A Master Class on the Court

Local volleyball players receive elite training from Japanese stars.

By MAKI HIRANO
RAFU CONTRIBUTOR

Dozens of young volleyball players had a rare opportunity for elite coaching Sept. 27-28, as the Stormbreaker Volleyball Club hosted skills clinics at its training facilities in Temple City and El Monte.

What set these sessions apart from the usual practice was the leadership of two of Japan’s best – current Japan National Team libero and 2024 Olympian Manami Kojima and former Japan U18 and U23 National Team libero Kana Kendziera.

The clinics, dubbed “Training the Japanese Way,” were each held for around 30 members of boys’ and girls’ Stormbreaker teams, ages 11 to 17. Kojima and Kendziera led each sessions focusing primarily on defense and covered a wide range of topics, from basic skill drills to agility and footwork training, serve-and-return drills, and three-man drills.

Stormbreaker club director Jonathan Lim established the organization last year, having coached his own kids in volleyball and decided to venture out on his own. He said the popularity of volleyball has been growing in Southern California, particularly at the high school level, accompanied by robust interest in club-level training.

“We’ve seen huge demand every day, especially among the girls,” Lim explained. “It’s a non-contact sport, there’s a lot of teamwork, and it’s a quick and exciting game.”

After many of the organization’s players first saw Kojima play last year and became fans, Lim saw an opportunity to take instruction to the next level. Kojima is also a member of the Salt Lake City team in League One Volleyball, the U.S. women’s league.

“She was really an inspiration for our girls, and it helped make our first year very successful, so we wanted to do something special as thanks to our players and families,” he explained.

Using the reach of social media, Lim was able to arrange for Kojima to travel to Southern California for the two days of sessions, along with Kendziera, who founded the non-profit K2 GlobeAthlete in Chicago last year with the aim of promoting Japan-U.S. exchanges through volleyball.

In addition to coaching, Kendziera – whose voice had grown hoarse from the consecutive days of clinics – served as interpreter for Kojima, relaying her advice to the participants in English. The atmosphere was a productive mix of fun as well as serious game improvement.

“There are many club teams in Los Angeles, and the children are highly motivated to learn, but I feel that practice at these clubs mainly consists of scrimmages, so there aren’t many opportunities for them to receive direct guidance from a coach,” said Kendziera, who was a member of a Swiss championship team before she moved to Chicago seven years ago and has been coaching volleyball ever since. “I hope they’ll deepen their understanding through these Japanese-style clinics, which explain even the finer details.”

Lim said he hopes the approach introduced by the Japanese coaches will not only help his players improve, but will also open their awareness of international play.

“They’re perfectionists, paying attention to the details, and the speed and quickness, that’s something we’re hoping to emulate, and learn from that,” he said.

Many of the parents on hand were impressed to watch how Kojima closely observed each participant’s form — from their body alignment relative to the ball to the angle at which they bent their knees — while providing detailed guidance, and then offering words of encouragement when they made improvements on the next play, celebrating their success alongside them.

“The strength of Japanese players lies in their patience to repeatedly perform even mundane drills,” Kojima explained. “On the other hand, American kids have a spirit of not being afraid to fail and just going for it. I feel they have tremendous potential.”

San Gabriel resident Penelope Wong, 12, participated in the clinic and became a fan of Kojima’s after watching her play during last year’s LOVB finals.

“Manami and Kana’s coaching is very detailed and they really focus thoroughly on every aspect to make us better,” Wong said. This was her second opportunity to meet Kojima, and she is hopeful the training will help her improve at the setter position.

“I feel that’s the skill that fits me the most, because basically you are running the offense in the whole game. I want to play in high school.”

Listening to the instruction with a particular intensity was 14-year-old Marcus Lorenzo, who was born in Japan and currently studies Japanese language at weekend school. “During a water break, he was eager to introduce himself – in Japanese – to Kojima and Kendziera.

“This feels like I can connect to both volleyball and my heritage, and I think that’s really cool to do, especially because it’s my first year of playing volleyball,” said Lorenzo, who recently made the switch from playing baseball.

Kojima was selected for the Japanese national team in 2022, won a silver medal at the 2024 Nations League, and competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She embarked on her first overseas challenge with LOVB in the league’s inaugural season last year, and received the Best Libero Award for her performance with LOVB Salt Lake City.

LOVB currently consists of 10 teams from across the U.S., featuring primarily American players, including Olympic medalists. In addition to Kojima, other Japanese players include Kotoe Inoue in Los Angeles, Miiku Iwasawa in Miami, and Sachi Minowa in San Francisco.

Kojima said that while she experiences the significant differences between Japanese and American volleyball, she has also reaffirmed the strengths of Japanese volleyball, such as its attention to detail and pursuit of perfection. At the same time, she says she has learned that top-tier players — whether Japanese or American — share a common mindset.

Standing at just 5-foot-2, Kojima said her LOVB teammates are surprised by her habit of arriving at the gym one hour before practice to warm up thoroughly.

“Since I’m small, I think it’s important to prepare thoroughly so I can give 100 percent,” she said.

Kojima’s immediate goal is to win the championship with her U.S. team this season, at the same time looking ahead to helping Japan earn a berth in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“I want to do my best, both individually and as part of a team, so that I can compete in the Olympics in the U.S., a place that holds special meaning for me.”

Kendziera was selected for the Japanese U18 national team at age 17. After taking part in several overseas tours and winning an individual award at the Asian Championships, she began to dream of playing volleyball abroad.

Her K2 GlobeAthlete program facilitates exchanges between Japanese and American volleyball players and coaches, aiming not only to improve technical skills but also to help young athletes develop an international perspective and grow as individuals from an early age.

The nonprofit is making plans to hold volleyball clinics like the one in SoCal once a month, with an emphasis on ongoing support as the young athletes progress.

“I want to conduct proper training in Los Angeles while interacting with as many players as possible,” Kendziera said. “I’m also aiming to create an environment where young people from Japan — from elementary school students to high school students — can come to the U.S. more easily to play volleyball from a young age.”

Stormbreaker Volleyball serves the greater San Gabriel Valley area with a mission of helping athletes achieve personal growth through elite-level coaching, participation for every athlete, and a commitment to support. Their year-round programs include weekly skills clinics, seasonal camps, and club travel teams. For more information, call (626) 807-9688, email info@stormbreakervolleyball.club or follow them on Instagram @stormbreaker.vball.

Rafu sports editor Mikey Hirano Culross contributed to this story.