The Rakuten Eagles are hosting a special event, "Wings to Dreams Project 2024," in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the team's establishment.We invited children from Tohoku to Kin Town in Okinawa Prefecture, the site of our spring training camp.The joy of baseball and the importance of hard work to fulfill dreams, conveyed through interaction with the players, are expected to remain in the hearts of the children forever.

The ‘Wings to Dreams 2024’ was held on February 3rd and 4th.Ginji Akaminai, who was active on the front lines of professional baseball until last year and has been working as an ambassador for baseball promotion, social contribution, and local community activities from this season, also participated in this project. As soon as they appeared to greet, the children’s eyes instantly lit up. “I believe it’s incredibly important to stay close and supportive to the people in the community. I want to engage not only with teams and clubs, but also want to work with the community,” he says. “I want to create special memories, and I myself am learning a lot. I believe it turned out to be a project that brought joy to both the children and myself.”

Not only did Ginji Akaminai interact with the children, but he also gave batting instructions. Inside it said, “Thanks to Ginji Akaminai, my ball started to fly! There are also children who happily talk about it. There’s no doubt that for children who dream of becoming professional baseball players, this has been a valuable experience.

This project, planned as a 3-day 2-night tour, targets elementary school students who belong to the baseball team in Tohoku. It was realized from the desire to convey the importance of working towards dreams and goals. It is a valuable opportunity to see professional baseball players earnestly engaging in baseball and diligently practicing and training for the start of the season up close. At the same time, through exchanges such as baseball clinics, there is a hope that it will contribute to the future growth of children.

The theme for the 20th anniversary of the team’s establishment is “Connection”. In line with this, a joint baseball class was also held with the children of Kin Town, Okinawa Prefecture, where the camp is located. The two days when children living in distant places like Tohoku and Okinawa were able to connect. Observing the situation, Ambassador Ginji Akaminai commented, “Children from Tohoku and Okinawa are gradually becoming closer to each other.”Seeing everyone happily playing baseball made me feel incredibly happy,” he said with a narrowed gaze.

On the second day, the children joined the athletes for the pre-practice huddle and warm-up. “It was more impressive than watching it on TV. I felt that not only the legs but the entire body is used in the swing,” says the professional Baseball player, indicating his realization of the high level of skill required in the sport by actually performing the movements. It seems that Ginji Akaminai also felt a response while watching the children’s expressions, hoping that they feel a close connection to baseball players and make use of it in the future.

Furthermore, he spoke to children aspiring to become professional baseball players, saying “It’s incredibly important to diligently practice every day,” and continued on. “It’s important to properly do meaningful practice. In order to become a good player, you must constantly think about the purpose of your practice. Even if you can’t think, it’s okay to just make the effort to think. I believe it’s important to continue such training every day.”

Ginji Akaminai, who became an ambassador for the Rakuten Eagles this year, is still striving to be “someone who can give dreams to children”, just as he did during his active career. To enjoy this, to make others smile, it’s good to always be thinking about these things. Even if their dream isn’t to become a professional baseball player, they spoke passionately about wanting to continue to support them. “Of course, I want him to become a professional baseball player, but even if he doesn’t, I want him to aim to be the best in whatever he does.”

What has the “Wings to Dreams” project left in the hearts of children? The answer should be revealed by the near future. Through the world of professional baseball, or perhaps completely different fields, as shown by their figures who have spread their wings and flown away.

TEXT: Chiharu Abe
PHOTO: Yuki Nara
EDIT: Yohsuke Watanabe (IN FOCUS)