The Future of Sports: Learning to Change the Future of Sports

1 Safeguarding is an organized effort to create a safe and secure environment that protects children and vulnerable populations from any harm or abuse.

Three projects and three activity guidelines developed by MISHOP

First of all, please give us an overview of your association and what you do.

Mr. Ogame: "The purpose of the "Sports Harassment ZERO Association" is to create a sports environment free of harassment.

There are three main projects. The first is the "Certification Program"; the second is "Lectures and Seminars" conducted by board members and experts in various locations. And the third is the "Reinstatement Support Program" to assist those who have been disciplined.

I myself worked for 24 years in the "J-League" soccer team until April 2024. With this experience, I am in charge of overall supervision, sales, and coordination with other organizations as Director and Secretary General.

Tara-sama:I amand As a board member, I am involved in decision-making and in charge of editing certification texts and managing SNS. I also disseminate information from my perspective as a sports journalist.

Could you tell us about the background of the establishment of your association and your core philosophy?

Tara-sama: Harassment has not disappeared from the field of sports even after the 2013 Declaration on the Eradication of Violence (*2). 2021, the jurists'Mayumi Taniguchiled the organization to start activities to solve the root causes of sports harassment, which was incorporated as a general incorporated association in March 2024.

Taniguchi has a deep knowledge of sports, has served as a director of the Japan Rugby Football Union, and is an expert in human rights and gender law.

Dear Kogame:The concept is "an association that should cease to exist tomorrow." Since the raison d'etre of the association would cease to exist if harassment were eliminated, we started by declaring that the association would be dissolved in a future when sports harassment would seem to have ceased.

Our three guiding principles are: "We do not judge," "Anyone can be either a victim or a perpetrator," and "We want to be a place where people can belong. Rather than condemning people, we focus on creating a "place" for learning by confronting actions and structures.

2 Reference: JSPO Japan Sports Association "Declaration on the Eradication of Violence in Sports
https://www.japan-sports.or.jp/spohara/declaration/

Realizing the limitation of awareness-raising activities, launched a systematic learning "certification" program.

Please tell us more about the "certification business" you are developing.

Dear Kogame: The focus of the program is the "Sports Harassment Certificate." We started the elementary level in November 2024 with the aim of systematically learning about understanding human rights and harassment.

Please tell us why you chose the "certification" form.

Dear Kogame:  We believe that people learn to say and do things by learning. Leaders who condone corporal punishment may have experienced and learned about such values somewhere along the way. That is why we believe it is necessary to "relearn" to override them with new learning, and that is why we have decided on the form of the "Sports Harassment Certification Test.

Tara-sama: Until now, harassment prevention in the sports world has centered on lectures and posters, but this has not been sufficient. The certification will enable participants to continue learning and foster a sense of responsibility through the certification. We are also considering a system that would allow those who have completed the "advanced level" to work as instructors certified by the association, and we hope to link this to support for athletes' second careers.

What is important to you when creating content?

Tara-sama:The content of the website is designed to be a proposal-type content, structured backward from the three activity guidelines of the association. Rather than stating categorically that something should be done, the content is designed to encourage learning by asking, "Why don't you give it a try?

Of the six chapters in the Beginner Level "Sports Harassment Test," three are case studies, in which board members (in katakana) are the perpetrators. This reflects the viewpoint that "anyone can be a perpetrator.

The structure alternates between input and output, allowing participants to continue learning while confronting themselves.

e-learning implementation was inevitable. However, we were faced with a technical and financial challenge.

What was the background behind the need to implement an e-learning system and what challenges did you face in doing so?

Dear Kogame: For us, an e-learning system that can provide a wide range of learning opportunities was indispensable as we seek to resolve the root causes of sports harassment through learning.

Initially, we tried to have an engineer build an original certification system, but found it impractical.

Therefore, we started looking for services that were already offered as a certification system.

What process did you use to consider our services?

Dear Kogame: We picked about six companies during the review phase and compiled a comparison chart of their services. The board discussed this and finally narrowed it down to three companies for a meeting.

Tara-sama:It was around the fall of 2024 that we began communicating with your sales representative. We were able to complete the introduction of learningBOX in a short period of two to three months, while others were talking about starting the introduction the following year.

High cost performance makes it possible to continue without overdoing it.

What were the deciding factors in finally choosing learningBOX from among the many services available?

Dear Kogame: First of all, there is the cost. It was by far the lowest cost, and above all, the payment function (paid option "eCommerceIn the "LearningBOX" (see Figure 1), LearningBOX was the only company that billed only for the usage of the test takers (system users).

The board members even talk to each other, saying, "I'm really grateful," and "You are truly a god" (laughs).

