Japan high school soccer coaches suspended after student with foreign roots verbally abused

KIRYU, Gunma — Two male teachers who are also coaches of the soccer team at a high school here were found to have made discriminatory remarks to a student and verbally abused him, such as saying, “You’ll end up a potential murderer,” a source close to the matter told the Mainichi Shimbun on March 22.

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Kiryu Daiichi High School in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, imposed a voluntary suspension on the coaches in December 2023.

According to the school and other sources, when a student of Peruvian descent was late for club activities, one of the coaches made him apologize and hurled discriminatory remarks such as, “Peruvians can apologize, huh?”

Another coach in the fall of 2023, when providing guidance about the same student’s attitude toward life, said things including, “You’ll end up a potential murderer,” and reportedly made a gesture as if stabbing the chest of a team member with a knife. The same individual was handed disciplinary action in 2019 for allegedly making abusive remarks such as, “I’ll kill you,” and slapping a team member, and was removed from coaching, but had returned to his position.

The incident came to light due to the parents’ complaints, and the school conducted a survey on all 100 or so members of the soccer team in December 2023. After interviewing the coaches and others, the two admitted to improper coaching. The school held a briefing for the parents and students, respectively, and offered an apology. The soccer team captain and the supervisor were issued with indefinite voluntary suspensions from guidance while the two coaches were also handed voluntary suspensions from guidance.

“I want the school to change.”

The victim graduated from the high school this spring, but said, “If they continue to receive the same style of coaching that I did, my juniors and new students will come to hate soccer. I want the school to change.”

To prevent a recurrence, the school has had about 10 soccer team coaches undergo training, and the managerial staff continue to watch over practice sessions. Principal Katsuyuki Ajito said, “We will consider the future coaching system for the soccer team, putting the students first.”

(Japanese original by Azusa Hinata, Maebashi Bureau)