An in-depth interview with Ai Tamura, Nana Matsumoto, and Kohei Osumi, the trainers who have supported TUBC (Tokyo United Basketball Club), which has been doing well since the opening day![Basketball/B League]| Love Sports

Tokyo United Basketball Club (hereinafter referred to as TUBC), which is in its third season participating in B3, has been performing well since the start. As of the end of the 4th round, the record was 5 wins and 1 loss. They are 3rd in the league after Iwate Big Bulls and Yokohama Excellence. Their performance is enough to suggest that they will make further strides after the disappointment of missing out on promotion despite making it to the playoffs in the past two seasons. The third game of the season, against Iwate, drew 9,385 spectators to their home base, Ariake Arena, the largest audience in B3 this season.
“Lovespo” conducts an in-depth interview with TUBC, one of the most popular teams in the league! This time, we spoke to head trainer Ai Tamura, who supports the team from the ground up, trainers Nana Matsumoto, and Kohei Osumi.[Part 1 of 2]

–First of all, please tell us about the backgrounds of the three of you.

Tamura: I’ve been with TUBC since its founding, so this is my third season. Prior to that, he was also a trainer at Yokohama EX for seven years.

Matsumoto: This is my second year at TUBC. Until then, I had worked at Yokohama EX for four years, including my time as an intern, just like Mr. Tamura.

Osumi: This is my first year. Until then, I majored in kinesiology at a graduate school in the United States.

–Did you originally want to be a trainer?

Osumi: Yes, I’m not an experienced basketball player, but I used to watch a lot when I was in America, and seeing arena sports up close and being impressed was one of my reasons for wanting to play basketball. In particular, TUBC is based in a large arena called Ariake Arena, so I’m really grateful to be able to be a part of it.

――Mr. Tamura, how did you become a trainer?

Tamura: I liked idol groups when I was a student, and after seeing the work of the medical staff who support idols behind the scenes through live footage, I started to admire the work of supporting people who are active on the front stage. . I chose this job partly because I played basketball in high school.

――What happened to you, Matsumoto-san?

Matsumoto: I’ve been playing basketball since elementary school, and originally wanted to be a player. However, there were times when I wasn’t growing as tall as I wanted, and I felt like I was reaching the limits of my abilities, so I decided to aim for a job that would allow me to work behind the scenes and be involved in basketball. When I was an athlete, I had the experience of having a trainer wrap me in tape so I could move better, so it was a big help for me to realize that there are other ways to contribute.

–In addition to Tamura-san and Matsumoto-san, I think there are many players and staff members from Yokohama EX at TUBC. Is there a reason why?

Tamura: I think (Satoshi) Miyata’s presence is very important. When TUBC was being launched, he was transferred from Yokohama EX, and I was approached, but I thought it would be rare to get a chance to be involved in starting a team from the beginning, so I decided to take on the role.

–Are there any qualifications required to work as a trainer?

Tamura: Nana and I are certified judo therapists, and Kohei is certified as an athletic trainer. The regulations of the B League also stipulate the acquisition of such qualifications, and it is a profession that you cannot work in unless you have a thorough knowledge of the human body.

–You’re in a position to take care of the players.

Tamura: That’s right. An athlete’s body is important, so I think I can’t function unless I understand every detail and have the knowledge.

–There are currently 3 trainers affiliated with TUBC?

Tamura: There are three full-time staff here, but there are five other staff members who are working as interns.

–Isn’t 3 full-time employees and 5 interns more common in B3?

Tamura: I think there are quite a few. Since my first year in the race, Miyata-san and I have talked about how it would be easier to provide support if there were three trainers. Until last season, we had two full-time staff, but from this season onwards, we have a staff of three, and now we have three full-time staff.

–That’s why he’s a long-awaited newcomer!

Osumi: I will do my best to meet your expectations (lol)

Tamura: But it really helps me. The job of a trainer is to be able to sense any changes in the players’ bodies — not just injuries, but also their play and normal behavior, so it’s good to have as many “eyes” as possible to do that. By having two people look at you instead of one, or three instead of two, you’ll notice more things.

–I see. There is a limit to what one person can do alone.

Tamura: Until last season, Nana-chan was a spot-on member, but from this season onwards, she has become fully committed, and she has been supporting me in areas that I don’t pay close attention to or that I don’t notice, including being fair. I’m really grateful for that. We were able to open the season with 12 players without any injuries, and I think that was largely due to the “three-person system.”

–thank you! Next time, we will tell you more about what kind of work “B League trainers” do!
[Continued to Part 2]

Photo provided by TUBC
Written by Yuki Hanada