Tara-sama:We are driven by "passion" and have never received any financial support from large corporations. We have received many invitations to participate in crowdfunding, but we have declined, believing that it should be for those who are truly in need.

That is why I truly feel that we could not have continued this activity without the presence of learningBOX.

Thank you very much. We are very pleased. In addition to the cost aspect, please tell us what else you found attractive.

Dear Kogame:The paid option "-" is available.CustomizationThe fact that we could design it as if it were a dedicated page for this certification was also very attractive. It is a point of great satisfaction to be able to express the vision and worldview of the association.

The board members discussed what was important to them in introducing the system, and decided to emphasize "personality" since they would be with the company for a long time. The sales representative was very courteous and sincere, which eased our concerns. The board members agreed that we would be able to work with this person without any worries, and decided to introduce the new system.

Easy-to-understand operation" that even beginners will not lose their way is the key point.

How are you currently using learningBOX?

Dear Kogame: Currently, it is used only for the aforementioned certification program; the "Sports Harassment Certification" beginner level has been in operation since November 2024, with plans to launch an intermediate level in 2026 and an advanced level after 2027.

In addition, the Safeguarding Certification was launched in the fall of 2025. The purpose of this is for individuals and organizations involved with children to acquire knowledge to protect the "body," "mind," and "rights" of children in sports settings and to increase sensitivity to human rights in order to create a safe and secure environment for children to engage in activities.

Only those who have passed the beginning level of the "Sports Harassment Certification Test" will be qualified to take the "Safeguarding Certification Test".

Who has taken the certification test?

Tara-sama: The most common group is "sports coaches". Others are "sports organization officials," "educators," and "former athletes.

Recently, it has been spreading to "media professionals" and "parents" as well. I would like to encourage students who are about to enter the workforce to take this course, as it will have a significant impact on their career development.

Dear Kogame:I would like to increase the number of "group examinations" in the future. We have a problem with publicity activities and need to expand awareness more.

 Please tell us about the points that you find easy to use and convenient when you actually use learningBOX.

Tara-sama: First of all, I am amazed at the fact that "even a beginner in site management is able to manage the certification test properly" itself. The site design is that easy to use and understand.

Dear Kogame: After I took the certification test, I would look at content to further my learning, such as " coursesI find the ability to design the system as a "one-stop shop" very appealing. It has broadened the scope of our operations.

 How would you describe the sales and support response of the learningBOX?

Dear Kogame: One word: excellent. The sales staff as well as the support staff afterwards were very attentive and helpful. The explanations by e-mail were easy to understand with images, and even when we had problems, they were resolved on the same day.

Even with a small secretariat, we are able to achieve efficient operations.

What kind of results have you achieved since the introduction of the learningBOX?

Dear Kogame:In terms of cost, we estimate that, compared to other systems that we were considering implementing until the last minute, choosing learningBOX has resulted in a cumulative reduction of approximately 400,000 yen since the start of the examination in November 2024.

Tara-sama:Our business efficiency has also improved a lot. We used to subscribe to a different mailing service to send out all of our emails and acceptance letters, but now we can do it all from within learningBOX.Manage notifications(See the table below.). This alone has saved us a considerable amount of time, and with the small number of people in the office, it has been a great help.

What kind of feedback have you received from those who have actually taken the certification test?

Dear Kogame: We have received many comments such as, "I was able to relearn about human rights," and "I am grateful for the opportunity to learn.

Unlike harassment in the general corporate world, in the sports world, harassment is greatly influenced by the culture and atmosphere of the organization. What would be out of line at a general company is tolerated in the sports world. Athletes themselves may feel that they have to endure in order to become stronger.

It is necessary to change these attitudes and bring them to the point where they are accompanied by behavioral change.

Tara-sama:We have been surveying our students and many of them have strong feelings about taking the test. Some have actually been victims of sports harassment. In the future, as a journalist, I would like to conduct interviews to find out the background of the participants and how they are doing after taking the course.

Expanding learning with learningBOX to "SPOHARA ZERO

What is your vision for the future?

Dear Kogame: Currently, we are promoting a business partnership with the "Japan Badminton Association," but we would like to expand this to other athletic organizations in the future. We would like to continue to provide learning opportunities to as many people as possible while utilizing learningBOX.

We recently contacted your sales representative about a new project. We are beginning to move forward with an initiative to have you submit videos of actual instructional sites and provide feedback as an association.

We still have a lot of work to do to help people take the next step beyond "I think harassment must be eliminated, but...".

Given this outlook, what do you expect from learningBOX in the future?

Dear Kogame: I believe that learningBOX's strength is that it is able to provide learning opportunities with peace of mind, even for small organizations like ours that do not have ample funds.

I feel that this service has great social significance, and I would be happy to continue to work with them as a partner in creating a better society.

Thank you very much for your valuable insights!