Sport For Smile
Bringing about Smiles to Children
with No Access to Sport
"Without Sports Mentoring I would have played online games at home. But playing and moving together with friends was so much fun and I always looked forward to Sundays."
"I usually practice soccer alone on weekends, but I realized it's much more fun to play with friends."
"Sports Mentoring taught me sports is a great tool to connect people!"
"I usually practice soccer alone on weekends, but I realized it's much more fun to play with friends."

Children Need Help to Reach Out to Sports

The Reality of Domestic Violence

　“One out of six children in in poverty.” “A child is killed due to abuse every five days.” – these sad news are not so uncommon these days in Japan, and there has been an increasing number of children who cannot reach out to play sports.

For these children, the shouts such as “Sports gives children dreams” cannot be heard at all, and even if many sports events are organized, they cannot reach out to the places. 

The mission of Sport For Smile is providing those children and socially marginalized people with sports opportunities, and we were selected by Dream Bus of Korea in 2014 as local partner in Japan to implement their “Sports Mentoring” program. For the first year, we helped single mother families, and since 2015 we have focused on children from DV victim families, partnering with an NGO to help DV victim mothers.​　

Many people may stay on the sidelines when they hear DV, but the reality is that there has been a drastically increasing number of DV with one out of the married women with DV experience. Among young people, one of two women and one of three men have experienced DV, according to a related source.

Generally children of DV families suffer PTSD, and many stop going to the school when they are forced to leave their fathers and to change schools. For some cases, girls have to take care of housekeeping and her younger sibs and babies on behalf of her mother with psychological fear, and therefore they cannot go to school. Even in the case they live together with Fathers, they do not have time to relax as many other families do – though the situations vary depending on each family.

Many of these children who have to face such severe reality will tend to keep themselves away from people, distrust others, and they have to take the hard path that should have been hopeful days, otherwise. Sadly, some only ten-year children tweet “I want to get back to the past.”
＜ Program Scheme　＞
Organizer： Sport For Smile
Co-organizer: Sports Mentoring Japan
Partner：WERC
Program Overview
Term June - October (with Mentor Training in May and Christmas Party in December)
Date & Time On mornings of weekend basically twice a month
Venue Sports facilities and community centers in Tokyo
Participants Elementary school students (4-6th grades) and university students
Capacity 4-5 pairs per place
Capacity 4-5 pairs per place
＜ Program Scheme　＞
Organizer： Sport For Smile
Co-organizer: Sports Mentoring Japan
Partner：WERC

About Sports Mentoring

University Student Mentors will pick up and send off mentees every time

　A big feature of “Sports Mentoring” is that mentors will come to each mentee’s house or nearest station to pick up and send off every single time when they have sessions. This is important because the mentees can have “go-out” experience and also they can enhance their relationship with their own mentors by chatting on what happened in the past week including fun stories at school, favorite things, and also on sad news etc.

Almost all the mentors who have participated in “Sports Mentoring” felt happiest when their mentees rush to them shouting their names in the morning and when their mentees kept their hands waiting until their trains went out of their sight. There was also a case that one mentee, who does not go out of his room usually even when his teacher visits him, came out only for the Sports Mentoring days, which are the only hours for him to be exposed to the sun.

Especially for those traumatized children, it is priceless and grateful that someone other than their family members will come to them and pick up every time, and their mentors can spend time with them, giving their full attention to their own mentees individually. And many mentees look forward to “Sports Mentoring Sundays.” The system also helps mothers as they do not need to take time out to send-off/pick-up.


It’s a one-on-one Mentoring Program
During “Sports Mentoring”, one university mentor will take care of the same one mentee throughout the term. For mentees (who are elementary students), university students are best match, as they are not too old like adults, nor too young like their friends with whom they can easily fight. This keeps a fine balance and contribute to the positive impact of Sports Mentoring, as this helps mentees talk anything to their mentees without reservation.

On the other hand, university students rarely interact with elementary school students in their school lives. Many mentors wonder how they can communicate with each mentee at the beginning, and they try to better communicate with their mentees, which significantly improves their communication skills. Sports Mentoring is basically for mentees, but it can also benefit for mentors.
Rights to sport and play - just as other kids 
Even though we call this program “Sports” Mentoring, we do not usually play organized competitive sports. We do use sports for some light works, like soccer and basketball. In fact, our goal is not train children to be competitive for the official sports games, and many times we enjoy “play” or recreational sports such as dodge ball using soft balls etc.

Usually mentors will decide what they will do, listening to their mentees’ voices, and they put priority on the sports that their mentees like, and they try to ask mentees who like the sports to explain and demonstrate how to play to all. At the beginning of each session, there is a short time when mentors and mentees talk about what happened in the past week.


