A banner day
Team USA athletes arrived to the team hotel in Narita with cheers and greetings from elementary schools around Sakura City, Japan. Young students made banners to celebrate Team USA’s arrival to Japan for training camp and to motivate them throughout their time in Narita.
Each banner lines the hallway on the way to the dining room and USATF Lounge in the host hotel in Narita.
Speaking of the lounge…
Board games are not so Taboo
The USATF Lounge serves a number of purposes: a place to relax and recharge after a day of training, meeting up with teammates, grabbing a quick snack in between training sessions or meals, chatting with Team USA staff and more.
Every trip, there’s a game that dominates all others. On other trips, it’s been dominoes or a video game. In Narita, it’s Taboo. And it’s serious. What started as a couple athletes trying their hand at the guessing game has turned into battles of at least 14 athletes or more. No one can say Team USA isn’t competitive!
It takes a village
One of the best parts of training camp is just that…training. Team USA has training sites throughout the Chiba Prefecture, and the two track & field sites in and near Narita have been fantastic hosts. While both sites host all events, Nakadai Sports Park has been a go-to for relay training and many of the sprints, while Juntendo University has played host to the throws, jumps and multis.
The volunteers at both tracks have been incredible, and that could be an understatement. Always ready for anything, eager to help at the drop of a hat and never without a smile, the volunteers in Narita have made training camp a home away from home.