Alabama Softball Japan Tour 2018
7/16/2018 12:47:00 PM | Softball
Alabama softball will embark on an 11-day trip to Japan, which spans July 25-Aug. 4. There, the Crimson Tide will play a pair of doubleheaders against Great Britain and New Zealand while also watching Team USA and a number of other international teams prepare for the upcoming World Baseball Softball Confederation World Championships. The group will enjoy a number of experiences along the way, such as shopping and dining in Tokyo, visiting the peace memorial at Hiroshima and traveling 200 miles-per-hour on the "Shinkansen" bullet train!
Post #13Â - Saturday, August 4: Alabama Softball Safely Back in the USA!
#TheJapanTour has officially reached its end, as our crew took the long flight back from Tokyo and arrived safely back in Tuscaloosa. We've had a lot of time to reflect on what was an amazing trip full of fun and unique experiences. Here's what some of the team had to say:
Peyton Grantham – "My favorite moment from the Japan Tour was for us graduated seniors to take one last ride with the team. We met a few young kids who played baseball after one of our games and they immediately stole our hearts. It was also special that we were able to host an impromptu commencement ceremony (pictured) at the airport in Tokyo since we would miss the one in Tuscaloosa."
Reagan Dykes – "Firstly, I'd like to thank Murph, the coaching staff, the booster club and everyone who helped make this amazing trip possible. Being able to go across the world with some of my best friends and experience a culture so different from our own was a life-changing experience. I enjoyed everything that we did but my favorite was visiting Hiroshima and learning about the history of everything from a Japanese point of view. I was also able to see my friend Naoto for the first time in two years! He is from Japan and was at the University of Alabama as part of an exchange program!"
Claire Jenkins – "Being able to travel to Japan was an experience I'll never forget. I loved getting to see the culture first-hand and interacting with people that did not speak any English. Going to Miyajima was on of my favorite things because everything was so beautiful and interesting. It was fun to look around and shop at the cool little shops where everything was handmade and such a part of the Japanese culture."
KB Sides – "We got to spend my birthday playing against Team New Zealand and one of my favorite parts was our clinic with the little kids afterwards. That really meant a lot to me because I love working with little kids. Just being in Japan for my birthday was an experience I'll never forget. It was sad on the one hand because I'm usually celebrating with my family back home but the team and the kids at the clinic helped me celebrate and made it feel like a second family away from home."
Krystal Goodman – "This trip meant a lot to me. To be able to have this experience and make the trip even though I was a transfer is so generous. It was good to get to know the girls before I arrived for school and to see how things are done in practices, games and during training. Not everyone gets to take a trip like this, which made it mean just that much more to me. It was so awesome to see a new country and a new culture."
Thanks for reading our blog and following along with our adventure in Japan. It was the trip of a lifetime for everyone involved and we can't say 'thank you' enough to everyone who helped make this possible! We'll see you all again at Rhoads Stadium soon!
#RollTide
Post #12 - Friday, August 3: Alabama Softball at the WBSC Softball Championships!
We spent our final full day in Japan at, where else, the softball field! We got to sit in the stands for a change however as we took in some quality international competition on day one of the WBSC Softball Championships just a short train ride away from our hotel in Chiba.
Two teams in particular held some special significance for our Alabama softball family. The day's first game featured Team USA and Crimson Tide alum Haylie McCleney as its starting center fielder. She made sure to put on a show for us, blasting a two-run home run to put the red, white and blue on the board first in its eventual 5-2 win over Mexico. Later in the day, the New Zealand national team took the field and current Tide pitcher Courtney Gettins pitched 4.0 relief innings, though her squad took a tough 7-4 loss.
It was fantastic to see the University of Alabama represented so well on the international stage. Our players, coaches and support staff could not be more proud of Haylie and Courtney for how they represent the Crimson Tide on and off the field.
After everyone returned to the hotel, we had a brief surprise party for our athletic trainer, Erin Cohen, who is being promoted to a new position within the athletic department. She has been our trainer since the 2013 season and this is her final trip with us. She has been invaluable in keeping our student-athletes healthy and she has been an incredible servant leader during her time with us. We are so happy for her promotion and very thankful that she'll still be in Tuscaloosa and able to come to our games and practices!
Unfortunately #TheJapanTour hits its final stop tomorrow afternoon at Narita International Airport as we make the 14-hour flight back to the United States. Everyone is busy packing tonight trying to fit all our souvenirs in our luggage! We'll collect some of our final thoughts tomorrow and wrap up the travel blog once we're back stateside.