Provide a safe place where children can play and shout at ease

The word of “Sports” might assume the image of something that is hard work, but it is not the case for our Sports Mentoring. On the contrary, we promote the lay-back atmosphere during sports mentoring sessions, because that’s what they cannot enjoy at their own homes. They do not need to dash in getting together, nor they will be scolded even if they do not play well or fail. Sports Mentoring sessions have to be the place where the participant children can enjoy sports and play with friends and without any inhibition and worries.

The rule is important, however, and they are expected to think about how all can enjoy sports together. That is the only essence for those children to learn from each other, make significant growth, and to bounce back. In fact, some mentees smile in delight to find other mentees arriving at the venue in the morning and run to them. One mentee once said, “I didn’t like sports before I join sports mentoring, but now I love it!”


Learning and Believing 
Sports Mentoring will be closed by early November, and but Santa Clause will visit each mentee toward Christmas. The Santa will bring a small present with a Christmas card from the mentor. But they cannot find the mentors there.

After Sports Mentoring sessions mentees do not see their mentor on a regular basis. It is sad both for mentors and mentees that they cannot see any longer after becoming good friends. At the same time, it is very important opportunity to learn the value of “encounter and farewell” in your life. 

To learn the farewell means to stay strong without the person, believing that they will always support you, which is the core value and the ultimate goal of Sports Mentoring.
It’s a one-on-one Mentoring Program
During “Sports Mentoring”, one university mentor will take care of the same one mentee throughout the term. For mentees (who are elementary students), university students are best match, as they are not too old like adults, nor too young like their friends with whom they can easily fight. This keeps a fine balance and contribute to the positive impact of Sports Mentoring, as this helps mentees talk anything to their mentees without reservation.

On the other hand, university students rarely interact with elementary school students in their school lives. Many mentors wonder how they can communicate with each mentee at the beginning, and they try to better communicate with their mentees, which significantly improves their communication skills. Sports Mentoring is basically for mentees, but it can also benefit for mentors.

Changes in Children, Mothers, and Mentors

Picking up 4-6th graders

Studies show that the functional deterioration of brains, affecting specifically on the site of motivation and willingness, but only after a few weeks of Sports Mentoring, many of the participants start to raise their hands and talk. The program has been implemented in a very small scale so far, and there is no medical evidence, but what happed in reality is “drastic change in children.”

According to the program adviser with decedes of experience supporting DV victims, it is ideal for those kids to experience this type of therapy when they are 4th to 6th graders. And once they go through this therapy, they can be so resilient that they can overcome the same traumatic experience by themselves in the future, while the same effect cannot be expected for junior-high or high school students, or mothers.
If Children Change, Their Mothers Will Change

One of the most amazing side effects of Sports Mentoring is that it brings about smiles also to the mothers of mentees. Who will be happiest in the world when the mentees smile? – Their mothers.

They do not participate in any Sports Mentoring sessions except for opening and closing ceremonies, but they do change with more smiles like their kids .

Many of the DV victim mothers live their lives with strong sense of obligation to protect their kids only by themselves. They are crawling along their own lonely and tough road. For these mothers, Sports Mentoring can serve as an awakening experience through which they realize that they can ask others for help, and in the first place, their kids are more reliable than they had thought. A mother mentioned at the closing ceremony that she was motivated to live with more relax.

Apparently, it may be mothers’ special ability to sense the positive change in their kids instinctively and share their mood.
Impact for Mentors

Sports Mentoring is great experience also for mentors. They do not usually meet elementary school students in their school lives, and Sports Mentoring for them is a journey of discovery, finding ways of communication with cheerful, and pure, yet unexpectedly matured kids. It helps them develop their communication skills, and sometimes simple words from mentees significantly encourage mentors who live in a bit complex world with worry about job hunting process and their futures.

A mentor who was hoping to be a teacher mentioned that, while he learned on how to manage many students effectively through the official teachers’ training program, Sports Mentoring gave him the opportunity to interact with one kid for six month, which is very unique and special.


Impact for Mentors

Sports Mentoring is great experience also for mentors. They do not usually meet elementary school students in their school lives, and Sports Mentoring for them is a journey of discovery, finding ways of communication with cheerful, and pure, yet unexpectedly matured kids. It helps them develop their communication skills, and sometimes simple words from mentees significantly encourage mentors who live in a bit complex world with worry about job hunting process and their futures.

A mentor who was hoping to be a teacher mentioned that, while he learned on how to manage many students effectively through the official teachers’ training program, Sports Mentoring gave him the opportunity to interact with one kid for six month, which is very unique and special.


