The “PLAY for Hope Project” was conducted by the Sports Management Seminar of the Faculty of the 21st Century Asia at Kokushikan University.
This program aims to support local communities and deliver “hope” through sports and safety action workshops led by student athletes.
This time, grades 1–4 participated in the morning session, while grades 5–9 took part in the afternoon session, working together with the university students.
In the morning, students moved their bodies through rhythm exercises and running activities, while learning how to take an emergency position and call for help.
In the afternoon, they played soccer to develop teamwork and learned about the RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for injuries.
The key points of the day were:
- The ability to enjoy safely
- The ability to cooperate and have fun
- The ability to stay calm and protect others
All the students participated with smiles, learning how to act safely while having fun.
To enjoy sports safely, we started with warm-up exercises, moving our bodies to the rhythm of music.
Even during the warm-up, some students were already saying, “I’m tired!”
After that, we practiced predicting how our opponents might move through a soccer-based activity.
Students were divided into five teams and warmed up for the match by handling and kicking the ball using their hands and feet.
After some passing practice, it was time to split into two groups and start the match!
In the second half, we had a safety action workshop.
Students learned how to respond to injuries using the RICE method.
They practiced how to wrap a bandage when someone gets hurt.
“It’s hard to wrap!” and “This bandage sticks together, so it was easy to use!” were some of the comments we heard.
“We are working to share the fun of sports and the importance of safety with children. We hope that you will continue to play sports safely, cooperatively, and with enjoyment. Thank you for today.”
— Impressions —
- “I had fun playing soccer.”
- “I’m not very good at soccer, but I think I did well in the mini game.”
- “It was fun to exercise after a long time.”
- “I didn’t know how to wrap a bandage, so it was great to experience it.”
- “I was able to learn about first aid.”
It was a valuable experience to move our bodies together with university athletes who are active in various sports. Thank you very much.