Post #11Â -Â Thursday, August 2:Â Traditional Tea Ceremony, Zen Meditation and Tokyo Disney
Thursday started with a quick drive to Ichihara, where we walked along a beautiful pathway lined by bamboo trees on either side to a house where we were learned about traditional tea-making and Buddhist mediation. Traditional green tea was prepared and served for us and a few of the team members even got to take part in the process of making the tea! For first-timers, the result wasn't too bad.
The second portion of the day was a brief lesson in the traditional buddhist method of Zazen meditation. Despite the sweltering heat, we managed to learn the proper posture, clear our minds, breath deep and find some inner peace for a brief moment. The host was also kind enough to provide a pizza lunch that was topped with fresh vegetables grown in his own garden!
We arrived back to our hotel mid-afternoon and, with no definitive plans for the night, a good portion of us couldn't pass up an opportunity to take the quick train ride to Tokyo Disney! A lot of the rides and attractions are very reminiscent of its counterparts in California and Florida, but they don't call it the happiest place on earth for nothing.
Our last full day in Japan will be spent at the WBSC Women's Softball World Championship watching Team USA and New Zealand, rooting on our current and former teammates Courtney Gettins and Haylie McCleney!
Post #10Â - Wednesday, August 1:Â Miyajima, the "Island of the Gods"
After an overnight stay in Hiroshima, we took the short drive to the ferry station to set off for Miyajima, also known as the "Island of the Gods". It is well known as one of the most scenic locations in the country of Japan and after spending an afternoon there, I think we would agree.
As you take the ferry in, the iconic Great Torii comes into view as it protrudes out of the water just in front the Itsukushima Shrine. Once docked, we departed the ferry and walked towards the shrine. On the way, there were plenty of deer walking the streets and none of them were shy about approaching humans. Our tour guide said there are about 500 deer living on the island and they are very friendly to visitors, no doubt looking to receive (or steal) a free snack from the hand of an unsuspecting tourist.
The Istukushima Shrine and Torii were beautiful to see up close and the town's ancient architecture along its shopping street felt like stepping back in time to medieval Japan. A Starbucks on the island did break that immersion just a bit though. Following a chicken curry lunch, everyone hit the shops and bought some great souvenirs.
That ended our overnight excursion to Hiroshima, as we took the four-hour Shinkansen bullet train ride back to Tokyo before transferring to the local line to head back to Chiba.
It's hard to believe but #TheJapanTour is sadly almost over! Tomorrow we will head to Ichihara City for a traditional tea ceremony and a lesson in zen meditation. On Friday, we'll wrap up the week with a full day of softball, watching day one of the WBSC Women's Softball World Championship!
Post #9Â - Tuesday, July 31: Touring Hiroshima
It was a very emotional and powerful Tuesday afternoon for us in Japan, as we took the four-hour bullet train ride away from Tokyo to Hiroshima.
Our tour guide, Nobu, is a Hiroshima native and was understandably emotional when talking about the events of August 6, 1945. Her own father is an atomic bomb survivor and was four years old in Hiroshima on that fateful day. She emphasized the city's desire to acknowledge its difficult past while also looking towards the future. She pointed to a bustling, successful modern-day Hiroshima as a symbol of the city's spirit and recovery in the wake of great devastation.
We walked the grounds of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park starting at the Genbaku Dome, which was the only structure left standing near the atomic bomb's epicenter and is preserved today to remain as it was in 1945. A short walk away was the Children's Peace Monument, dedicated to the inspirational spirit of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died of radiation poisoning following the bombing. While hospitalized, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she would be cured. She sadly passed away before she reached her goal, but to this day paper cranes are left at the site from all around the world and our group was honored to contribute our own paper cranes as a gift.
Just beyond the Peace Flame, a flame which will remain lit until the planet is free of nuclear weapons, was the Memorial Museum. Information, pictures and artifacts from the bombing made quite the impact to cap our day in Hiroshima. The opportunity to tour this historic site was not taken for granted by any of us.
We're staying the night in Hiroshima and will take a ferry to Miyajima tomorrow morning before returning to Chiba.
Post #8Â - Monday, July 30: Kamakura, the Great Buddha and More Shopping
Today's excursion took us to Kamakura, which lies just south of Tokyo and about 90 minutes from our hotel. Our tour guide for the day, Yoko, explained the storied history of the city during our bus ride and its significance as a center of political power in medieval Japan.
