園田監督辞任 選手を追い詰めた責任は重い

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 2, 2013)
Women's judo coach Sonoda should feel heavy responsibility
園田監督辞任　選手を追い詰めた責任は重い（2月1日付・読売社説）

The head coach for the national women's judo team has expressed his intention to resign after a number of team members accused him in a letter of acting violently toward them.
　日本の女子柔道を担う選手たちに連名で暴力行為を告発された監督が辞任の意向を表明した。

The coach, who also hounded the female judoka psychologically, is not qualified to continue to instruct them.
　選手たちを精神的にも追い詰めた監督に指導者を続ける資格はない。

The coach is Ryuji Sonoda, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department. He apologized during a press conference Thursday, saying, "I regret that my behavior and words caused trouble for the athletes." Sonoda bears a heavy responsibility for causing the public to lose confidence in the judo world.
　告発されていたのは、警視庁所属で全日本女子監督の園田隆二氏だ。記者会見で「私の行動、言動で選手に迷惑をかけたことを反省している」と謝罪した。柔道界の信頼を失墜させた責任は重い。

The incident came to light when 15 female judoka, including some who participated in the London Olympics, submitted a letter of complaint to the Japanese Olympic Committee in December. In the letter they said they were subjected to violence and harassment.
　ロンドン五輪の代表を含む１５人の選手が昨年１２月、「暴力とパワーハラスメント（職権による人権侵害）を受けた」とする告発文書を日本オリンピック委員会（ＪＯＣ）に提出したことで「事件」が表面化した。

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Judo federation sloppy

The players said Sonoda and another coach struck them with their hands and a kendo shinai, a bamboo sword, on different occasions, including a special training camp for the Olympics. At least one athlete was threatened with expulsion from the Japanese team when she complained about the violence.
　選手たちは五輪の強化合宿などの際、園田監督と男性コーチから素手や竹刀などで暴行を受けた。不服を訴えると、「代表から外すぞ」と脅されたという。

After receiving the letter from the JOC, the All Japan Judo Federation conducted an inquiry on Sonoda and decided the contents of the letter were almost entirely true.
　ＪＯＣから告発文書を受けた全日本柔道連盟（全柔連）は、監督からの聞き取り調査の結果、告発内容はほぼ事実だと判断した。

The federation learned in September that Sonoda had been violent toward one of the team members involved in a special training program. However, as Sonoda admitted the accusation and apologized to the woman, the federation reportedly considered the problem to be settled.
　園田監督を巡っては昨年９月、強化選手１人に暴力を振るったとする情報が全柔連に入った。監督は事実を認め、選手に謝罪したことから、全柔連は、問題は決着済みと認識していたという。

The federation initially planned to keep Sonoda as head coach until the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but it was only natural that a mutually trusting relationship could not be built between a coach and players who made such complaints.
　全柔連は当初、園田監督をリオデジャネイロ五輪まで続投させる方針だったが、告発にまで至った選手との間に、信頼関係を築けるはずもなかった。

We also see a serious problem with the judo federation's lack of crisis management ability, as it could not grasp the situation until the 15 judoka submitted the letter to the JOC. The 15 gave the letter to the JOC instead of the federation apparently because they distrusted the AJJF.
　１５人の告発まで事態を把握できなかった全柔連の危機管理能力の欠如は深刻だ。１５人が全柔連でなくＪＯＣに告発したのは、全柔連への不信感からと言えよう。

As judo is considered Japan's particular forte, people tend to think it is natural for Japan's judoka to win in the Olympic Games. Therefore coaches must feel heavy pressure, much more than in other sports. There must be occasions when they have to sternly instruct judoka whose performance in their matches has been unsatisfactory.
　柔道は、日本のお家芸とされ、五輪では「勝って当たり前」という風潮が強い。それだけに、指導者も、他の競技以上に重圧を感じるに違いない。ふがいない試合をした時などには、厳しく指導することもあるだろう。

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Chain of violence?

However, behavior and statements that judoka interpret as violence or harassment should never be allowed.
　しかし、選手が暴力やパワハラと感じる行為は、どのような場合であっても許されない。

Since the corporal punishment case at Osaka municipal Sakuranomiya High School came to light, people are turning much sterner eyes on violence in situations where athletes are trained.
　大阪市立桜宮高校の体罰問題を契機に、スポーツの指導現場での暴力に、これまで以上に厳しい目が注がれている。

Players who were punched by coaches may interpret these actions as an expression of their enthusiasm, and use violence themselves when they are eventually in a position to instruct athletes. We suspect there may be such a chain of violence.
　指導者から殴られたことを「愛のムチ」と感じた選手が、教える立場になると、同じように暴力を振るうという「暴力の連鎖」はないのだろうか。

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Hakubun Shimomura has instructed the JOC to investigate the situation in sports other than judo as well. Japan's entire sports world needs a thorough checkup.
　下村文部科学相は、柔道以外の競技についても、ＪＯＣに実態調査を指示した。スポーツ界全体で総点検が必要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 1, 2013)
（2013年2月1日01時17分 読売新聞）