October 31, 2019　=========

☆  professional プロの

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And, that’s all for this month on our topic of Sports is entertainment. I was talking recently with my son about the athletes at the Olympics, and how they are amateurs, not professional athletes. He asked me what the difference between an amateur athlete and professional athlete was. I explained that amateurs were not paid to do their sport, but professional athletes earn a salary for playing their sport.

However, the more we talked about the different sports that are in the Olympics, the more I realized that there are many professional sports people competing. So, I needed Google to help answer his question! Turns out, throughoutRead more about October 31 – professional[…]

October 30, 2019　=========

☆  athletic 筋骨隆々の

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An athletic person is fit, and able to perform energetic movements easily. Would you describe yourself as athletic? Obviously professional sports people are athletic and look fit and healthy. However, it’s common to describe general people who are not athletes as athletic. For example:

She is tall, with an athletic build.
He is almost 60 years old, but he’s so athletic that he looks a lot younger.
Both of them are very athletic.
His athletic career was over very quickly, unfortunately.

So, my original question, would you describe yourself as athletic? Me? Maybe… I am training for a marathon, so maybe a little bit athletic!

Bye,

Chris

October 29, 2019　=========

☆  excited 興奮した

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This month’s Q&A is “Do you like to watch professional sports?” and one of the sample answers is, “Yes, I’m always excited when we have a home game.” Why do you think that would be? Well, I’m not sure about Japan, but in Australia, to travel from one city to another, in order to see your team play an away costs a lot of money – and you need to fly, for at least 2 hours!

So, a home game means that you can travel by public transport, or even drive to the stadium. The only cost is your entry ticket and food and drinks. That’s whyRead more about October 29 – excited[…]

October 28, 2019　=========

☆  intense  強烈な

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Although my boys train a lot, it doesn’t sound as intense as my friend’s kids in Japan. They are early teens, and want to play professional baseball. He said they have training all day on the weekend! All day?? That is intense! Our soccer training is a maximum of 75 minutes!

He also said that they train no matter what the weather. And they are not supposed to take drink breaks. He said that Japanese baseball is very intense, and that it still follows the culture of training from many, many years ago, of “no pain, no gain.”

Is that true? If so, it’s sounds a bit tooRead more about October 28 – intense[…]

October 27, 2019　=========

☆  train 練習する

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We are a soccer-loving family, both my sons play for their school team and a club team, too. So, during winter we have soccer five days a week! They train three days a week, and play games two days a week. We are so busy with soccer.

And then suddenly, at the end of September, soccer finishes for the season. They don’t need to train three times a week. And no games on the weekend either. For the past few weeks, we have had nothing to do! It’s strange to have so much free time.

However, it won’t last long, because they are “bored” and want to train,Read more about October 27 – train[…]

October 26, 2019　=========

☆  shout 叫ぶ

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When we first moved back to Adelaide, I used to go to the Adelaide United soccer games. I used to go to the FC Tokyo games at Ajinomoto stadium, and it was such a big stadium, that even if you shouted a lot, no one could really hear you because everyone else was also shouting.

However, as I mentioned, the Adelaide United stadium is tiny compared to FC Tokyo’s and so when you shout, everyone hears you! I would often shout at the players and umpires, trying to tell them what to do. Ha ha… so after a while, I decided I should probably watch the gamesRead more about October 26 – shout[…]

October 25, 2019　=========

☆  provoke 挑発する

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If you provoke someone, you deliberately annoy them and try to make them behave aggressively or badly. In sport, this is unfortunately a tactic that many players use to try and win. They try to provoke the opponent so that they make a mistake and therefore miss or make a foul.

A lot of the time, in team sports like rugby, American football and so on, the referees can’t really hear what is going on, so players often verbally provoke their opponents. When you suddenly see a player attacking another player for what looks like no reason, you can usually assume that they have been verbally provoked.Read more about October 25 – provoke[…]

October 24, 2019　=========

☆  tackle タックルする

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One of the useful phrases this week is, “Did you see him tackling the other player?”

You could use this phrase in various ways. Firstly, it could be something that you say to the referee or coach at your kid’s game, when you want to say that the umpire should have stopped it or given a foul.

Another way might be if you are watching a professional game with friends, you might use your intonation to express surprise at the way the player tackled the other player. Or you might use your intonation to express respect because you thought the player tackled well.

