When I was a university student, the concept of sports business had hardly taken root in Japan. When I thought of sports-related jobs, I only had the image of becoming a professional athlete or getting a job at a sports manufacturer, and I actually never thought of working in the sports industry. I envy Nomoto-san and Sato-san for having clearly defined goals even while they were students (laughs). I was looking forward to hearing that you two would be the interviewers today.

"Sharing," "empathy," and "fostering a sense of unity" -- sports have three unique characteristics. For example, by "sharing," you can make friends, or by "empathizing," you can feel positive and want to try your best, and countless developments can be made in various directions. Therefore, I think sports have a power that nothing else has. Naturally, if you are thinking about going into sports business, it is important to have a business perspective, such as "How can we get people to buy more tickets?" or "Why do spectators enjoy it so much?" It is important to have these three points in mind as a starting point.

I think it's very important to let children experience various sports at a young age. In the United States, where I currently live, we have a seasonal system in which children play different sports depending on the season, so by becoming familiar with a wide range of sports, such as American football in the winter, baseball in the spring, and soccer in the fall, children can determine their interests and aptitudes. It is common for children to play multiple sports at the same time, so even in the junior high school soccer team that I coach, we often hear exchanges like, "We're going to take a break from practice next week because we have a basketball game." Furthermore, I feel that the culture of encouraging children to enjoy sports, rather than focusing on winning, and encouraging them to give positive encouragement when they fail, such as "You can do it next time" or "That was a good idea," also helps to foster a sense of enjoyment in children's sports.

In addition, your circle of human relationships will expand to include friends on the soccer team, dance team, swimming team, etc. When things aren't going well with your friends at school, going to dance can cheer you up. I think it's good for your mental health to have multiple places to rely on.
On the other hand, to increase the number of people "watching" sports, it would be good if stadiums had the infrastructure to accommodate a wide range of people. American stadiums have things like pools, play areas for children, and restaurants, so there are ways to enjoy things other than watching the game. That way, even people who aren't particularly interested in sports can feel free to go to sporting events.

Basically, I am against student athletes receiving money. It may lead to dishonesty, and if poaching becomes widespread, purity will be lost. Students should not forget their duties. On top of that, I think teams should do more to get sponsors and sell tickets. If money is raised, it can reduce the financial burden on students, such as club fees, and it can also provide a better training environment.

That's right. Taking advantage of its location in Sibuya, I think there is a possibility that it could create a branding that makes Aogaku think, "When you think of sports business, you think of Aogaku."

The reason I decided to go into sports business was because a certain meeting made me think, "I want to do something I can be passionate about, and become a professional at something." After that, I entered the world of sports and was surprised to learn that emotion is at the heart of business. Another major characteristic is that the moment you get involved in sports work, you automatically connect with the world.
In both my time at MLS and Barcelona, my mission was to develop the Japanese market, so I was glad to have learned the basics of Japanese business at NEC, from the rules of upper and lower seats to how to submit a request for approval. I don't think you can fully utilize the benefits of being Japanese if you don't have a proper understanding of Japan.

The most important thing is to recognize that there are many different differences on this vast planet. For example, if I, a Japanese person, were to match up the Mexican and English national teams in my office in New York, my colleagues and business partners would all have different cultures and ways of thinking. The question then is not to impose my own values on others and think "this is how it should be," but to think about how to reconcile the differences, which means respecting others is important. Without that, racial discrimination and war could occur.

It is important to consider the value of sports, think about why we are taking money from customers and sponsors, and provide a solid return. Sports are an emotional sport, so it is easy to say "please support us," but if the sports team does not receive anything in return, it will simply be a case of taking money. In that case, it is only natural that customers and sponsors will abandon us. Rather than being a developing country, I believe that Japan today still has room to grow, so I created a school of sports business and am teaching at Aogaku.

I try to take on new challenges on a regular basis so that my values don't become fixed. Looking back, I'm sure what I'm thinking now is different from what I was thinking five or ten years ago. This is because the people I associate with, the scope of my activities, and the sources of information I get change, and so do my values.
In the process, if I felt I needed legal knowledge, I would go to law school in Madrid and study at least every 10 years. I am still honored to be asked to talk about my time in MLS and Barcelona, but that was more than ten years ago, and times are different, for example, there was no social media at the time. I cannot continue to live like that, and I try to keep a sense of crisis that I cannot feel like I am living in the present unless I know, understand, and talk about what is happening now.

It's intuition and one of my mottos, "It's better to regret doing something than regret not doing it." In that case, I don't use name value as a criterion. When I joined MLS, it was a startup league, so people asked me, "Why not baseball?", and when I left Barcelona, people around me strongly opposed it, but because I chose it myself without being bound by stereotypes, I can work even harder. Some people said, "It's a waste to quit because you joined a good company," but I think that if you live your life worrying about name value, that's no longer you.
I feel that it is because of my studies at Aogaku that I am able to live a life where I believe what I want to do is important. The atmosphere at Aogaku is truly free, and many students act with the determination to "do what they want to do" rather than worrying about what others think.

Making lifelong friends in the soccer club is also a treasure I gained at Aogaku. I still meet up with my friends from the soccer club whenever I come back to Japan, and when we get together we always talk about the same things, like "that summer training camp..." (laughs). But there are also some parts where I feel relieved that things haven't changed.

As a student, you may not have much money, but you have plenty of time, so it's a good idea to invest time in yourself by meeting people who interest you and talking to them, or by doing internships or volunteering. I first saw the sports business scene when I volunteered at an international match for the US national soccer team while studying abroad at the University of Massachusetts. It was an educational experience, and when I later applied for an internship at MLS, a staff member from the US Soccer Association whom I met while volunteering wrote me a letter of recommendation.

First of all, maintain your mental health. It's not good to simply run away or abandon things, but if you feel that your mental health is being damaged, I hope you will have the flexibility to change direction. To do this, it is necessary to stock up on materials that will make you happy on a daily basis. It's good to try walking a different path than usual, or to contact someone you haven't seen in a while. Always create opportunities to receive new inspiration and broaden the scope of your interests. Above all, "Rather than giving up, bet on what you believe." This is also my second motto.
And one more thing, everyone in the outside world is under enough stress, so please give yourself a pat on the back and say, "You did well today." Of course, I'm easy on myself too (laughs).