[Sports Day] How to Win at “Rawhide”! Tips and Practice Points Summary

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
A Vocaloid producer who is also a music writerAraki Jakkan
I’ve worked in a variety of roles—regardless of pro or amateur settings—including live event PA, cameraman for video and photography, restaurant staff, and logistics center staff. I now spend my days as a part-time writer. I’ve contributed to music and manga websites with feature/review articles, and wrote the liner notes included as a bonus for 1st PLACE Inc.’s “IA SUPER BEST.” As for my music background, I started playing guitar in junior high and focused on band activities during my school years. For over 15 years since then, up to the present, I’ve continued releasing original tracks as a Vocaloid producer. My areas of expertise are Japanese rock, Vocaloid, and manga.

If you’ve come to this page, you might be wondering, “What exactly is ‘Rawhide’?”

As times change, more and more new events are being added to school sports days.

Among them, one that has been gaining popularity in recent years is “Rawhide.”

In this article, we’ll introduce what kind of event Rawhide is, its origins, why it’s drawing attention, and how to practice for it!

We hope it will be a helpful reference when you’re thinking, “We want to add a new event to our sports day!”

Practice points

Keeping in step together like a three-legged race

Next, about movement: the basic flow of the event is to run from the start line toward the target, come to a stop, hit the target with the ball, make a U-turn, return to the starting position, and hand off to the next team.

In other words, the more in-sync the horse team’s steps are, the faster the return will be, and the higher your chances of winning.

So it’s a good idea to use a cadence call like “One, two!” while moving.

Also, just before you reach the target, the person on top should clearly tell the horse team when to stop so they can throw the ball from their preferred distance.

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About what to prepare

First, the rope, the ball, and the target.

Let’s go over the preparations at the end.

You’ll need three things: a rope, a ball, and a target.

Use a rope that’s long enough to reach the target.

Make sure the ball is securely fastened so it doesn’t fly off while you’re spinning it.

You can also use a ball made of safe materials—like a ball rolled from newspaper—so it won’t cause injury if it hits someone.

Cardboard boxes make convenient targets, but outdoors they might get blown away, so you can use something heavier like an oil can.

Also, instead of placing the target on the ground, putting it on a long table or other raised surface makes it easier to aim and is recommended!

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In conclusion

We introduced the event “Rawhide”! Do you think it could be incorporated into your sports day? By all means, enjoy the vibe of a Western while everyone battles it out! We hope it makes your sports day even more fun!