A week ago, the trees on the way to our Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall has turned fully yellow. My mom has always wanted to see the beautiful view but I always replied with “maybe tomorrow during my off-day!”… In the blink of an eye, the leaves are already falling, piling up on the floor and yet I haven’t gone with my mom.

Hello! I am Kayo Kimizono a first-year student in PEARL. This is my second time writing on this blog and I can’t believe it is almost my second month here. Talking about the trees just now reminds me of how fast time is passing by. The week before last week, our 4th-year seniors played their last game and it was an emotional day for the team. However, with all our unwillingness for our seniors to leave, we had to quickly prepare ourselves to start a brand new and exciting journey!

With how fast time is passing, I realize the importance of making every day and training session  meaningful even in the littlest way possible. During our two training so far as team 2021, our seniors set a “daily goal” every practice so that we could improve little by little. I really do think this is effective and will keep on doing this during my training in the future.

This year our team slogan is 「まっすぐに、ひたむきに」. When translated to English directly from google it becomes “straight and dedicated”. I think “straight” is a way of thinking where all we keep in mind is volleyball and where we wholeheartedly devote ourselves into this sport. Hence, personally,  my translation for this slogan is “Devotion and Dedication”. The double D is also an easier catchphrase so that I can constantly remember this throughout this year whenever I am training!

Though we have practice almost everyday, it still feels like we don’t have enough time. Just like the Hiyoshi trees, January will come by soon and then summer, and then 2022. Recently in our sessions, we are going back to the very basics and conditioning our body.It is such a good opportunity for me to learn from other teammates and improve my fundamental skills. Therefore, I will really cherish and make the most out of the present!!