ニュース本文

The new fiscal year began in April, and both the Kings U18 and Kings U15 teams are embarking on new challenges. This June 2026 "Monthly Report" on youth team activities features the thoughts of the captains of both teams and their aspirations for upcoming tournaments.Kings U18 has started with a three-captain system comprising third-year students #88 Sho Okuma, #17 Hio Kato, and #13 Jeremiah David Kaito Blake. The team consists of 14 players. In June, they competed in their first official match since forming the new team, the "U18 Nissin Block League Okinawa Prefecture Qualifiers." Although they narrowly lost to Okinawa Fisheries High School in their opening match, the team gained a sense of growth. They are refining their style of play, which emphasizes ball and player movement, and will compete in the "Infrontia B.LEAGUE U18 REGIONAL LEAGUE 2026," which begins its first match in July.Kings U15 is led by new captain Eiji Oshiro, who has been a key player since his junior years, heading a large roster of 52 players. In July, they will participate in the "Infrontia B.LEAGUE U16 CHALLENGE CUP 2026," which will also invite teams from overseas. They aim for excellent results by evolving the team's motto of "super-fast basketball."Please take a look.■ Kings U18Regarding the reason for the three-captain system in Kings U18, Head Coach Homare Hamaguchi explained, "They can consult with each other without one person bearing all the responsibility. They can keep an eye on various aspects, and since all three have different positions, I believe they can communicate well."The three captains are aware of their distinct roles."I believe my role is to communicate with my teammates and lead the team," stated #88 Sho Okuma with conviction. On the court, in addition to his strength in inside play, he is refining his three-point shooting and paint attacks, expressing his desire for personal growth: "I want to broaden the range of my play.""I see my role as supporting the younger players. I want to be a senior they can talk to easily, not just about basketball but also off the court," said #17 Hio Kato. In terms of play, he aims to be a player who can help the team during tough times with his strong three-point shooting and drives."I'm not very good at speaking up in meetings, so my role is to boost everyone's motivation during practice and off the court," said #13 Jeremiah David Kaito Blake, showing a gentle smile befitting a mood maker. While supporting the team as an unsung hero in areas like screening and rebounding, he expressed his ambition: "I want to become a player who can make shots in crucial moments."Meanwhile, five new first-year players have joined from Kings U15: #4 Sei Kinjo, #8 Sora Yonamine, #26 Dominique Rei Brooks, #37 Daichi Kinjo, and #2 Jayden McMillan from Minatogawa Junior High School. Coach Hamaguchi expressed his high expectations, stating, "They have tremendous potential, and I look forward to their future growth."The team's style of play is "basketball where the ball and players move," which Coach Hamaguchi has focused on since taking over mid-last season. Furthermore, this season, in line with the top team's policy, they aim for quick transitions. As #88 Okuma mentioned, "We don't have the same size as the previous generation, so we want to become a team that can defend well," they are working on improving each player's defense.Their growth was immediately evident in the match against Okinawa Fisheries High School in the Nissin Block League Okinawa Prefecture Qualifiers held on June 13. Although they lost 66-71, Okinawa Fisheries High School was a team they had lost to by about 20 points in two previous practice matches. Maintaining composure while reducing turnovers, #17 Kato commented, "Our teamwork has improved considerably over the past two months. Everyone, including the bench, is now able to energize the team," feeling the heightened sense of unity.In July, the "Infrontia B.LEAGUE U18 REGIONAL LEAGUE 2026" will commence. Kings U18, in the Southern District, will play their first match against Kagawa Five Arrows U18 on July 11 at Kikuyo Town General Gymnasium in Kumamoto Prefecture. Okuma expressed his determination: "As the level of the B.League U18 is increasing year by year, the REGIONAL LEAGUE will also be a tough competition, but we want to fully utilize our strengths."They will continue to grow with each game while fighting as a whole team. Please pay attention to the journey of Kings U18.■ Kings U15Kings U15, who concluded the previous generation by winning the "Infrontia B.LEAGUE U15 CHAMPIONSHIP" for two consecutive years, also started a new season in April. This season's captain is Eiji Oshiro, who has been a key player since his first year. "I knew I would be in a leadership position when the new team was formed, so I want to be a captain who can support the team not only on the court but also off the court," he stated with enthusiasm.Head Coach Tomoya Suehiro also has high expectations for Oshiro, saying, "He has the potential to be called up to the national team for his age group, so I want him to grow further by taking on the responsibility of captain."The team's theme remains unchanged: "super-fast basketball." This season, handlers Oshiro and Yugen Kawamitsu will be the core of the offense. Furthermore, as the players coached by Head Coach Suehiro since their first year form the main group for the first time, they are aiming for further evolution, leveraging their depth.Approximately 170 players participated in the tryouts held before the new team's launch. Coach Suehiro commented, "Some players who were not selected initially tried again in their upper grades and passed. It makes me happy that the existence of Kings Youth is serving as a catalyst for their challenges, even in a small way." He added about the 18 first-year players, "They are very passionate. The senior players are also stimulated by their energy, leading to good competition within the team," indicating his satisfaction with the team's vitality.In July, they will participate in their first official tournament as a new team, the "Infrontia B.LEAGUE U16 CHALLENGE CUP 2026." A total of 8 teams, including strong B.League U15 teams and two teams from the Philippines and Chinese Taipei, will compete in the league and classification matches.As this tournament is open to first-year high school students, Head Coach Suehiro sees it as a valuable stage: "Many players dream of becoming professional athletes, so they need the ability to overwhelm even older opponents. I believe this will be a very valuable stage."Oshiro also vows to improve, stating, "I want to identify issues in daily practice and overcome them one by one" to demonstrate his skills.The season's goals are to win the Jr. Winter Cup for the first time and achieve a three-peat in the B.LEAGUE U15 CHAMPIONSHIP. In the past two seasons, they narrowly missed the Jr. Winter Cup title held in early January. Fueled by that regret, they grew and reached the pinnacle in the U15 CHAMPIONSHIP in March. Oshiro expressed his strong determination: "I regret that we didn't understand what we were lacking until we experienced defeat. Using this experience as a springboard, I want to focus on the Jr. Winter Cup."Can this generation, which has known both glory and regret, forge a new history for Kings U15?

We ask for your passionate support for their challenge towards winning two championships.