Japanese and American children score a cultural lay-up

Photo By Lance Cpl. Triton Lai | Children from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and the local Japanese area participate in the Hiroshima Dragonflies Youth Basketball Clinic at the Atago Sports Complex, Aug. 23, 2019. The clinic gave American and Japanese children the opportunity to learn and play basketball with professional athletes. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Triton Lai)  

ATAGO, YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN

09.04.2019

Story by Pfc. Triton Lai 

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

The Hiroshima Dragonflies held a youth basketball clinic for Japanese and American children in the Lotus Cultural Center at the Atago Sports Complex, Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 23, 2019.

Children from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni and the local Japanese area were instructed how to play basketball by the Dragonflies.

The Hiroshima Dragonflies, a professional basketball team in the B, League of the Japanese National Basketball League, taught the children about the fundamentals of basketball and afterwards let them show their skills on the court in games of five on five.

“The purpose of the clinic is to give children the opportunity to learn and play basketball with professional athletes,” said Lauralee Snyder, the cultural center manager with Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) Semper Fit.

The Dragonflies contacted the Iwakuni City office and MCCS because they wanted to give American and Japanese children an event to experience playing basketball with professional athletes together.
Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City, shot some hoops with the kids and gave a speech during the event.

MCCS hopes the Dragonflies return next year to teach the children more basketball skills.

• Date Taken: 09.04.2019
• Date Posted: 09.04.2019 20:15
• Story ID: 338268
• Location: ATAGO, YAMAGUCHI, JP