Challenges of Japanese American Football Players Aiming for the National Football League

Abstract

    The purpose of this study was to clarify the issues that Japanese American football players need to overcome in trying to sign a contract with an NFL team through interviews. The subjects were four Japanese American football players who had participated in the training camp of an NFL team in the past. Interviews were conducted in person. The content of the interviews was recorded with the subjects' permission, and the recorded audio was transcribed. The content related to each issue was coded and classified. As a result, three main issues were identified: issues related to competition, issues outside of competition, and issues related to the athletic experience in the United States. When Japanese players aspire to play in the NFL, they must deal with the athletic challenges they face at each football position and overcome the non-athletic challenges they face by learning the language and receiving support from various people. In addition, they need to adapt to the competitive environment in the United States by gaining football playing experience as soon as possible.