Upon Returning

[der meister 3,246]

Ryuji Sakamoto and I returned to Toronto two nights ago after a delightfully prolonged trip to his native Japan. The moment the plane's wheels touched down on the Toronto International tarmac, I could see the change wash over Sakamoto's face, the sudden hardness of jaw and tightening of eyes. It was as if the skipping and skidding of rubber tires on blacktop was enough to rip him out of a daydream and back into reality, a reality where he will need to fight to survive. The fingers on his right hand twitch, a brief involuntary spasm before he clenches both hands into fists, then relaxes them before clenching again. Repeat. Repeat.

 

While he did no hockey-specific training in our weeks in Japan, I know that Sakamoto's mental strength has increased. He moves with a new confidence, his eyes flickering side to side, taking in minute details even as we exited the plane. His footsteps are unwavering; it looks like the boy has finally become a man, ready to stand in the face of the gale and not back down.

 

Yesterday, the day after our return to Canada, Sakamoto went to the Legion’s practice facility for an independent workout. Normally I wouldn’t tag along for those at this point in his career, but curiosity following our trip got the better of me. Sakamoto began with a 30 minute ride on a stationary bike, not pushing the pace particularly hard. I kept myself occupied looking at the results of Election Day in the United States, always an odd and unnerving experience.

 

Following his warmup, Sakamoto hit the ice in minimal equipment, bringing with him half a dozen pucks. This I found curious, as Sakamoto has never, to my knowledge, done any kind of additional work on his shot, preferring to spend his time on the more physical aspects of the sport. The second surprise came when Sakamoto, having finished a few laps around the rink, set up a stickhandling drill for himself with five of the pucks, and began working the sixth through an intricate loop around its counterparts. In and out, betwixt and between, Sakamoto’s confidence with the puck increased steadily, leading to similar increases in precision and speed. He was on the ice for over an hour, occasionally breaking up marathon puck control sessions with wind sprints or stretches. A man, who is beginning to realize that his time is now.

 

I stayed at home today as Sakamoto left, returning to the practice rink with his jaw set in a hard line. I know he is angry about the Toronto Legion’s failures last season, and I know he puts a lot of that blame on himself. Even a year ago, Sakamoto would have spent a good deal of time moping and being irritable, unable to transfer his internalized negativity into productivity. This current version of Sakamoto is one who seems like he’s ready to impose his will upon not only the VHL, but the world. Whether he knows it or not, he’s preparing himself to be able to shape the world around him, to create the reality he wants, and that is bad news for any team not named the Toronto Legion.