Finally, back to the main topic.
Various organizations, including JICA, NGOs, general incorporated associations, and universities, are promoting baseball in Africa. I think this is a wonderful thing!!
MLB is also mainly based in Uganda, and although it is gradually expanding, baseball and baseball may seem the same, but they are very different.
Even when it comes to instruction, in baseball the swing is to swing down from above and hit, whereas in baseball the swing is to raise up with an upper swing.
If a baseball gets hit by a dead ball, it will take off its hat and apologize, and it will glare at it.
Very different cultures.
Recently, thanks to the Shohei Ohtani effect, Japanese-style baseball culture has begun to be adopted in MLB, and more and more players are now removing their hats to apologize if they are hit by a dead ball.
So, which one should we adopt?
Is it baseball? Is it baseball?
The answer is "Hybrid"
"The mental education of Japanese baseball + the physical strength of American baseball + localization in Africa"
This is the basic line.
I especially want to place importance on localization. There's baseball, there's baseball, there's softball, there's baseball 5... On the contrary, there's too much, it's confusing, and it seems like the kids are playing without really understanding it.
There are people who are promoting baseball from Japan to African countries, but they have many questions.
I make appointments with people who are stationed in the world and travel around the world.
I spent about a year searching for examples of failure.
Well, it goes without saying, but to those who are working so hard, the promotion of baseball in Africa isn't going well, right? Why? It's a rude and disrespectful question... I've been turned away at the door many times before the meeting with "How rude!? What are you!?" (# ﾟДﾟ)... sob.
But… if you think about it objectively and look at the statistics, it becomes obvious… ( ﾟДﾟ)
Baseball5 was introduced as a trigger, and the number of players has increased so far. However, the number of people who belong to club teams and continue to play has decreased for more than 10 years... It's fun if you play it casually, but it's a different story if you play it seriously.
If I were to play seriously, I would choose soccer or basketball... If I had to choose, I'd choose cricket... Baseball is not on the list.
There are some rare people who will calmly listen to you while conveying the facts, without any discussion of whether things are going well or not, and without any emotional arguments. These people all say the same thing:
"It costs money."
So the project isn't progressing as expected.
I tried to unravel this "costly" thing in my own way.
[Project owner: Japanese organization]
Costs for project progress. We raised funds from sponsors and crowdfunding, but Africa is far away. Especially baseball. There are few people who sympathize with us, so it is difficult to raise funds. The benefits of sponsorship are goodwill for everyone except companies considering expanding into Africa. It is difficult to gather sponsors. As a result, we are limited to what we can do with our limited funds and resources. Furthermore, funds are decreasing, so there is less we can do.
[African children who are project members]
In the first place, you should work instead of playing baseball! It'll just make you hungry!? (# ﾟДﾟ)
They are likely to face opposition from their parents. For poor families, sports are not productive and only make them hungry. They can't earn money right away. So parents are focused on making money right in front of them. What's more, they need equipment... and it's expensive because it's imported... They manage to play with donated equipment, but it's hard to play well because it's all worn out. But they don't have the money to replace it with new equipment. There is also strong opposition from parents. As a result, they can't continue.
[Shima's personal opinion]
Project owners need a source of funding, sufficient investment, lobbying to expand the circle of sympathy, and an ecosystem to solicit support from sympathy and circulate the funds raised to the children who are project members.
Most baseball promotion organizations are not private companies, but NGOs or general incorporated associations, and are organizations that raise donations rather than making money. Therefore, their source of funding is donations, and if they don't collect donations, they can't do anything.
We are a joint-stock company. Earning money is our source of funding. In addition, we raise support through crowdfunding and other means and use them as an option.
In other words. They need money and empathy. Children in Africa need a better environment and a vision for the future that their parents will buy into.
Somehow, I was able to draw it fluffy.
Baseball promotion is not progressing, and the reason for the slowdown is "money."
Another challenge facing Africans is money.
However, saying "I can't do this because I don't have the money" is just an excuse.
If you keep making excuses, nothing will get started and nothing will move forward.
So, we decided to think about "money" in a way that is unique to us and a corporation.
"Nigeria + Baseball + Money" = ○○???
Phew... It's not that easy to come up with something... ( ﾟДﾟ) (lol)
Well, if it were that easy to come up with something, the barrier to entry would be low and it would be copied in no time (laughs).
We need more ideas that will lead to solving fundamental problems and create new industries and new jobs.
By changing the angle and approach, I tried to approach those who had turned me away again (laughs).
I'm very persistent (laughs).
Because I want to keep my promise to my children, and I want to be persistent and get a solution to the fundamental problem, even if it means I'm just annoying and disliked (laughs).
However, when I change the angle and perspective, many people listen to my story, and many different issues come up. Of course, the main theme of "money" remains the same, but
Rather than not having money, they create money and give it back to children.
From negative to positive. Let's switch to a positive topic about money.
I stared at the assignment I was given. My two pet cats joined me in front of the computer.
I thought about it for several months.
So, I used my brain to come up with an idea!!
it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look forward to the next one! (laughs)
~To be continued~
⚾WE ARE ONE TEAM⚾
