Members of the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Tennis Team—who also compete as a corporate team—recently held a training session for the boys’ tennis team at Narusedai Junior High School in Machida. We had the privilege of supporting this initiative.
Despite working full-time on weekdays, the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance players devote their weekends to training as a corporate team. Wanting to give back to the city of Machida, where their practice courts are located, they explored ways to support local schools—particularly teachers who manage large club teams while juggling many responsibilities. From this shared intention, the idea for this training session took shape.
As weekend club activities transition to community-based models tailored to local needs, collaborations like this—where companies step in to support youth—are helping create new value and possibilities.
At the same time, relying solely on goodwill is not sustainable for either side. Ensuring that children continue to have access to sports and cultural activities requires more than simply accepting any form of volunteer support. We held multiple meetings with the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance team to discuss key considerations when coaching junior high school students, and only moved forward once we had a shared understanding. Securing the quality of instructors will become increasingly important in the years ahead.
Because the session was held for the boys’ team, the relaxed and friendly atmosphere was especially memorable. We hope this experience inspires the students’ motivation and deepens their admiration for tennis.
To the Narusedai Junior High School tennis team and the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Tennis Team—thank you very much for letting me to support this event!