After scaling some small, winding mountain roads, we arrived at our first destination: the Kotoku-in otherwise known as the Great Buddha. The site contains an enormous bronze Buddha statue which is believed to date all the way back to the 13th century. For the small fee of 20 yen (about 18 cents US), visitors can even go inside the ancient statue!
Head Coach Patrick Murphy brought the seniors' A-Rings along on the trip and thought it was a fitting backdrop to present them with their gift. This likely goes down as the most unique location any UA athlete has received their ring, right?
After that, we took a short drive to tour Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the most important Shinto shrine in Kamakaura. Stretching out from its main entrance are a large number of shops and restaurants, which gave us more opportunities to sample some local food and purchase some unique souvenirs.
After a few hours of shopping outdoors, we drove back to Chiba and opted for some indoor shopping at Aeon, one branch of a chain of large shopping malls across Japan. The sprawling complex hosted a huge number of stores, some familiar and some we had never heard of, and gave us a chance to grab a quick bite to eat for dinner.
Tomorrow morning we will take the bullet train to Hiroshima in the southwest portion of Japan to visit the bombing site and peace memorial. We will stay there overnight before visiting Miyajima on Wednesday.
Post #7Â - Sunday, July 29:Â Tide Takes the Field vs. Great Britain
Alabama softball donned the crimson and white one last time during this week's trip, facing Great Britain in a doubleheader Sunday afternoon. It was a scenic drive to Naruto Sports Park, making our way through narrow rural roads to our eventual destination.
In game one, Great Britain held the early lead but Alabama was able to keep it close, eventually tying it at 4-4 in the fifth inning. The score remained tied, 4-4, until the game was called after the eighth inning. After a quick break for lunch, the teams began a second game which was eventually halted in the middle of the sixth inning due to a drop-dead time with Great Britain ahead, 3-2. Kyra Lockhart earned three of the team's four RBIs in the opening game, driving in three on a single, sacrifice fly and groundout. Montana Fouts struck out eight batters over 4.0 innings pitched in game two, with Kayla Davis and Reagan Dykes driving in the Tide's two runs.
The weather was fantastic for our games and Great Britain and the field crew at Naruto Sports Park could not have been more accommodating. It was bittersweet seeing our graduated seniors take the field one last time but it was also great to see our newcomers take the field and gain a glimpse into what the upcoming season holds.
Monday's itinerary takes us to Kamakura, where we'll visit a Buddhist temple and the most important Shinto shrine in the city. Afterwards, we'll head to Komachi Dori and the Aeon Mall for more shopping opportunities!
Post #6Â - Saturday, July 28:Â Touring Tokyo
Fully rested after Friday's games, we were ready to head to the capital city on Saturday and take in as much as we could with just one day in Tokyo!
Our first stop in today's journey was a lesson in traditional Japanese indigo dyeing at Wanariya. Indigo dyeing is so deeply connected with the Japanese culture, that the specific color created by the process is commonly referred to as "Japan Blue". In fact, the logo for the 2020 Olympic games incorporates this specific shade. Everyone on the team got to show off their artistic side and took home a nice keepsake!
Next up was the Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in the city. The stunning architecture makes it one of the most iconic locations in Tokyo. A very long street of vendors stretched beyond the temple itself and there were souvenirs of all sorts to take home. There was a lot of unique and tasty food as well, including the ever-popular Matcha (green tea) ice cream.
We then went from one of the oldest sites in the city to one of the newest, the Tokyo Skytree observation tower. Outside of being the world's tallest broadcast tower, the top floors provide a jaw-dropping 360-degree view of the vast city. Mother nature didn't give us the best conditions possible for a distant view, but it was a site to see nonetheless.
We then took a brief trip to the Meiji Jingu, an ancient Shinto shrine that rests within a large wooded area in the city. Wandering the grounds, it was easy to forget we were in the heart of one of the world's most populated cities. As a sharp contrast just down the road, our next stop was the shopping district at Harajuku. High-rise department stores and huge crowds of people made for an exciting end to our day.
The clouds that obscured our view earlier from the Skytree turned into a full-blown storm by the end of the day, leaving all of us soaked and running for cover. The rain and high winds are the leading edge of an incoming typhoon that is beginning to make landfall in our area. Our fingers are crossed that it won't affect our scheduled doubleheader tomorrow against Great Britain!
Post #5Â - Friday, July 27: Play Ball!
