２０１３年５月１１日（土）
今年度、前期のスポーツ・デーが行われました。１１日の天気予報は雨ということでスポーツ当番の２人が焦り、当日３日前の水曜から２回、当日の計画がまるごと変わりました。まず、雨ではハウスの裏庭が使えないということでバレーボール・バドミントン大会とディナーのバーベキューは中止となり、近くのボウリング場に行こうという案が出ました。しかし、ボウリング場との交渉がうまくいかず、結局HdB、ただし室内のコモンルームエリアで行事を開催となりました。
Saturday 11th March, 2013
The house’s Sports Day for Semester 1 was held on this day. As the weather forecast for the 11th was rain, the two Sports Tōban guys (residents taking on the role of preparing for the event and implementing it on the day) panicked and the plans were completely changed twice over from the Wednesday. Firstly, since the HdB backyard couldn’t be used in rain, the volleyball / badminton competition and barbecue dinner had to be cancelled. Ten pin bowling at a nearby bowling alley was suggested as an alternative, but negotiations with the alley weren’t successful, so it was back to holding the event at the house, albeit in the common room area indoors.
予報通り雨となった当日は朝から昼食の調理が始まりました。昼過ぎから皆コモンルームに集まり、３種類のカレーをメインコースとしたランチは皆たくさん食べました。参加者の２８人はくじ引きで男女のバランスが取れた、７人ずつの４チームに分けられ、ルール説明のあとはいよいよ競技へと移りました。
Preparations for lunch began from the morning on the day (when it indeed rained). Everyone gathered in the common room from the early afternoon, and enjoyed the lunch, for which three types of curry were the main course. The 28 participants were divided into 4 teams of 7 people (with a good balance between male and female team members), and after the rules were explained for the day, it was onto the actual sports.
ハウスマザーお手製のブラウニーも！
日頃からよく使われているHdB卓球台はコモンルーム中心へと移動され、チームA対チームB、チームC対チームDの対戦でそれぞれダブルス・シングルス・チーム戦がくり広げられました。
The HdB tennis table, frequently used in the house, was moved to the middle of the common room, and there were two matches: between Team-Team B, and between Team C-Team D. In each match, there were doubles, singles and team games.
ビリヤード台も今回、今までビリヤードに触れていない多くの人も親しむことができて、盛り上がりました。
The billiards table also saw many people become newly acquainted with the game, but was also enjoyed.
しかし今回のスポーツ・デーで予想外の主役競技となったのは縄跳びでした。多くの参加者がとても久しく取り組むこのスポーツは思いのほか白熱し、チームのために全力投球で飛ぶ人が続出。なんと１人は５５５回も飛ぶ偉業を成し遂げました。２人同時に飛ぶペア・スキッピングのほうでは多くの珍プレー・好プレーが見られました。
However, the surprise of the day was skipping (with skipping ropes) becoming the main event. This sport, which many of the participants hadn’t touched for years, saw a lot of people try their hardest to contribute to their team’s score, and the record achieved was 555 skips! In the pair skipping, with two teammates skipping simultaneously with one rope, there were lots of amusing moments.
３つの競技が終わると、ポイント集計がボードで行われ、僅差でチームBの勝利となりました（チームAが２位, チームDが３位）。表彰式ではまずハウスマザーに全員同時にじゃんけんで挑み、勝ち残った２人には舞妓さんも出る歌舞伎の人気舞台へのチケットが２枚ずつ配られました。
With the three sports all completed, the scores were calculated on the whiteboard, and by a narrow margin, Team B was victorious (2nd Team A, 3rd Team D). Kicking off the prize giving ceremony was everyone going up against the house mother simultaneously in paper scissors rock, with the last two standing each receiving two tickets to a traditional Japanese kabuki performance starring ‘maiko-san’.
優勝チームメンバーらへの豪華な賞品を始め、２８人全員、賞品を受け取りました（最下位チームには声が変わるヘリウムガスの缶なども）。当日までの何日かは準備や取り決めが大変で一時はどうなるかと思われましたが、大成功と終わって良かったです！次回のスポーツ・デーもとても楽しみにしています。
Starting with the nice prizes to the winning team, everyone received a prize (a can of voice-changing helium gas was included for the last-placing team). Although the last few days leading up to Sports Day were pretty hectic and worrisome in preparations, fortunately it finished in a big success! We are already looking forward to the next Sports Day.