What other situations might you useRead more about October 24 – tackle[…]

October 23, 2019　=========

☆  spectate 観戦する

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To spectate means to watch an activity, generally a sports event, without taking part. So, for the Olympics next year, there will be lots of people spectating at all of the events. For the triathlon and things like the marathon, will there be places along the course, where you can spectate for free? Or will it all be closed to the public and you need to have a ticket?

My Japanese friend who lives in Adelaide with her Aussie husband said that she wants to go to Japan to spectate and experience the atmosphere of the Olympics. She wants to take her kids, so they can experienceRead more about October 23 – spectate[…]

October 22, 2019　=========

☆  scream 叫ぶ

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One of the useful phrases this week is, “I lost my voice from screaming at the referee!” Ha ha, this reminds me of a great commercial for Ajinomoto stadium from years ago. I wonder if you know it?

In the advert, a young guy has moved to Tokyo to live. He is surprised by all the pretty girls in Tokyo. Then when he hears the girls speak, he is surprised again, because they all have very husky voices. In the end, he meets a girl with a feminine voice, and she explains that she doesn’t go to the soccer games at Ajinomoto stadium.

The final scene is ofRead more about October 22 – scream[…]

October 21, 2019　=========

☆  coach  指導する

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When you coach a person or a team, you help them to become better at a particular sport. Have you ever played a sport and had someone coaching you? Sometimes if you don’t have a good relationship with the person coaching you it can make it really hard to have fun and improve.

When I was young, although I don’t remember the woman who was coaching my netball team, I do remember that we didn’t get along. She never chose me for the team! She was coaching us like she thought we were Olympic athletes! We were just 10-year-old girls!

Luckily, now as a runner, I don’t needRead more about October 21 – coach[…]

October 20, 2019　=========

☆  packed 満員の

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This week’s useful phrase is, “The stadium is packed.” Our local soccer team is Adelaide United, and their home stadium is tiny. It can fit 15,000 people maximum. It’s great for watching soccer, because you are so close to the pitch. But, even at a busy popular game, there is only about 8 or 9,000 people there. So, yes, you could definitely not say that it was packed! Ha ha.

How about at sporting events in Japan? Are the arenas and stadiums usually packed for things like baseball and soccer? Or does it depend on the team? I guess the Olympics will sell out of tickets, right?Read more about October 20 – packed[…]

October 19, 2019　=========

☆  visionary 先見の明がある

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A visionary is someone who has strong, original ideas about how things could be different in the future, in particular, about how things might be improved. I’m not sure who you could describe as visionary in the topic of sports… Do you?

I think the people who originally thought of the game or sport, and the rule makers would definitely have to be considered visionary. But, how about the athletes themselves? Is there anyone in Japan that comes to mind, that you feel is a visionary?

In commonwealth countries, cricket is very popular. The game of cricket has not really changed, but there have been new styles ofRead more about October 19 – visionary[…]

October 18, 2019　=========

☆  gripping 人の心をつかむ

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Something that is gripping is fascinating, compelling, engrossing, riveting, spellbinding, thrilling, enthralling, and exciting! So many words to choose from!

This week, there is a useful phrase, “What a gripping finish!” When might you use this kind of sentence? You might use it if you are watching the marathon event at the Olympics, and there are two or three runners that are in the lead and keep changing positions from first, second, or third.

Or it might describe a team sport, where there is not much time left and the score is even, for example in soccer, the penalty shootout to decide the winner, is especially gripping! It’sRead more about October 18 – gripping[…]

October 17, 2019　=========

☆  engaging  魅力的な

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An engaging person or thing is interesting and entertaining. As I mentioned, my kids love to watch YouTube videos of other people playing soccer and doing tricks. For them, it is completely engaging, and they find it hard to stop watching when I ask them to!

For me, though, I’m not much of a fan of watching sport. I don’t really find many sports that engaging. I much prefer to be playing the sport instead of watching it. One sport I do find engaging to watch though, is the marathon in the Olympics. It’s so amazing to me how fast they can run, and they make itRead more about October 17 – engaging[…]

October 16, 2019　=========

☆  legendary 伝説的な

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If you describe someone as legendary, you mean that they are famous and there are many stories told about them. Are there any Japanese athletes that could be described as legendary? Perhaps Ichiro? And definitely within Japan, some Sumo wrestlers would be considered legendary, right?