Friday was game day for Alabama softball! We had the pleasure of playing the New Zealand national team in a doubleheader scrimmage in their host city of Ichihara. Walking on to the field wearing crimson and white and representing the University of Alabama was an honor! After team introductions, New Zealand performed a Haka, which is a traditional war cry in the Maori culture now used by many of their current sport teams in international competition.
Game one was a tough loss that saw us pull ahead 6-3 before New Zealand fought back to win in walk-off fashion, 7-6. We earned our own comeback victory in the second game however, overcoming a 5-0 deficit to pull ahead 6-5 before the game was called after the fourth inning due to time constraints. Bailey Hemphill had a two-run home run in game one, with other RBIs coming from Maddie Morgan (single), Reagan Dykes (double) and Claire Jenkins (groundout). After pitching 4.0 innings in game one, Montana Fouts had the biggest hit of the second game with a pinch-hit grand slam to draw us within one before a sac fly and some heads-up baserunning added two more to give us the win! There were plenty of defensive highlights as well, including a leaping catch from Kayla Davis against the fence in left field that saved what would have been a home run!
After some intense competition between the two teams, we were able to wind down with a fun clinic for some local youths at the field. Despite the language barrier, the fun we shared was a great reminder of the unifying power of sports! There were a lot of laughs along the way and any opportunity to teach another group how to say "Roll Tide" is a good one. They even made KB Sides' birthday away from home a special one by singing to her in Japanese!
We then met the New Zealand national team at their hotel for a shared dinner. It was great to get to know their team and catch up with Courtney Gettins and her father, Kevin, who is the head coach of the team. The mayor of Ichihara was also present at dinner and was a very gracious host for both teams.
As we drove back to our hotel, we were able to see a large number of fireworks light up the sky across the city in what is a summer tradition in Japan. It was a spectacular way to close out our day!
Tomorrow we become tourists again as we head into Tokyo for a jam-packed day of sightseeing!
"Stepping onto that field for the first time was awesome. It was something I have been dreaming about since I was five years old. Having my first game be our first in Japan was amazing. Being able to talk with the New Zealand team and be around the Japanese kids was something I'll never forget. With the grand slam, I just knew that I had to put something in play with the bases loaded and I was really glad I could help our team out in that situation." – Montana Fouts
Post #4 -Â Thursday, July 26: Konnichiwa!
Following a very long 13-hour flight, Alabama softball arrived at Narita International Airport in Tokyo safe and sound around 2:30 p.m. local time on Thursday. After going through customs, we reunited with our tour guide and interpreter Ari and from there it was a 30-minute bus ride to our hotel in Chiba, the largest high-rise hotel in the entire country with a great view of Tokyo Bay.
Prior to a team dinner at the hotel, our group had the great honor to meet Narashino's mayor, Taisuke Miyamoto. As is customary in Japanese culture, gifts were exchanged as the members of the softball team received pins featuring the city's mascot, Narashido, while Miyamoto-San donned a crimson Alabama hat and even gave us a "Roll Tide" during our photo op!
Our first meal was a buffet-style dinner at the hotel. We got a great taste of a lot of the local staples, including fresh sushi, takoyaki and local crab legs. Now it's time to get some rest before we play our first games of the trip tomorrow against New Zealand!
Post #3 -Â Wednesday, July 25: Next Stop, Tokyo!
It was a very early start for our journey to Japan Wednesday morning, as our bus pulled out of Rhoads Stadium just before 5 a.m. From there, it was a three-hour drive to Atlanta before heading through the international terminal to board our direct flight for Narita Airport in Tokyo! The flight is about 13 hours and, in addition to the 14-hour time difference, has us departing Atlanta around Noon eastern time on Wednesday and landing in Tokyo at 2:30 p.m. local time on Thursday. Needless to say, our body clocks will need some time to adjust when we arrive!
It's a short blog today since most of our time will be spent airborne. Everyone has movies and music downloaded and books to read, but some sleep will be high on everyone's priority list for the flight. We'll be back tomorrow with a recap of our first day in Japan!
Post #2 -Â Monday, July 23: Practice Winding Down, Depart for Japan in Two Days!
A week's worth of very hot and humid practices are winding down as we're approaching our departure date for #TheJapanTour on Wednesday! Being able to get on the field this early in the year as a group and work on some of the fundamentals has been invaluable. These practices, plus an intrasquad scrimmage and a pair of doubleheaders in Japan, will give us a big head start before we begin our fall practice schedule.
