61776    There have been other incidents where students committed suicide over the coaches' merciless instructions given in the club activities

61777    In 1985, after having been beaten with a javelin until she had welts on her face because of her "poor performance," an eleventh grader at a public high school in Gifu Prefecture and a member of the girls' track and field team committed suicide, leaving a suicide note saying, "I have no other way out."

61778    She was the top javelin thrower in the prefecture and had shown great promise for the future.

61779    The coach also had a background where he won the first prize in javelin at an inter-college championship and had developed athletes at the national level.

61780    It is quite natural for sports clubs at junior high and high schools to push themselves to win.

61781    However, overzealous coaching must be restrained.

61782    Some sports psychiatrists are warning about athletes suffering from "over-training syndrome," showing mental and/or physical disorders developed by grueling training with no days off.

61783    As of next school year, the Ministry of Education will investigate the actual situation of after-school athletic activities at junior high and high schools and discuss what are the desirable ways for those activities to exist, but it is our hope that club activities will become an opportunity to develop skills in a sport that can be enjoyed throughout one's lifetime.

61784    Another concern about the latest suicide case is what the coach said.

61785    The coach used very abusive language, saying "I'm not letting you play in the game. Turn in your uniform number!" seemingly denying her existence in the team.

61786    Consequently, she wrote in her note that "with such a coach, I would come to hate softball which is my love."

61787    A teacher took away joy of softball from a student and, as a consequence, her life as well.

61788    In a survey conducted by the Iwate Prefecture Teachers' Union with former junior high and high school students, to the question of "What students did not want teachers to ever say again," the answers included. "You are stupid"; "Don't come to school anymore"; "I wish you were dead"; and, "I don't even want to see your face."

61789    Callous remarks made by teachers that hurt children's feelings may drive them to refuse to go to school and may turn them into targets of bullying.

61790    Just like this recent case, such remarks could even drive them to death.