Japan’s Yuji Nishida is only 20 but all signs point to stardom with his impressive performances
After making a promising debut in 2018 that built momentum to a breakout season in 2019, Japan’s left-handed opposite Yuji Nishida is set for stardom as he takes his country to new heights.
Despite being a bit shorter than the average player in his position at 1.86 meters, Nishida’s leaping ability and electrifying spikes never fail to push the excitement scale up and leave the audience in awe.
So what is his secret?
“I use my entire body when I jump,” Nishida said.
“When I spike, I approach at top speed and transfer all the power into the ball at the highest point. I always keep this in mind in training and I try to adopt to new ways of training that could help me master this technique and evolve further as a player.
“For my jump serves, I think the motion of tossing the ball up is more important than hitting the ball. As long as you can toss it up the way you like, the serves will go in. I often take moments to think about serving techniques. This has been helping me and pushing me to be better, through trial and error.
Yuji Nishida spikes against Chen Longhai of China at the 2018 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League
Playing the starting opposite as a rookie for Japan was already a big deal, but leading the team in scoring on many occasions is even more remarkable.
Nishida’s rapid climb to the top of the scoring boards is one thing, but with a few other skills at his disposal too, he has become a key asset for the team.
At the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup, he helped Japan finish fourth – 28 years after their last Top 4 finish in 1991. He was the squad’s youngest at age 19 and the tournament’s Best Opposite.
“I think the match against Russia was a good, memorable match, as it was a good opportunity for us to see how we play against a team with height. It was true that my condition was great during the World Cup, but I will still try to level up more to get more attention from the world.”
Nishida always had a vision for bigger things and took advantage of every opportunity that came his way.
Now 20, he is not just visualising himself playing for the national team, he has already struck the balance between fitting in and standing out and conquering along with the team’s other stars.
Best Opposite Yuji Nishida (Japan) awarded by President of Japan Volleyball Association Kenji Shimaoka
“I think people could take inspiration from my story because at such a young age, I was given an incredible chance to play for the Japan men’s national team. I took advantage of this opportunity and achieved significant results.
“Everyone could learn from this story as there are plenty of challenges and opportunities that come to our daily and sporting lives. If you can imagine gaining success, even just a little, then you should go for it.
“Since playing for the national team, I have been greatly influenced by (Yuki) Ishikawa and (Masahiro) Yanagida. I find their desire to challenge the world and their sense of hunger for growth very inspiring.”
He is not only taking inspiration from his compatriots, but also from the players across the net, particularly Italian superstar Ivan Zaytsev.
“I respect all the players, but Ivan (Zaytsev) of Italy is one of the players that I respect the most. He reached out to me and gave me confidence.
“Getting attention from a player like Ivan challenges me to do more and get better. I can’t even compare my career to his and it’s not like I have spoken to him much, but he is a role model who makes me feel confident and someone I really respect.”
Nishida was just four years old when he found his calling to play volleyball and his skills were soon far more advanced than those of kids his age. Time has passed and he has achieved a great deal, but his gratitude for his success remains sincere.
“I’ve been playing volleyball since I was four years old and it was my siblings who influenced me. In the first grade of elementary school, I learned how to jump serve. In high school, I used to watch and admire Yanagida and Ishikawa, so I trained hard every day.
“Now we are all playing and working hard together in the national team to achieve the best results for our country. I am very grateful for the support of all the people around us.”
Nishida likes to observe people and enjoys the same things people his age do.
“I think I’m very observant. I enjoy observing people around me not only in volleyball but also in my everyday life. Besides volleyball, I enjoy shopping. On my days off, I like shopping for clothes, food and all other kinds of things to recharge myself.”
He also likes Haikyu!!.
“Yes, I have watched all the episodes of the manga series. As a volleyball player, there are a lot of moments in Haikyu!! that I can relate to and be drawn to. Also, it is the manga which made me see sport from a different perspective to understand it better, so it is surely one of my favourite mangas.”
He is just like the rest of us, except that he jumps really, really high.
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