The stars of the professional basketball club 'Sunrockers Shibuya' are the players who show amazing performances on the court. Supporting their performances from behind the scenes is the presence of the staff. This time we will talk to Mana Matsuoka, who supports the team as a manager, and delve into her work as a basketball manager, having transitioned from another industry, and her beliefs.

Manoa Matsuoka

The team manager of Sunrockers Shibuya. Previously served as a manager for the Kagoshima RevnaiZ (then B3) during the 2020-2022 season and for the Niigata Albirex BB (then B1) during the 2022-2023 season, and joined Sunrockers Shibuya from the 2023-2024 season.

Matsuoka

During middle and high school, I was a player. However, after tearing my knee ligament in my high school retirement game, it became difficult to continue playing, so I became involved in basketball as a manager starting from university. After graduating from university, I worked as a nursery teacher while continuing my role as a manager for a club team. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had more time to rethink my life, and I developed a desire to "try being a manager in a professional setting!" As a result of taking action, I was able to start my career as a manager with a B3 club.

Matsuoka

After deciding to leave my previous job during the winter of the COVID-19 pandemic, I started looking for clubs, but since it was mid-season, I searched for clubs that could take me in from April. However, I didn't have any experience in the professional world, so I thought it would be difficult to get a good response by sending an email to clubs right away. Therefore, I sought help from my senior in the university club activities, Hidenori Shibusawa (current assistant coach of Sunrockers Shibuya), who was already working in the professional basketball industry, and with the help of various people, I reached out to clubs in need of managers (at that time, there were clubs in B3 without a manager) to find a club that would consider me even without a career.

Matsuoka

First of all, I had never interacted with professional basketball players, and I didn't have any friends who were professionals. Since I only had experience in club activities and teams, I felt a pressure much larger than I had imagined about receiving a salary for my job as a manager. With a different way of thinking than before, I was confused and didn't understand what should be prioritized and how I should support the players. At Kagoshima Rebnise, where I was affiliated, there was no manager, so I had to proceed cautiously about what I should do, which caused me a lot of anxiety. During this time, I learned, by consulting with my teammates and club staff, what kind of support managers could provide to help the team operate better.

Matsuoka

Since it is a historical club, there was a surprise at the difference in environment compared to the clubs I have been part of until now. The number of staff is also large, and if they can understand that it is necessary to smoothly carry out managerial tasks, there is the financial strength to invest in solving issues. I learned a variety of things from Mr. Taiga Okabe (current team director), who was the manager until I joined, regarding player support and club culture, and the handover was able to be carried out smoothly. Mr. Okabe has built a career of five years at Sunrockers Shibuya, including as a manager, so in the last season when I joined, it felt like "If I listen to Mr. Okabe's opinion, it is sure to be correct!" and I relied on him a lot (laughs).

Matsuoka

遠征の場合は移動やホテルでの生活など、選手にとって大きなストレスがかかることもあります。試合でのパフォーマンスに影響がでないよう、私たちがよりスムーズに、ストレスなく物事を運べるようにする必要があるのでそこを意識しています。たとえば、洗濯ひとつでも選手が快適に試合に臨んでもらえるよう工夫しています。練習着の回収・返却のタイミングは遠征スケジュールなどに合わせて調整し声をかけ作業するようにしていますし、選手によっては汗かきで何度も着替えるため練習着を多めに持ってきている場合があるので、サポーターやリストバンドなどのアイテムが揃っているかなども、洗濯の際には選手毎に確認します。些細なことですが、それぞれのスタイルをこちらが理解することで、選手がストレスなく動ける助けになればと思っています。日本代表選手や元日本代表の選手も多くいて、そもそもの選手レベルが高いので、自分の振る舞いや選手との関わり方に関してもサンロッカーズ渋谷に来てから学んでいることがたくさんあります。

Matsuoka

チームによって違いがあると思いますが、マネージャーで仕事を分担しています。先に1人のマネージャーが試合会場に行きチームの荷物を運び、ユニフォームやタオルのセッティングなど、試合に向けた諸々の準備をします。もう1人のマネージャーは選手のバスやタクシーの手配・確認をし、全員がホテルから出発するところを見届けます。選手が会場入りすると、ミーティングの準備をします。ウォーミングアップが始まればリバウンドでボール拾いをこなし、試合中はタブレットを使って選手毎の出場時間やファール数など、データ打ち込みも行いコーチ陣にお見せすることもあります。土日連戦の場合は、ゲーム1(土曜日)の試合後に洗濯があるので、試合会場でユニフォームなどを集めて洗濯をします。これは私のこだわりですが、衣類の乾燥から畳む作業、のちに選手の部屋に配るところまで徹底的にやります。そして、次の日はまた最初にお話ししたサイクルからという形ですね。

Matsuoka

The moments when joy is felt are when an expedition can be spent without mistakes. Of course, the happiest moment is winning a match, but feeling relieved after completing assigned tasks safely and getting through matches and expeditions is also important (laughs).

As a manager, the most important thing is to create an environment where players and staff can focus on basketball without stress. I believe it is essential to act with foresight to achieve this. Since managers also have a lot of administrative work, a sense of speed is required. It is unacceptable for a manager to have communication delays, so it may sound exaggerated, but I want to be in work mode except when sleeping. I also feel that it is important to be able to overlook the whole situation. When I can make these things happen smoothly and the team wins the game, it makes me really happy.

Matsuoka

The Sunrockers Shibuya is a club with a long history, and I feel that we can achieve further evolution together with Sega Sammy. This applies to basketball itself as well, and I believe that the visibility of the Sunrockers Shibuya will continue to rise. I want to work hard so that the team can continue to be active as Japan's top team. To embody the mission/purpose of the Sega Sammy Group, I believe the best way is to fulfill my responsibilities in a way that connects to my own emotions. My Resistance can enhance the players' performance, allowing them to deliver emotional experiences to many people through their play. This way, I can also feel emotional. I transitioned from being a nursery teacher to becoming a manager for a professional basketball club, and I hope to convey to the children I was in charge of at that time that "finding what you want to do and chasing your dreams is a wonderful thing" through my daily efforts. I would be happy to share the most emotional moment of 'victory' with everyone this season.