Hosei University holds 1-day clinic on Saipan

Juhn Tenorio and his teammates from the Hosei University Swim Team held an abbreviated one-day clinic for Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center last Sept. 9. Tsunami Saipan head coach Hiroyuki Kimura said the clinic was supposed to be three days, but was cut short due to heavy rains.

Participating in the clinic were Tsunami Saipan swimmers Shoko Litulumar, Kouki Watanabe, Maria Batallones, Justin Ma, Richard Zhao, Sari Barman, and Maria Guerrero—all members of the club’s Sensyu Class.

Hosei University Swim Team captain Sohta Miura said Tsunami Saipan swimmers have the right attitude when it comes to swimming and training.

“What I thought when I saw Tsunami Saipan swimmers is that they have a good mindset. There are two reasons why I thought so. The first is that all enjoy swimming together. The number of meets is limited in a year, and the local training environment is not particularly good when compared to Japan, However, I was surprised to see everyone enjoying swimming and doing so cheerfully and cheerfully, and I thought it was great,” he said.

Miura said the second thing that impressed him was the swimmers’ go get-it attitude.

“It was our first time meeting and even though we didn’t know each other or [or have an idea of their] swim competition history, they listened carefully to advice from us and immediately tried every skill. I thought it was really wonderful to see such a positive attitude, such as when they did something well and showed a wonderful smile when we praised them. For these reasons, I felt so happy to be able to visit Tsunami Saipan. I hope that they will continue to cherish this wonderful mindset and do their best. The Hosei University Swim Team is rooting for Tsunami Saipan!”

For Kanji Yamazaki, another mainstay of the Hosei University Swim Team, the Tsunami Saipan swimmers were a breath of fresh air because of their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.

“When I saw Tsunami Saipan swimmers, I realized that their possibilities were so huge. Junior swimmers in Japan mostly grew up in programs that were too systematic, so in a good way they develop quickly, but in a bad way they have a fixed mindset. However, the Saipan swimmers all swam differently, and I felt like they were swimming by sense. Although the pool is small and the training environment is not the best, I wanted them to feel the tremendous potential they have and have fun swimming. Hosei’s Juhn Tenorio will prove that this possibility is infinite!” he said.

Takeshi Hajiri, another Hosei University Swim Team member, said Tsunami Saipan swimmers make up for what they lack in technique with hard work.

“Even in that training environment, I was impressed to see how serious they were for swimming and how much fun they had. Looking at Tsunami Saipan, they need more in technical skills, but I feel they have great potential and I’m really looking forward to seeing their future. I hope they always ask themselves ‘What am I missing?’ If they do that the challenges will be endless. It’s okay to make it one by one, so don’t give up until you complete it. Above all, I want Tsunami Saipan swimmers to enjoy swimming to the fullest. Let’s go Tsunami Saipan!”

Kimura, meanwhile, said aside from the invaluable skills and technique Tsunami Saipan swimmers learned from the Hosei University Swim Team, he was also thrilled to reunite with Tenorio.

“I’m so really happy to see Juhn again at our pool! I’m an adult man who has spent more time with him than his dad. So, I felt my son had returned home. Also, I was very happy to see that he was loved so much by his seniors from the Hosei University Swim Team. Honestly, I’m overwhelmed by the fact that a swimmer from Saipan is on the Hosei University Swim Team, which is a strong college team with a strong tradition. As long as Juhn stays healthy and work hard there, I’m thankful.”

Tenorio and company were fresh from competing in the 2024 Japan Intercollege Championships set from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

It wasn’t all work and no play though, as Miura, Yamazaki, Hajiri, and the rest of the Hosei University Swim Team got a grand tour of Saipan with no less than Tenorio serving as their tour guide.

“They went fishing, surfing, visited Mañagaha, enjoyed beach barbecue, etc. and generally had a good time with lots of island activities,” added Kimura.

The rest of the Hosei University Swim Team who visited Saipan included team manager and senior Youji Oomura and women’s senior swimmer and trainer Waka Imaizum, who returned to Japan earlier.