Many successful athletes are often described as having trained intensely alongside their parents from a very young age, eventually achieving greatness together.
In some cases, parents act as extremely strict “coach figures,” pushing their children through harsh training. In others, children are forced to continue even when they no longer want to.

Shohei Ohtani’s upbringing, however, was different.

Although his father served as a manager and coach in Little League and Senior League baseball, he was rarely strict at home.
Looking back, Ohtani recalls:

“My father treated me with the idea that if I wanted to do something, I should do it, and if I didn’t, then it was my responsibility.
My mother also never told me, ‘You have to study.’”

The Ohtani family neither pushed him too hard nor spoiled him.
They respected his independence, supported him when support was needed, and spoke up when something had to be said.

As a child, Ohtani tried not only baseball but also other sports such as badminton and swimming.
But the decision to start — and the decision to quit — were always his own.

By consistently making his own choices and carrying them out, Ohtani learned to take responsibility for every action he took.
Because those decisions were his, he could accept them fully.

When people act only because they are told to, their motivation becomes “I’m doing this because someone told me to.”
But when decisions are made independently, responsibility follows — and that responsibility becomes the foundation for perseverance.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Opening a Path, Crossing the Ocean: The True Story of Shohei Ohtani, p.100