#02 Aoi Katsura / ZOOS Basketball Player
#02 Aoi Katsura / ZOOS Basketball Player
Collaboration and close interaction with artists and creators is a special and important time that allows you to face creativity seriously. Empathize with their positive pride and mentality, and listen to their voices. By delivering it to many people, WIND
AND SEA is constantly evolving.
#02 is Aoi Katsura, a basketball player who presides over ZOOS.
surrounding women
sports environment
change
"ZOOS" comes from the ancient Greek word "ZOION", which means life and is the origin of "ZOO" (zoo). By intentionally making it plural, we conveyed the meaning of our desire to bring together diverse lives and create a rich organization. It's also the name of a basketball team, but it's more like a project, a brand, or a community name. Currently, I am participating in 3x3 tournaments, holding events, and holding ZOOS events like today.
We call ourselves GIRLS and we get together once a month to enjoy non-competitive basketball.
We wanted to take on the world challenge with 3x3, but there was no way to do so, so we decided to forge a path ourselves, which is why we started the company. But I felt like what I wanted to do was a little more abstract than aiming to be the best in the world. The mission we were finally able to verbalize was ``redesigning the sports environment surrounding women.'' So, the 3x3 challenge is one of those projects. Participating in competitions is not everything, but today's ZOOS
I think the reason for ZOOS' existence is to enrich the lives of everyone involved, just as places like GIRLS add color to our lives.
As you continue to move in this way, you will begin to imagine people's faces, thinking things like, ``I think it would be interesting to be a little more involved in this person's life,'' or ``This person is looking for ZOOS.'' For example, ``I hope that players who love basketball can continue playing basketball as they like.'' I don't know what form it will take, but I'm always thinking about what ZOOS can do together with these people. ZOOS has members with various backgrounds, but we always
make sure that you’re
HAPPY.'' I tell everyone. There's no need to push yourself, feel bad, or feel uncomfortable when you're all gathered together to play basketball, which you love. For example ZOOS
GIRLS meets once a month, but if you have a hard time getting up in the morning, just come on the days you can, and if you're happy coming once every six months, that's fine. If you want to be involved in management, please do so. In any case, I try to bring only the parts that make everyone happy. (In response to the question "How many people are in ZOOS now?") About 300 people, I guess. ZOOS
Regarding GIRLS, we have an invitation system for friends of friends, but we don't have a proper organization, and everyone who gets involved is considered a member. A community similar to the girls basketball pickup that started up in Niigata the other day has ZOOS all the way to Tokyo.
They even came to visit GIRLS. I respect their activities, so they are ZOOS
I think it's GIRLS.
I place great importance on putting my thoughts into words, and I intend to express my feelings a lot. It's not like it's being delivered the way I want it to be delivered, or that it's being received well. I feel a good flow.
I don't want to flatter anyone
But the more I stick to myself
I'm not even strong.
I think everyone has different faces. There is also a feeling that is brought out by the place. We want ZOOS to be a place where you can be the kindest, most positive, and positive person you can be. For example, ZOOS
At GIRLS, our motto is "Don't hesitate to be cute." If you grow up in a culture of club activities, you'll want to wear shorts when you play basketball! T-shirt! Short hair! I think there are rules like justice in that world. But instead of saying, ``Why does that girl have her hair tied up?'' I thought it would be better to say ``She looks cute with her hair tied up!'' I wish it was a place where people could express themselves and call cute things cute, instead of holding each other back. The members here come with the mindset of ``enjoying fashion however they like!'' and there's always a positive vibe. I think everyone will naturally have a happy face.
I didn't start this activity at anyone's request, so I don't want to flatter anyone. I always want to be larger than life, and I want to respond honestly to things that appeal to me. Conversely, if you don't feel something, you don't feel it. I always live honestly. It's better not to do it than to have to come to terms with society or have conflicts. For example, if there's something you can't do because you can't make money, you don't have to do it, and if you can't make a living anymore, it might have been a dream. As long as we can do it without losing sight of our concept or stretching ourselves. However, we are like this! I don't think it's strong enough to penetrate something like that. So this is a challenge for everyone. How far can you live naturally?
In December and January of last year, I worked with Smaruna (operated by Nekuino Co., Ltd.), which provides online gynecological examinations and pill prescriptions, to hold a seminar/workshop on ``How to deal with menstruation through the lens of athletes and midwives'' for elementary, junior high, and high school female basketball players. I believe that menstruation makes life difficult in both big and small ways, and I myself have suffered and worried at times. At that time, not only athletes, but also models, baristas, and other members of the ZOOS community gave me advice on the wisdom and strategies they had gained in their own industries. At that time, I felt, ``Ah, the way I think and deal with things is different from the environment I've lived in playing basketball.'' I was surprised to find that just by turning my attention to the outside world, there was a wide variety of information and ways to interact with others, and it became a lot easier. I think if we could learn while we were young that it's okay to talk about menstruation openly, that it's okay to talk to people about it, and that it's okay to get information from these sources, it would make life a little less difficult.
Maybe it's because I retired once in the past, but as a player I really don't know when I'll feel like I'm done. I might get seriously injured, and I don't know what will cause my feelings to snap. So, I may be exaggerating, but I enjoy every practice and game to the fullest, thinking, ``This might be my last.'' It's really fun right now. I can still get better at basketball.
