Ryo Yamazuki II - The Story of Money, Corruption, and New Beginnings [2/2]

[Donno100 94]

 

 

Ryo Yamazuki II was born in the 1990s in a nice part of Japan to two wonderful, caring parents who were in their early twenties. His parents were fairly wealthy from major work within Japan's automobile family and were of traditional mindsets. They were always supportive of whatever he wanted to do, taking him to try all sorts of different sports. Hockey was not a major factor in Japan, but it did not matter; when Ryo saw some hockey players at the Olympics on TV and looked interested, his parents allowed him to try. His parents demanded maximum effort though in everything and could not accept failure, so Ryo felt pressured to excel in everything. He was a gifted athlete though, so he had no problem beating out most other kids his age at other sports. He had a fondness for hockey and wanted to be the best and to eventually join the best leagues in the world.

 

Ryo Yamazuki II plays hockey at a young age with a friend.

 

There weren't many coaches in Japan for hockey specifically, but Ryo worked with skating instructors and mastered speed, agility, and acceleration on the ice. He would play in scrimmages as well as continuing with other sports such as baseball and soccer all the way through middle school to keep up his endurance. His parents were able to take him over to Canada a few times to play with more skilled players so that he could have more competition, and they hired a Canadian coach named Ray Penber one of those summers who taught him his hockey sense and helped him to master his shot. The Canadian players were quite impressed with Yamazuki's skills and were interested in bringing him over to one of their junior leagues, but Ryo wanted to go to school in Japan. That was the place he knew and loved, and where he had grown up; he wasn't ready to leave it. Besides, his parents said they wouldn't go live overseas so he would have had to go by himself in a foreign country, and he spoke only a little broken English and no French at all so he couldn't survive in Canada.

 

Ryo Yamazuki II's coach gives a lecture to learning athletes about the importance of passing the puck.

 

But with money at his disposal and being able to have whatever he wanted, Ryo also developed a bit of an attitude problem. His friends and classmates would describe his as cocky and would support this with the evidence of the constant smirk he walked around with. This attitude carried to the hockey ice as well, which did not thrill his coaches and teammates. They needed a selfless player on the ice, not one who thought he was hot stuff and the second coming of Wayne Gretzky. He even got benched a few times for rolling his eyes at the coach and other sarcastic behaviors. Ryo was a bit of a bully for some time, picking on the younger and smaller kids for not being as presentable as he was or not seeing this game as a gateway to greatness, but he had a change of heart after he made a very special girl named Misa. Misa encouraged him to be kind to others, and not wanting to push her away, Ryo decided to be nicer to others and not be as cocky as he was before. He put all his attention into what he would need for his career, getting an English tutor so that he could communicate with North American scouts and associations. He focused more on his studies and on hockey, eventually starting to play in the JMHA. Not many people scout that league but along with Ryo, there were a few future prospects that could be seen as ringers in that league like Yasuo Mashimo, Hiro Mikatana, and Yoshimura "The Iron Tank" Yoshitoshi, but a few scouts must have heard about him and he started to get offers for colleges overseas. The idea of leaving Japan was daunting and intimidating, but as the star player for the Yokohama Bears, he was about as prestigious as a hockey prospect from Asia could get. If he accepted, he would pave the way for future players from the continent, and what a better way to leave a legacy?

 

Ryo's JMHA team, the Yokohama Bears, celebrates after a win.

 

As Ryo was just starting to play in the JMHA, his parents announced that they would be having another kid and that it would be a boy. Ryo wasn't sure to feel about having a brother and was worried that his parents would no longer be able to focus on him in the same way. His brother would be so much younger that there would always be an age disconnect, over a decade apart age-wise in fact. By the same token, he was worried if he left he wouldn't get to know his little brother at all; Ryo would be a stranger to this new addition to the family. A mixture of apprehension, jealousy, and excitement brewed within him as the time approached.

 

Ryo's parents (Ryo Yamazuki I and Lily Yamazuki) pose with for the camera with their new son, Mitaka Yamazuki

 

It was a lot on his mind, but he tried to just focus on playing his best for the Bears. He didn't feel very at home with the Bears; the team's owner was an emotionless shark that cared little for the well-being of the players and all for the almighty dollar. Ryo knew then that he was done with school and college despite his parents' wishes and that he wanted to focus solely on hockey, and he had an offer to come play in the VHLM. He didn't know too much about it, but he decided to talk it over with Misa. Misa was completely supportive and thought that coming to America was the best decision for him, and said that she was willing to go with him wherever he went. Ryo then accepted the offer, and eventually a few months before leaving Japan, he proposed to Misa. Misa said yes and the two young lovers had a massive, extravagant wedding the week Ryo would end up going to America. Ryo's parents came and got emotional for the first time in his life as he prepared to leave and was heading to the airport, but Ryo promised to come back during the offseasons and other opportunities. His brother was born after he left, and his parents texted him pictures of the baby. He realized that the timing, in fact, could not be better, as, with his departure, his parents would not be left alone and having another son would help them to deal with their firstborn child being gone to a far-away land...

 

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by Donno100

[Kekzkrieg 160]

Review: Really, really well written and great pictures to bring Ryo to life! The story itself very detailed in the timeline from Ryo's first interest in hockey to present day. Well done on the little things like turning the page on his personality and demeanor after meeting Misa and the jealousy of what was an only child turned oldest sibling. Glad to see that there was a happy ending for him, Misa, his parents and his new sibling with no bad blood between them. Can't wait to hear more about Ryo in his ventures!

[Greg_Di 929]

Review: Wonderful Bio. Spaced out nicely and pictures are all centered which makes this biography flow really well. Great length. Nothing really to add to this except maybe just adding a title up top for the biography. Really well done bio!