15歲創立學校社團

Chris在15歲的時候就讀日本慶應義塾大學附屬於美國紐約的學校，當時學校有女生的袋棍球社團，但是沒有男生的，於是他就萌生了建立男子社團的念頭，自掏腰包買在網拍上買裝備，Ebay上面的裝備都很便宜，有了裝備後自己對牆訓練。在這之前Chris有學過空手道，但相較於運動反而更專精於音樂領域，到了美國看到附近大學的袋棍球隊在練習，因而對這項運動產生興趣，購入了裝備後想要成立社團馬上就遇到第一個難關，校方認為袋棍球是一個比較暴力危險的運動，因而阻止了社團的成立，於是當時年僅15歲的Chris，馬上寫了一封信給日本慶應大學，請他們幫忙寫信給美國的學校說明袋棍球這項運動的可行性，甚至在此運動上的好表現可以銜接到大學，也因為這封信美國校方同意了創立社團，「那時候的經歷讓我知道，當有人跟你說不行的時候，就要想辦法找到更具有說服力的人來說服對方。」，這是當時年紀輕輕的Chris為了創立社團得到的人生體悟。

Founding a Lacrosse Club at Age 15

When Chris was 15 years old, he attended the New York Academy branch of Keio University in Japan. At the time, the school only had a women’s lacrosse team, so Chris wanted to start a program for the men. He bought lacrosse equipment and gears on eBay out of his own pocket, and started training on his own. Prior to this, Chris had practiced karate, but was actually more inclined to music than to athletics. Seeing the local college lacrosse team, however, sparked his interest in the sport.

Chris faced his first challenge almost immediately after trying to establish the lacrosse program. The school viewed lacrosse as a violent and dangerous sport, and therefore prohibited the club from being established. The 15-year-old Chris immediately wrote a letter to Keio University, asking them to explain to Keio Academy the popularity of lacrosse in Japan, and how the sport could be beneficial for future studies and career. This letter convinced Keio Academy to allow the establishment of the program. "This experience taught me that when someone tells you 'no', you need to find someone more persuasive to convince them", Chris said, reflecting on the life lesson he learned from establishing the program at a young age.

第一次吃到台灣羊肉爐

Chris第一次接觸台灣袋棍球隊是在2015年於上海舉行的GCC（大中華盃）比賽上，之前在世界錦標賽的時候，就有對上當時是香港代表隊球員的Tim，兩個人有交手過並認識，而後就在2015的大中華盃第一次見到Tim所帶領的臺灣球員。當時Chris認為臺灣的大多數球員都才國、高中生，但已經看到他們非常有運動天賦，潛力無窮，而一直到現在那些球員們還在打球甚至在臺灣袋棍球協會中擔任重要角色。因為那次之後，Tim邀請Chirs到臺東擔任袋棍球訓練營的教練，當時在公東高工的操場上訓練，看到之前那些見過的球員已經有大幅進步，十分欣慰，「那次也是我第一吃到羊肉爐，真的非常好吃！」。

Trying Lamb Hot Pot in Taiwan for the First Time

Chris first encountered the Chinese Taipei Lacrosse Team in 2015 at the GCC (Greater China Cup) competition held in Shanghai. He had previously met Tim during the World Championships, who was a player from the Hong Kong representative team at that time. When they reconnected in 2015 at the GCC, Tim had become the coordinator of the Chinese Taipei Lacrosse team and led the Taiwanese players at the Great China Cup. At the time, Chris noticed that most of the Taiwanese players were in junior high or high school but showed great athletic talent and potential. Many of these players are still active today and hold important roles in the Chinese Taipei Lacrosse Association. After that encounter, Tim invited Chris to Taitung to coach at a lacrosse training camp. He was really happy when he saw significant improvement in the players he had previously met. "That was also the first time I tried lamb hot pot—it was really delicious!"

對袋棍球發展的目標

身為亞太袋棍球聯盟執行總監 (Executive Director)的Chirs，一直致力於亞太區袋棍球的發展，他希望袋棍球能是一項國際型的運動，在各國之間都能發展出屬於自己的風格及文化，才足以稱作為一個國際型運動，而在推廣過程中也遇到許多文化風情不同所帶來的行政上的困難，這些都是在發展上需要面對的，而對Chris來說能帶動日本鄰近國家袋棍球發展，拉高水平提高競爭力是目前最大的目標。Chris認為目前臺灣的袋棍球協會推廣方向是正確的，先致力於培養本土球員，而不是一開始就依賴那些在國外已經有袋棍球經驗的球員，先以發展出屬於臺灣球員獨特的運動特點，若是一直學習別的國家的球員將無法真正的超越他們，必須了解自身特點，建立起心態，強化自我訓練，最重要的就是能夠在和他們對抗中創造屬於自己的袋棍球風格。另外對於身為球員進步的方法，Chris也有一套心法可以分享，要把自己的目標放在更高一階，例如不要只想著要選進代表隊，而要想著選進後要挑戰並戰勝更強勁的對手，把眼光放遠不只著重在短程的目標，這樣才會使自己的進步永不止息。繼續向那些更為成熟的袋棍球國家學習，了解他們如何經營組織，沒有一個系統是一勞永逸的，但都可以學到一些東西，並保持屬於自己的文化和風格，必須先有這些認知才能成功！

祝賀台灣袋棍球協會成立十週年，希望下一個十年繼續加油，持續下去，有一天能夠跟日本球隊打一場好球！

Goals for the Development of Lacrosse

As the Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union, Chris has been dedicated to the development of lacrosse in the Asia-Pacific region. He hopes that lacrosse can become an international sport, with each country developing its own style and culture, truly making it a global sport. He acknowledges that, due to cultural differences, the development process may involve many obstacles and administrative challenges. For Chris, driving the development of lacrosse in neighboring countries and raising the level of competition is his current primary goal. Chris believes that the Chinese Taipei Lacrosse Association is on the right track by focusing on cultivating local players, rather than relying on those with overseas lacrosse experience from the start. Developing the unique characteristics of Taiwanese players is essential, because merely imitating players from other countries will not lead to surpassing them. It is crucial to understand one's own strengths, build the right mindset, enhance self-training, and most importantly, create a unique lacrosse style in competition with others.

Chris also has a set of principles for player improvement to share. He advises setting higher goals, such as not just aiming to be selected for the national team, but also striving to challenge and defeat stronger opponents after being selected. Focusing on long-term goals rather than just short-term ones will ensure continuous progress. Continuing to learn from more established lacrosse nations and understanding how they manage their organizations is vital. No system is perfect, but there is always something to learn while maintaining one's own culture and style. With these understandings in place, success is achievable!

Congratulations to the Chinese Taipei Lacrosse Association on its 10th anniversary! Keep up the good work in the next decade, and one day, we hope that Taiwan and Japan can come together and play an amazing game together!