We have two teenage boys who played 3-4 years Japanese youth baseball leagues starting at age 10.
Upon returning to America , we noticed huge differences between American and Jpanese practices , games, and tournaments.
Mast club teams in Japan the couches and managers are not paid.
That is not the case in America Elite youth teams.
In Japan these managers and coaches are regarded almost as saints by the players parents.
The parents in Japan take rotate and turns during various support team year around from 8 am to 6 pm
Sat+Sundays and holidays.
Because they have to take care of ordering take out (BENTO) and water, umpire games and help prepare and rake the field.
They serve coffee or tea to the manager and couches.
Every parent is on a rotation schedule.
Other indirect support jobs are arranging practice games with other team , managing the teem money,
reserving fields , reserving hotel room the team travels to tournaments , etc.
Japanese managers and couches act like Army Drill Sergeants .
When they address players the players have to take their baseball caps off and stand at attention.
When some japanese professional players say they they never thought baseball practice could be so much fun like it is in America.
Why is Japanese baseball practice like being in the military ?
One reason might be that during world war 2 the Japanese Government did not allow people have any
entertainment like sports.
People who loved baseball told the government that baseball practice would make the children physically and mentally strong enough to become soldiers in future.
Though the war is over the army style of practice remains.