Management Team

＜Program Advisor＞
Lisa Witter

Lisa thought of the idea to combining mentoring to sports activities, and stated Sports Mentoring in 2011 in Korea as part of Dream Bus project of IPSF.

The progam helped children including victims from North Korea, and grew with more than 100 participants in total. Lisa also played a vital role in developing the program in Japan in 2014 where she lived in her childfood. and currently.

After working with Pyeong Chang 2018 OCOG, she currnetly works with Tokyo 2020 OCOG while serving as Advisor of Sports Mentoring Japan.
< Japan Program Diretor >
Mie Kajikawa
Founder of Sport For Smile

After earning her Master's degree in Sporrts Administration from Ohio University, Mie worked with Tokyo 2016 Olympic Bid Committee, and founded Sport For Smile in 2010 as the first-ever platform to provide sporting opoprtunities to those who do not have the access to sport otherwise.

Sport For Smile has been supported by Schwab and Ashoka Fellows, and develivers projects where everyone can help one another using the power of sport.
＜Program Partner＞
WERC 

WERC is a nationwide platform to support DV victims. For Sports Mentoring Program, WERC is responsible for selecting participant children and for trainings for mentors, providing expertise to deal with DV victim families for more than a few decedes.  They usually provides counseling for DV victims and supporting activities for their families, as well as organizing seminars inviting foreign speakers to raise awareness of the issues related to child abuse.
＜Program Partner＞
WERC 

WERC is a nationwide platform to support DV victims. For Sports Mentoring Program, WERC is responsible for selecting participant children and for trainings for mentors, providing expertise to deal with DV victim families for more than a few decedes.  They usually provides counseling for DV victims and supporting activities for their families, as well as organizing seminars inviting foreign speakers to raise awareness of the issues related to child abuse.

Voice from Mentors

I learned a lot from my mentee, as he is trying his best to extend his help to his friends, simply wanting to please them.

Kana
When we said bye at the train station after each session, he would always wait until my train was out of sight. That always touched me.
Haruna
She was always cheerful and energetic. I was always touched when she ran to greet me every Sunday morning shouting, "Good morning, Kaori!"
Kaori
More than an official mentoring relationship, I felt like I was playing with kids in the neighborhood. It was great fun!

Mizuho
Mizuho
More than an official mentoring relationship, I felt like I was playing with kids in the neighborhood. It was great fun!

Mizuho
Mizuho

Voice from Donors

With sad news about children these days, I have wanted to give back, but my work have not allowed me to have time to do enough, as I usually have to work on weekends as well. Helping Sports Mentiring as a donor is my best way to contribute, and I feel grateful to be part of this great team.

Saori (Female/ 40s)
20代 女性
It's actually difficult to help children from DV victim families, but Sports Mentoring reaches put to those vulnerable children, which is the best part. I want to continue to help.

Takehito (Male / 30s)
20代 男性
As I have been always with sports, it was shocking that there are so many children in Japan who have to cope with such hardships and cannot play sports. It is pleasure for myself as well if they can be confident and happy through sports.

Tomoyo (Female/ 50s)
20代 女性
The greatest thing about Sports Mentoring is helping children of 4th - 6th graders, which can deliver most impact. I want this program continue and keep brings about smiles to disadvantaged children.

Koji (20s / Male)
20代 男性
The greatest thing about Sports Mentoring is helping children of 4th - 6th graders, which can deliver most impact. I want this program continue and keep brings about smiles to disadvantaged children.

Koji (20s / Male)
20代 男性

FAQ

What's the criteria in selecting participants?

Our partner who support DV victim families will select Mentees (chindren), while Sport For Smile is responsible for selecting Mentors (university students). Any university students can be eligible for application, regardless of their majors, and the ability to take care of others is the most important factor to be selected as mentor.

What kind of sports do you play?
Even if we call our program as "Sports" Mentoring, we do not do any competitive sports. We just play together, just as elementary school students run around after school, but we have children abide-by the rules of the sports we play. In the summer we swin in the pool, and we invite sports programs such as Blind Soccer and Dancing.

Why do you implement the program in such a small scale?
Because the children with PTSD are not get used to interact with many people at the same time. In addition, there is a research data that the best number of a group is four in order to share joy and sadness from phychological aspects.

How the donation wil be used?

It will be used for costs of venue, sports gears, opening and closing ceremonies, trasportaion fees, sports insurance, drink and lunch, and office mangement costs including the interactions with mothers.

Why do you implement the program in such a small scale?
Because the children with PTSD are not get used to interact with many people at the same time. In addition, there is a research data that the best number of a group is four in order to share joy and sadness from phychological aspects.