In Australia, cricket is a popular sport, and Don Bradman is one of the most famous players ever. In fact, he is described as the “greatest batsman of all time.” He is legendary, without a doubt, and even though he died in 2001 at age 92, many of his batting records are still unbeaten!

Is there anyone with that kind of legendary statusRead more about October 16 – legendary[…]

October 15, 2019　=========

☆  brilliant  素晴らしい

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In sport, a play or performance, or person that is brilliant is extremely clever or skillful. You could say something like, “Nagatomo is a brilliant soccer player.” Or, “Did you see that serve? It was brilliant!” Or, “She deserved to win after such a brilliant performance.”

These days, my kids love watching YouTube videos of other people performing soccer skills. Some of the people are brilliant, and yet they look like ordinary people, as opposed to professional athletes. There are even videos of young kids doing brilliant tricks with the soccer ball. It’s amazing to watch. I wonder if people are getting more and more skillful becauseRead more about October 15 – brilliant[…]

October 14, 2019　=========

☆  inspiring 奮い立たせる

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I think athletes are very inspiring, don’t you? Although, I think a lot of them are paid waaaaay too much money for their salary!! Obviously, there is a reason why they are earning so much just for playing sport – they are champions at the sport, the best of the best and that is very inspiring to watch.

This week, we have a quote from Billie Jean King, American tennis player, says, “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” I think this is what makes athletes inspiring. The real champions are the ones that just keep going and going, until they get it right – whetherRead more about October 14 – inspiring[…]

October 13, 2019　=========

☆  perform  行う

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Today’s word is interesting, because it is not often used before an event. An aggressive coach might say, “Get out there and perform!” before a game. However, it’s more likely to be used after a game in this way:

You performed really well, today, I’m proud of you.
You guys didn’t perform as a team today, what’s going on?

And of course, a good coach would use it during the break time or time out, to coach their team to keep performing well, and win the game. Or if the team is performing badly, the coach will give them pointers and advice on how they can perform better inRead more about October 13 – perform[…]

October 12, 2019　=========

☆  draw 引き分けになる

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This is actually mainly a British word, but it’s the word I always use. It means that in a game or competition, if one person draws with another, or if two teams draw, they have the same number of points or goals at the end of the game.

Do you know the American word for the same meaning? In America, they tend to say, “tie.” Here are some examples:

England and France drew one-one.
They drew with Ireland in the first game.
The two teams tied, and it went into a penalty shootout.
I couldn’t believe it that both teams were tied for first place!

Of course, in the Olympics, tying orRead more about October 12 – draw[…]

October 11, 2019　=========

☆  defend 守る

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In sports, you can use the word “defend” in two ways. Firstly, an athlete who has previously won an event, will be defending their title, the next time the play that event. You will often hear this in tennis, for example, when players defend their titles. Last July, the news report from Wimbledon was, “Novak Djokovic defends Wimbledon title in five-set thriller.”

Secondly, you can use it to talk about what a player is doing. For example, “The goal went in, because there was no one defending or helping the goal keeper!” Or “You are good at defending, so I want you to play in the secondRead more about October 11 – defend[…]

October 10, 2019   　=========

☆  compete 競争する

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If you compete in a contest or game, you take part in it. So, “The athletes will be competing in the Olympics next year” is a simple example of how to use this word. The hard thing for the athletes though is that they have to compete against their team mates if they want to be on the Olympic team.

For Japan, as the host nation, I guess it will be easier to send many athletes to compete in the games. It will cost a lot less money, right? Whereas, in Australia, there is not a lot of budget to use to send athletes to theRead more about October 10 – compete[…]

October 9, 2019   =========

☆  beat 打ち負かす

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In sports, if you beat someone, you defeat them and you win the game or completion. This week, there is a useful phrase: “I don’t’ think they’ll beat them.” We were saying this about my son’s soccer team quite a bit this season! Not because we didn’t think his team was any good, but because they were younger kids playing in an older league.

