OSAKA -- The head coach of an elementary school volleyball team who was suspended for physical punishment against children was given access to practice venues during his suspension, sources close to the matter have revealed to the Mainichi Shimbun.

The Osaka Elementary Volleyball Federation had suspended the male head coach for 1 1/2 years over his corporal punishment. Upon a Mainichi inquiry, the president of the federation explained, "We allowed him to be involved in the management of the team, such as opening and closing the practice area, out of consideration for the team's survival, but we regret having done so, as it was in a sense misleading."

The volleyball team in northern Osaka Prefecture has around 20 members. The man served as the head coach for about 20 years on a voluntary basis, and was also an executive of the federation.

According to the sources, his physical punishment against children came to light following reports from parents. A federation inquiry found out that the head coach abused several students in the fourth to sixth grades between 2022 and 2023, including throwing balls at their faces from close range when they made errors; grabbing students by the neck and trying to press their faces against the floor; grasping students' bodies and throwing them down; and making them practice barefoot, among other abuses.

The federation recognized that the head coach's physical punishment violated its compliance regulations and that his actions were intolerable in light of his position as a federation executive. In July 2023, the federation handed him a 1 1/2-year suspension until January 2025. The man filed a complaint, claiming that the basis for the suspension period was unclear, but it was rejected by the federation. According to the sources, the punishment did not specify what he was prohibited from doing during his suspension, and even after the punitive measures were imposed, he visited the practice area.

The Mainichi Shimbun visually confirmed in early September that the man arrived at a gym during the team's practice session. He acknowledged to the national daily that he was visiting the team's practice sessions several times a month. He added, "I was given permission from the head of the federation because otherwise there would have been no manager to set up games (with other teams) and or create practice routines. I didn't give guidance (to students), and I've been doing this while drawing a line for myself."

When asked by the Mainichi whether he actually gave no guidance to students at all, he replied, "I sometimes tell them things like, 'Practice seriously,' for the sake of the children, but I don't tell them to do this or that. Strictly speaking, what I'm doing may be impermissible, but I'm the only one who is in a position to say that."

According to the federation, the man consulted the organization and claimed that the team would no longer be able to perform its activities, and the federation chief accordingly allowed him to get involved in the team's management and access practice areas. However, a person reported to the federation in winter 2023 that the man was "giving guidance" to the team, prompting the federation to instruct him not to come into contact with the students. Regardless, he apparently started to show up at practice areas again after a while.

A federation official explained to the Mainichi, "After interviewing him and parents, we didn't confirm any instances of him giving guidance to students. However, as he was visiting the practice areas even after our instructions to him, we gave him a strict warning, telling him that his actions violated the arrangement. We will instruct him not to appear in front of the children during his suspension period."

Shuji Masuda, a professor at Shiraume Gakuen University and specialist on corporal punishment issues, commented, "The federation's response was too lenient, allowing the head coach, who was punished for physical punishment, to access practice areas and get involved in the team management. If the federation cares about the team's survival and the children, it should have asked another team to accept the children or invited a substitute coach. The federation's series of actions have made his suspension a mere facade, and I would have to say the organization had poor awareness about corporal punishment."

(Japanese original by Mie Omokawa and Yusuke Kori, Osaka City News Department)