Satoshi Miyano: Believing in the Power of Sports

In 2014, Grulla Morioka (renamed "Iwate Grulla Morioka" starting this season) joined J3, which was established as the third division of the J.League. Having grown up in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, until graduating high school, I had been devoted to soccer since childhood. However, I had no personal connection to Grulla, which was founded after I left for university; my impression was simply, "Oh, a J.League club was formed in Morioka, I hope it does well." Time passed, and one day, while working with the J.League as part of my management consulting job, a problem arose where Grulla fell into a serious management crisis. Through various connections, I became involved in the corporate restructuring of my hometown club starting from the 2017 season.

In the coastal areas, the scars of the earthquake remain vivid even today, and looking at the prefecture's finances, "reconstruction" in various senses seems likely to take several more decades. What can I do for my home, Iwate? In this place where I chased a ball dreaming of becoming a professional soccer player as a child, what can I do for the children who dream the same way? In Iwate, where passion for sports is naturally high, I want to instill the "wonder of having local professional sports" and bring inspiration and excitement to the lives of the prefectural residents. My feelings grew stronger as I lived in my hometown after returning for the first time in a long while, and I decided to take over as president and fully take the helm starting this season.

Recently, sports business has become a trend, with various conferences held mainly in Tokyo and sports business-related topics frequently seen on social media. It appears that sports business is finally evolving in Japan, several laps behind Europe and the US. However, on the actual front lines, the methods advocated on paper are rarely implemented. Unfortunately, while manpower capable of realization is scarce, there are also organizations that simply cannot change.

The same applies to J.League clubs spread across the country; for Iwate, it is important to evolve in a way unique to Iwate. While there are success stories nationwide where "attendance doubled due to the club's charm regardless of wins or losses," this is ultimately the world of professional sports. Without hiding behind the phrase "winning is everything," I feel that aiming for a "winning streak" is vital for club management and is the direction best suited to the character of the people of Iwate. While keeping sustainable management as our core, I intend to view things through a microscopic, macroscopic, and trend-sensitive lens to bring J2 promotion—and thus inspiration and excitement—to Iwate Prefecture in the near future.