Our trip starts with a very early departure from Rhoads Stadium on Wednesday, where we'll take a bus to Atlanta for a direct flight to Tokyo. With the long flight plus the time difference, we'll end up landing in Japan on Thursday around 2 p.m. local time, which would be around midnight Wednesday night back in Alabama. After checking in at the hotel in Chiba, we'll fight off the jet lag with a quick workout before meeting the mayor prior to a team dinner.
Friday will be our first full day in Japan and we're starting early with a 10:30 a.m. doubleheader against the New Zealand national team, including our very own Crimson Tide pitcher Courtney Gettins. After a pair of games, they will host us at their hotel for dinner.
On Saturday, we'll explore Tokyo starting with traditional Japanese indigo dyeing before some exploration and lunch. The Skytree observation tower will give us a great view of the capital city and some iconic sites such as the Asakusa Kannon Temple will be high on the list of "must-see" locales throughout the day.
Our second doubleheader of the trip will be Sunday afternoon against Great Britain. Afterwards, we'll be able to relax back at the hotel and pick out one of the many dining options nearby for dinner.
On Monday we'll head to Kamakura to see a Buddhist temple (Kotoku-in) and the most important Shinto shrine in the city (Tsurugaoka Hachimangu). After lunch and some exploration, we'll end the day at an enormous shopping mall, no doubt finding some souvenirs along the way!
Tuesday begins a two-day detour away from Tokyo, as we'll take the bullet train out to Hiroshima. There, we'll tour the atomic bomb site and visit the peace memorial at the Genbaku Dome. We'll stay the night there and on Wednesday we'll take a ferry out to Miyajima, known as the "Island of the Gods", famous for its mountaintop views and beautiful shrines.
On Thursday, we'll take part in some zen meditation and participate in a Japanese art of tea ceremony in Ichihara. On Friday, our final full day in Japan, we'll be in the stands watching the Women's Softball World Championship all day! Sixteen teams from all over the world will be competing, including Team USA and Tide alum Haylie McCleney.
Saturday, Aug. 4 will mark the end of our trip as we make the long flight back stateside. Our daily blogs start Wednesday, July 25 so make sure to check here, Twitter (@AlabamaSB) and Instagram (BamaSB) for updates throughout the trip.
Post #1 -Â Monday, July 16: Welcome Back!
We're back! After getting some time off following the 2018 season, Alabama softball is back in Tuscaloosa. Cutting our summer break off a bit early will be worth it though, since tonight's team dinner and meeting at Coach Murphy's house is our first step towards next week's trip to Japan!
Well, not the "first" step per say. The trip has been in the works for quite a long time. Four years ago, we took our first ever international trip to the Netherlands and it was such a positive experience we knew that we needed to start planning another for the future. We can't understate how instrumental the fundraising done by the Bama Softball Walk-Off Club has been towards making this trip a reality. We don't take this opportunity for granted and are beyond thankful for all their selfless hard work in making this dream a reality!
The timing and location of the trip couldn't be more convenient either! With the World Baseball Softball Confederation Women's World Championship coming up in a few weeks in Tokyo, international teams will be preparing for competition and guess who gets to scrimmage against them? We'll be playing doubleheaders against Great Britain and New Zealand and will get to watch Team USA (go Haylie!) in action! Not to mention, we get to see a very familiar pitcher for the New Zealand national team...
Sorry, we're getting ahead of ourselves! Monday's dinner was a great chance for the team and support staff to reunite. We're thankful that some of our graduated seniors from last year will be joining us as well as some of our newcomers for next year! We're so excited to get to know them. Nothing like traveling halfway across the world for a team bonding experience.
Our new friend Ari, who is originally from Japan and will be accompanying us on the trip, was gracious enough to give us an etiquette lesson after dinner and teach us a few key phrases in Japanese! We'll make sure to practice and be gracious guests in such a beautiful country.
Before next week's fun, we get the chance to hit the field and have a couple team practices. Getting in the weight room and back on the field at Rhoads Stadium this early is a great opportunity and we're taking full advantage of it!
We'll have another blog post next week before we depart that will have a more detailed breakdown of our jam-packed schedule. Starting next Wednesday, you'll see daily blog posts here of all our adventures. If you aren't already, make sure to follow us on Twitter (@AlabamaSB) and Instagram (BamaSB) for pictures and videos throughout the trip.
Let #TheJapanTour begin!