So, all the other teams were bigger and stronger and had one more year of experience. Naturally we thought it would be unusual for them to beat the other teams. However, they proved us wrong! They didn’t beat the teams in theRead more about October 9 – beat[…]

October 8, 2019      =========

☆  root for 応援する

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If you are rooting for someone, it means you are cheering them on. You are supporting them while they are doing something difficult or trying to win a game. Rooting for someone is basically the informal way of saying cheer someone on.

However, cheer on is usually only used for sports. On the other hand, you can use root for in many different situations. For example, if someone you know is trying to get a new job and has an interview, you might say, “Good luck, I’ll be rooting for you.” Or if you are watching a movie, you might be rooting for one ofRead more about October 8 – root for[…]

October 7, 2019 =========

☆  cheer on 声援を送る

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When you cheer someone on, you shout loudly in order to encourage them. Who will you be cheering on during the Olympics next year?

In the swimming, hopefully Kyle Chalmers, the Australian swimmer will be taking part. He won a couple of gold medals in 2016. I’ll be cheering him on for sure – his swim club is just a 10-minute walk from my house! Earlier in the year, there was a swimming event held at the center, and we went to see him swim and cheer him and the other swimmers on. They are so fast!

Bye,

Chris

October 6, 2019　=========

☆  course コース

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In sport, a course is an area of land where races are held. For example, the marathon course refers to the route and the land where the runners will race. Some other examples:

The Tour de Frances is a course of over 2,000 miles.
Tom is currently in fourth position on the Boston (marathon) course.
What part of the marathon course do you like the best?

It can also refer to a golf course, too. Will the Tokyo Olympics have a golf course? Where will it be? Golf has been included again since 2016, right? I’d like to know where the course in Tokyo will be – many people willRead more about October 6 – course[…]

October 5, 2019　=========

☆  position ポジション

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On the topic of sports, there are a couple of ways you can use the word, position. Firstly, it can describe the position you are in relation to other players. For example, in the grand prix, Honda is currently in ninth position. Or in tennis, Sampras is hoping to win the world No. 1 position.

It can also mean the place or location where you are watching the sport from. For example, I got to the game early, to get a good spot / position to see all the action.

And finally, it is used to describe your place in the team, you might be the goal keeper,Read more about October 5 – position[…]

October 4, 2019　=========

☆  arena 競技場

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An arena is a place where sports, entertainment, and other public events take place. It can also be a called a stadium. So, what is happening for the Olympics next year? Are they building a new arena? I haven’t really followed the developments that much, so I’m not sure what is being planned.

I just looked on Wikipedia, and it says the old arena was demolished, and a new one is being built and almost finished. Is that right?? Wow, that’s a big thing to do for a one-time event! Obviously, the plan is to use the arena for lots of other events, right, but Wikipedia saysRead more about October 4 – arena[…]

October 3, 2019          =========

☆  talent 才能

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One of the useful phrases this week is, “He’s got such a lot of talent.” Who might say this? When might they say it? If you are watching the high school baseball on TV in Japan, you might say it about one of the young players. I know that the Koushien attracts young players with a lot of talent, many hoping to play professionally.

A coach might say it to a parent, in fact, they might use it to imply that he has a lot of talent, but he is wasting his talent. The child might not be training at home, or might not be focusingRead more about October 3 – talent[…]

October 2, 2019      =========

☆  opponent  対戦相手

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In a sporting event, your opponent is the person or team you are playing against. I think that’s one of the reasons I like running – the only real opponent is me! Did I run better than yesterday? Am I running better or faster or stronger than me a few weeks or months ago? And, even if the answer is no, I’m a pretty friendly opponent, and don’t get mad at myself. Ha ha.

In my son’s soccer games, though, it’s much more important! His coach checks out who the opponent will be each week, and gets ideas and tips on how to win against differentRead more about October 2 – opponent[…]

October 1, 2019　    =========

☆  awe 畏敬の念

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This month, we are looking at the topic of, “Sports is entertainment” … by this time next year, the Tokyo Olympics will have finished. I wonder how they will go?! I know that I will be in awe of all the Olympians and volunteers and spectators that take part during such a hot time of year!

Awe is a feeling of respect and amazement that you have when you are facing something wonderful (and sometimes even something frightening.) It’s a feeling of wonder, admiration, astonishment, respect, and even sometimes fear. I know that the feeling of awe at the marathon runners in Tokyo summer, might definitelyRead more about October 1 – awe[…]