Wearing Two Hats: Rain Boots and Cleats—Conquering Both the Rice Fields and the Field—

I joined FC Echigo-Tsumari this past spring, and while playing soccer, I’ve been doing farm work to help preserve the satoyama landscape. It’s already been more than half a year since I joined the team. Since April, I’ve been living a life where I wear soccer cleats in the morning and rubber boots in the afternoon, but this past September and October were particularly intense months for us at FC Echigo-Tsumari.

This was because we had two missions: harvesting rice as part of the “hand-harvesting team,” and competing in official matches as the Niigata Prefecture League kicked off.

First, the rice harvest. I’ll write about our deployment as the hand-harvesting team. This year’s rice harvest at the “Matsudai The Rice Fields Bank” was divided into a machine-harvesting team and a hand-harvesting team, and we, the players of FC Echigo-Tsumari, were mainly deployed as part of the hand-harvesting team.

The hand-harvesting team is always dispatched to muddy fields where combine harvesters can’t go. Equipped with red sleds and sickles, the team heads out to these muddy patches in each rice paddy. It was my first time hand-harvesting, and just walking through the mud was no easy task—even simply getting around was a struggle.At one point, it was so hard that I burst into tears right in the middle of the rice paddy (as you can see in the photo), wailing, “Waaah!” My teammates on the hand-harvesting team were also covered in mud as they desperately cut the rice.

This year’s rice harvest at The Rice Fields went smoothly, and we were ultimately able to complete it with the help of our machinery team.

Meanwhile, in soccer, the Niigata Prefectural League—whose opening had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—finally kicked off. The first match was held on Saturday, September 19. We were very nervous, but we managed to secure a victory. That moment also marked the fulfillment of our goal: for “FC Echigo-Tsumari” to compete in an official match as an independent team.Seeing Captain Ohira—who had long dreamed of this day—speak happily after the match while holding back tears, I felt the five years of dedication from Ohira and Ishiwata (née Nishikawa), who have worked hard since the team’s inception, and I truly felt glad to be a part of this team. Subsequently, the second and third rounds were held on Tuesday, September 22, and Sunday, October 11, respectively. Although I was incredibly nervous during those matches as well, we were able to win.We aim to win the remaining two matches as well and achieve this year’s team goal of advancing to the Hokushinetsu League.
(*Article written as of October 29)

≫ Click here for the results of all league matches (News posted November 1)

As you can see, for us at FC Echigo-Tsumari, September and October were filled with two intense battles: harvesting rice and winning soccer matches. As a first-year player, juggling soccer and farm work was physically demanding, and I really felt the challenge of staying in top condition for our matches.

“Sometimes I wear rubber boots; other times, soccer cleats.”
By juggling these dual roles—something only we at FC Echigo-Tsumari can do—I want to continue giving it my all. And by becoming even stronger and growing even more delicious rice, I hope to one day become a source of hope for this region and bring joy and happiness to others. No, I’m absolutely going to make that happen.

We ask for your continued support of FC Echigo-Tsumari and the Matsudai Rice Fields Bank.

FC Echigo-Tsumari, Ayami Watanabe