaches, are employed by Suzuki's company.
However, since Suzuki's company is in the construction business, they cannot take the players to the job site.
Therefore, the players work at companies contracted as job partners of Kurashiki Ablaze.
They are said to work at various dispatch locations such as general office work, nursing homes, kindergartens, and as sports instructors.
This also serves as experience for a second career so that the players can do various jobs as working adults after retirement.
During the day, the players work as company employees and practice volleyball every day after finishing work.
Characteristics of the Players
The players of Kurashiki Ablaze have been practicing volleyball since elementary school and most of them attended high schools and universities known for their strong volleyball programs.
However, there are no famous players who excelled during their student days.
Therefore, they have a strong fighting spirit and are dedicated to practicing every day with a burning desire to win.
Community Contribution Activities
Kurashiki Ablaze is committed to community contribution activities.
You may have seen players in uniforms at events and local activities.
Here are some of the community contribution activities that Kurashiki Ablaze has been involved in so far.
- Rintei Garden (currently Ablaze Garden Mizushima)
- Food Bank Activities
- Mizushima Clean Operation
- Mizushima Morning Market
- Volleyball Festival
- Mizushima Flower Full Movement
- Sports Classes
- Agricultural Support
- Cleaning Activities
- Foreign Resident Coexistence Events
- Preschool Sports Classes
All players participate to become a team loved by the local community.
When talking to the players, everyone had a wonderful smile and a bright, very polite impression.
If you see them at events, please be sure to cheer them on!
International Exchange of Kurashiki Ablaze
Due to Coach Suzuki's connection from teaching volleyball in the Philippines, they were invited to a match in the top league in the Philippines.
The players experienced a match with tens of thousands of spectators for the first time.
Amidst the cheers of the Filipino audience, which drowned out their own voices, they miraculously achieved victory.
In the end, more than half of the audience was cheering for Kurashiki Ablaze from Japan.
Coaches and trainers from the Philippines have been continuously inquiring and requesting guidance, asking, "How can you win against our team that has an average height of only 170 cm when you are only 180 cm?"
They will likely continue to engage in active exchanges with the Philippines in the future.
Entry into the V League
And, they will participate for the first time in the 2023-24 V.LEAGUE DIVISION3 tournament starting in November 2023.
They will hold home games at Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park Gymnasium on December 2 and 3.
They hope many citizens of Kurashiki City will come to support them, and remarkably, the tickets for this match are free.
As citizens of Kurashiki, we definitely want to go and cheer them on.
I spoke with Coach Suzuki Hideo, who went to the extent of building a gym dedicated to the team, sharing the costs personally and through the company, because he wanted to create a women's professional volleyball team in Kurashiki.
Data of Kurashiki Ablaze
| Organization Name | Kurashiki Ablaze |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional Volleyball Team |
| Representative Name | Suzuki Hideo |
| Year Established | 2019 |
| Address | 2-23-1 Minami, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-455-5500 |
| Website | Kurashiki Ablaze |
