By Danny Brady
Daigo Yazawa is a professor of Sport Management in his third year here at Springfield College. Originally from Niigata, Japan, Yazawa has experience working in athletics internationally. The Student caught up with him to ask about his work experience and interests.
Student: Why did you choose to come to Springfield?
Yazawa: I always knew Springfield College was the birthplace of basketball, so I knew the school from the beginning. Also, this school is famous for athletics and sports, so that was my initial attraction to the college.
Student: What is your favorite part about your job?
Yazawa: Seeing students grow. I have students taking my classes many times, so I see the same students over and over… Seeing them getting knowledge and experience and eventually getting into the sports industry after graduation is what I enjoy the most.
Student: What made you interested in the management side of sports?
Yazawa: I like the behind the scenes of sport events and sports venues…I’ve always liked watching sports and seeing athletes from a close distance. Working with different sports teams and interacting with the players and fans is the biggest thing that keeps me in the industry.
Student: What are your favorite things to do outside of teaching?
Yazawa: I like watching Netflix shows and anime. I also like watching sports games, playing golf, hiking, and reading books.
Student: What is your favorite sports team?
Yazawa: The Lakers. I grew up watching Kobe and Shaq in 2000. That was the first NBA team I watched in Japan. All of the NBA games available in Japan were Lakers games or the NBA Finals and the Lakers appeared in the NBA Finals from 2000 to 2002. I watched them all of the time so that’s what made my fandom.
Student: What’s on the top of your bucket list?
Yazawa: “I want to be involved in some of the facility projects, whether that is a new stadium project or innovations to existing stadiums. The second thing is trying to help sports organizations in Japan to grow and develop systems. Getting experience in the United States, bringing that experience back to Japan, and using that knowledge to build a sporting system in Japan is something I want to do.”
Student: If you could have dinner with one person in history, who would it be?
Yazawa: Magic Johnson. He was my idol growing up. I’ve never had a chance to see him in person since I came here. He came to my hometown, and I watched him in the game, but I wanted to see him in person and shake hands, and I haven’t had a chance to do that.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College