By RYAN LEE, Director, Terasaki Budokan
The Japanese American basketball leagues – at Terasaki Budokan in Little Tokyo – are part of our community’s culture, history, and legacy. Before the pandemic, there were approximately 14,000 athletes playing in Japanese American basketball leagues throughout Southern California. Sadly, many of those players have not yet returned to the courts.
With the Budokan’s recent grand opening, we are grateful for the COVID vaccines that are helping to revive the sports and activities that paused during the pandemic. In addition to basketball, we offer table tennis, volleyball, karate, and judo programs for youth. By getting our kids aged 5 and up vaccinated, we can get them back to all the activities that enrich their lives.
We know children play best when the stands are filled. Now is the time to get the whole family cheering safely with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Getting vaccinated and boosted now helps keep kids off the sidelines and protected from becoming severely ill, hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Best of all, they help support youth development for in-school learning, socializing and sports by reducing the risk of the worst outcomes of COVID-19. Not to mention how much athletes of all ages rely on lung health. We need to keep our kids protected from long COVID by getting them vaccinated and boosted when eligible.
Japanese American basketball leagues grew out of a dark time in American history when 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in camps during World War II. Many of the incarcerated children and adults played basketball while in World War II concentration camps, then organized leagues once they returned home after the camps were closed. At a time when Japanese Americans were not welcomed into recreational sports, the leagues provided friendship and fun, becoming a cultural tradition.
But COVID-19 presented our community with challenges that many worried would lead to a devastating loss of losing these vital and historic basketball leagues and other youth sports programs. Thankfully, we now have the promise of vaccines to help keep our community safe.
During this Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I can’t help but reflect on the experiences of the Issei and Nisei, enduring incarceration, and race-based hate. For many years, it has been my honor to celebrate them by helping basketball thrive as a tradition in our community. I hope parents of young Japanese Americans will take advantage of the vaccines available for children aged 5 and up, so that their kids can take part in our leagues and other athletic programs to keep our tradition of community spirit through sports alive.
And to our players who have already received their COVID-19 vaccine, THANK YOU! Getting vaccinated and boosted when it’s your time is a sign of your commitment to your team and your community. I hope all prospective players of all ages 5 and up who are eligible for the vaccines will join us. See you on the courts!
Visit VaccinateAll58.com to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians 5+. Find a vaccine near you by visiting MyTurn.CA.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255.
The dramatic new cover of 'Time' shows Trump 'in deep'Tinder launches Tinder U for the college kidsSomeone is trying to stop Johny Johny Yes Papa memesAndré 3000 had the loveliest moment with a fan wearing a T'Super Mario' Toad mask sure to induce nightmares this HalloweenWhy you should block big corporations on TwitterThe internet's divided on Nabisco's animal crackers box redesignBaseball's Justin Verlander, Dodger Killer, gets $1 million lunch billPlease enjoy this subreddit devoted entirely to beans in places where they don't belongSophie Turner and Joe Jonas perform fake makeout session for the cameras and yeah it's a lot Ravens vs Chiefs AFC championship game livestream: Kickoff time, streaming deals, and more How 'Snakes on a Plane' shaped Medusa in 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Apple finally allows game streaming services on the App Store NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 30 The era of the AI A list of privacy protections Facebook users in the UK have that U.S. users don't It's not just eBay: 5 other tech companies with brutal layoffs 'Baghead' review: A fun idea, but does it make a good movie? Best noise NFC Championship livestream: Watch 49ers vs. Lions without cable
0.2364s , 14289.2421875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【mlp sex videos sex com】Let's Get Back to Basketball!,Feature Flash