-Raiyat Haque
"Dude, I cannot handle basketball anymore! It’s way too taxing for me.” “Yeah, same here.” “Same.” “Oh is that so? Then allow me to introduce a new cocktail to you.” -William G. Morgan (1870-1942)
Well, these lines were not exactly said but this is basically how this amazing sport - volleyball, came to life.
Mintonette, invented in 1895, was a combination of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball. It could be seen that this game, that simply came out of boredom and as a random mixture of other sports, started to gain more fame and acknowledgment. This cocktail then became a whole new person of its own, and for this reason, to better reflect the nature of this sport, Alfred Halstead decided to rename it as VOLLEYBALL.
Throughout the ages, this sport gained its own numbers of worshippers and followers (note; this is not a cult). It was eventually recognized as an Olympic sport, and because of this amazing sport, one of the most thrilling and heart-throbbing anime came to life, Haikyuu.
Haikyuu is a Japanese sports anime written by Haruichi Furudate, which later on got its own anime adaption. Not only does this make your heart race because of the high-intensity matches, but it also shows the compelling storylines of each character. All the love and passion of the characters for this sport are extremely contagious, and the expressive characters make it better. Each scene is depicted so breathtakingly that you, a third person, could feel the adrenaline coursing through your own veins as each spike, each block, those squeaky sound of sports shoes on the court echoes through your speakers. It truly is a masterpiece.
We all heavy heartedly agree on this: VOLLEYBALL IS TERRIBLY UNDERRATED IN BIS&C. But despite this, our players show limitless vigor and love for this sport. And this is where Haikyuu comes in. it acts as a catalyst to influence the fire of their burning passion for volleyball. It gave them purpose, amplified their love for this amazing sport and made them understand the true meaning of sportsmanship better. “Haikyuu made me try a little bit more,” says Sauda Hossain from Class IX, 2020. Think this is far stretched? Well, even I didn’t think it would impact that heavily but girl (and boy and anything in between), I was so wrong. Don’t believe me? Let’s check out some of the players then!
Q. What did you think of volleyball before Haikyuu?
“I started playing volleyball even before I started watching Haikyuu. It was the first-ever sport I played, and I went through a lot at the time (mainly because of my weight) so I’ve got feelings attached to it. But overall, it was an adventure I’ll never regret going to…” said Sauda Hossain memorably.
“Before watching Haikyuu, the only view I had of volleyball was that it was unnecessary as a sport,” Rageeb Nur then added, “given that football, basketball, and other sports existed.”
“Volleyball was just another boring sport.” Stated Shadman Sakib plainly, “before Haikyuu, none of the 9th graders were interested in volleyball.”
Q. What were the emotions you felt while watching it?
”Watching Haikyuu is like being on a rollercoaster; one moment you’re crying your eyes dry and the other you have the brightest smile. After finishing the anime, I immediately picked up its manga, and now, I know every spoiler you can get. To the future people who will watch Haikyuu, keep your tissues ready.”
“Haikyuu has unique characters, and each and every character has its own plot lines. Combine this with perfectly written scenes, with perfect animation and you’d feel various emotions at the same time. It gave me the same thrills I feel while watching actual games and more. There are fans of Haikyuu around the world who seem to share the same emotions as I do. I’d say, hats off to Mr. Haruichi for making us feel these emotions of happiness, joy as well as sadness in all of the wonderful scenes.”
“Before Haikyuu, I was not even interested in volleyball. It was like, I needed a push and that push was Haikyuu. Almost every sports anime gives you the thrills, but Haikyuu definitely had the upper side on suspense. It was mainly more interesting for teenagers like us because it definitely looked into teenagers' lives and the sports they played. Definitely one of the best animes I ever watched.”
Q. What impact did Haikyuu have on you as a player? And was it worth watching it?
”As I mentioned, I had a hard time getting into the volleyball team. At one point, I would’ve stopped wanting to be on the team, but then I started to watch this anime - Haikyuu - suggested by my friend. Most of the skills I have improved at are all because of Haikyuu; starting from service, to the stepping of a spike and even the basic technique of ‘tossing a ball’. Overall, it has been a fun journey watching Haikyuu alongside playing volleyball,” Sauda said reminiscently. “Lastly, IT WAS WORTH WATCHING HAIKYUU. Period.”
“Was it worth watching? Absolutely!” Rageeb said enthusiastically, “it’s been some time since I started playing volleyball, and I’ve learned most of the rules and playstyle from Haikyuu. I do not consider myself as an experienced player, but I do practice on my own, and during this time - I feel like I’m my own protagonist in my own Haikyuu world. Imagining players who are way better than me and hoping, I would get to play with them one day.”
“As an athlete, I just got into another sport so it’s not that big of a deal”, said Shadman nonchalantly, “but generally in the sport, it didn’t really impact me because watching anime does not make you any better. You can definitely learn some new techniques but that’s it. You have to practice to get better. Haikyuu did give us ideas on how to play, and most importantly, motivated us to play volleyball.”
From these three different types of answers, we can most definitely say; ANIME IS NOT FOR KIDS ONLY. Even if it did not improve our players’ skills much, it did play a big role in motivating them. And when it comes to sports, motivation is the second major foundation.
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