Team Japan visits Carmel USA Wrestling Club

[Wade McClurg]

http://files.ctctcdn.com/57b55f5d301/8b22d47d-7d1b-4c3e-9bd2-a706b8ea31b4.pdf

 

Page 7 of the Hamilton County Sports Reporter, thank you writer Richie Hall.

 

Carmel USA Wrestling Club takes pride in making an impact in our athletes' lives, and athletes' lives worldwide!  Great experience for everyone involved!

[Wade McClurg]

Japanese wrestlers come to Carmel

By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Summers for the Carmel USA Wrestling Club have had an international flavor recently.

This summer alone, the Carmel Club has hosted two teams from different sides of Asia. In June, the CUSAWC welcomed a team from Turkey, and this past week, the club hosted a team from Gunma Prefecture in Japan. Prefectures are equivalent to states in the USA; Gunma is located in the central part of Japan.

The Japanese wrestlers, along with their coach, Shinji Morise, and an interpreter, arrived in Indiana at 5:45 a.m. Tuesday. Carmel coach Ed Pendoski noted that the travel time was rather long: The wrestlers flew 10 hours to get from Japan to Los Angeles, then another four hours to make it to Indiana. Some of the Carmel wrestlers traveled to Japan last summer as part of the Indiana State Wrestling Association's Cul- tural Exchange, so they were aware how involved the travel is.

"We had today scheduled kind of free, because we knew going there, you're pretty tired after traveling for 20 hours," said Pendoski.

But the Japanese wrestlers said they weren't tired.

"And so we went shopping, and then we went and had a pool party, and all the Japanese kids fell asleep at the pool," said Pendoski.

Everyone was awake by the evening, and the Japanese wrestlers joined their Carmel counterparts for a practice at Carmel High School. Pendoski conducted the class, while Morise observed and videotaped.

"I will distribute to their parents, be- cause they don't know what's going on," said Morise through an interpreter. "And then we can show them how we practice in Indiana."

Morise said that participating in the Cultural Exchange is "a valuable experience," and that students will "learn a lot from this, and utilize the experience for their future." The students get a chance to sightsee around Carmel and the Indianapo- lis area, participate in a competition at Zionsville Community High School, and also stay at a host family's house during the week. Morise said that since they are house- guests, they must learn to communicate in English.

Reporter photo by Richie Hall

Carmel wrestler Jack Eiteljorg (left) practices with Japanese wrestler Haruki Kanai during a Tuesday evening practice at Carmel High School. The Japanese wrestlers from Gunma Prefecture spent the past week in Carmel as part of the Indiana State Wrestling Association’s Cultural Exchange.
More pictures appear on Page 8.

"In Japan, there's not a lot of opportunity to communicate in English," said Morise. One of the Japanese wrestlers, Haruki Kanai, said that he enjoyed fishing during his first day in Indiana. After the Tuesday practice, he said he noticed that the wres-

tling techniques of the U.S. and Japan are different.

"It was a good learning experience for me," said Kanai.

Pendoski believes his wrestlers are get- ting much out of the experience as well.

"This is an amazing learning experi- ence, and I think in the last three years, I think this is the fourth cultural team that we've hosted, and we've traveled once," said Pendoski. "The benefits of wrestling are good, but there are things that the kids will remember forever."