Life in a high school baseball dormitory is often associated with strict hierarchies, especially through famous examples like PL Gakuen, where rigid senior–junior relationships were the norm. Shohei Ohtani’s experience at Hanamaki Higashi High School was not nearly as extreme, but it was still a period of profound personal change.

Looking back, Ohtani admits that until middle school, he approached things rather casually. That changed in high school. Through repeated mistakes and being reprimanded, he began to learn what it truly meant to think carefully and act responsibly.

During his high school years, Ohtani dealt with several injuries. Concerned about his recovery, head coach Hiroshi Sasaki arranged for him to rest in the underclassmen’s dorm so he could sleep properly. However, one morning Ohtani overslept. As a result, he was removed from practice for several days and assigned snow-shoveling duties as a penalty.

For Ohtani, this incident left a deep impression. He believed he was the player who needed practice the most, yet his own lack of discipline had created a situation where he was unable to train. More importantly, it forced the coach to intervene in a way that disrupted his development.

From that point on, Ohtani resolved to think ahead and act responsibly. He came to understand that true growth requires creating conditions where one can train consistently—without placing unnecessary burdens on teammates or coaches. That realization became a cornerstone of his approach, shaping not only how he practiced baseball, but how he carried himself as a person.

Source

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

Baseball Chronicle II: MLB Years 2018–2024 – Long Interview, p.87