Ball-skills Big Meeting

Or "Kyogi Taikai". Exams at Tokamachi finished yesterday so while the teachers are busy marking papers the students are having a Ball-Game tournament. Today we have volleyball and badminton (I know, it uses a shuttlecock) and tomorrow is basketball and table tennis. Each class submits a girls team, boys team and mixed team and they play in a knockout tournament against the other classes. So, the two girl teams play against each other, as do the boys and teh mixed, and teh class wins the most out of teh three matches goes through to the next stage.

I saw a bit of teh badminton, but the real excitement was on teh volleyball courts. When I watched we had the homeroom classes of two English teachers going head to head！ The rivalry was friendly though, so no sparks flying.

The volleyball final took place around 1.15pm. It was between two third year classes, 3-1 and 3-4, both of which have homeroom teachers that Ilike a lot. I stayed neutral and enjoyed teh match. Class 3-1 won and was their reward they had a chance to play against the teachers. And me! This morning I was asked if I'd like to play. Luckily, I had my spare footy kit in my car (you never know when you might have a game) so I was able to play.

Apparently, the winnig students playing against teh teachers was a new idea for this year. The teachers don't have a team, just one teacher who thought it would be a good idea and managed to enough support. Needless to say, playing against the newly crowned best team in the school, the teachers team were beaten. We gave it a good go though, keeping within ten points of teh kids. It was great playing with teh teachers infront of teh students. It's was one of those moments where you feel like a real part of the school, not just some tolerated, lay-about idiot who talks funny.

Definately something to add to the list of Japan highlights.