私は小学校4年生から野球を始め、高校2年生の秋までずっとキャッチャーというポジションを守っていた。守備の時にキャッチャーは、技術的なスキルはもちろん必要だが、もしかしたらそれ以上に、心の強さみたいなものが求められると思う。常にピッチャーに寄り添って元気づけることをはじめ、チーム全体を鼓舞する仕事も求められる。
　調子よく勝っているときは良いのだが、やはり劣勢の時は厳しく、特にコールドゲームのようにコテンパンにやっつけられて負けそうな時は、本当に辛いものがある。それでも最後までしっかりチームを支えなければならない。

　野球に限らず、人を応援したり元気づけようとしたりするときには、声の力が有効なことが多い。大きな声で窮地にある人を励ませば、熱い思いが伝わりやすいだろう。
　私は声が大きい方だと思う。ちなみに私がキャッチャーをしているときは、毎回守備のはじめに、私がホームプレートの少し前に立って、「しまっていこう～」と球場全体に声をかけてから始まっていた。そんなことを毎回やっていれば、それは声が大きくなるだろう。声の力の強さをとてもよく分かっている一人だと自負している。

　私が自分で声が大きくなったと自覚した出来事がある。中学に入ったばかりの頃、野球部の練習でのことだ。その日は雨天で、校内でランニングなどのトレーニングをしていた。一通りメニューをこなした後に、先輩から一年生全員が呼ばれて、体育館に整列させられた。そこではバスケット部やその他の運動部が練習していて、かけ声が飛び交い騒然としていた。
　その中で私たち1年生は、体育館の隅っこから大声で自分の名前とクラスを言わされ、最後に気合いのかけ声を一発叫ばされた。野球の試合やグラウンドでならば、さほど抵抗を感じず当たり前のように声を出せるのだが、体育館で、それも全く知らない先輩方たちの前で自分の名前を叫ぶということは、酷く恥ずかしく感じた。躊躇したが、端から順番にチームメイトが叫ぶ様子に勇気づけられて、私も何とか声を出すことが出来た。それは野球部にとっては恒例行事のようなもので、入部すれば誰もがやらなければならない儀式だった。
　叫んでみて分かったことは、私の声が非常に大きいことと、大声を出すことの爽快感だった。気持ちが良かった。そのことがあってから私は大声を出すときの出し方を心得たというか、自分の声を増幅させるやり方を掴んだような気がした。何か大きな武器を手にしたような感覚があった。

　声にはその場にあった適切なボリュームがあると思う。声が大きければ良いというものではなく、調和を崩すような不快な爆音は下品だ。だから大きな声は武器にも弱点にもなり得る。上手くボリュームを調整できるなら、声が大きいと言うことは、考え方や感じ方を伝えるための一つの優れたツールを手に入れたことになると思う。
　先日職場に新しく入ってきた新人くんは、やたらと声がデカかった。まさに爆音。挨拶など何をするにも声が大きく、緊張しているのか、周りの状況が全く把握できていないようだった。入ってきたばかりなのだから“空気”を読めず、“右左”も分からず、とにかく元気の良さを本人なりに必死にアピールしていたのかもしれない。そのうち慣れてきたら、徐々にボリュームも絞られていくことだろう。ただ、何となく、彼のことが羨ましかった。

　大声出す機会は、もうほとんどないね～

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Invisible knob

　I started playing baseball in the fourth grade of elementary school, and I had been defending the position of catcher all through the fall of my sophomore year of high school. When playing defense, a catcher is required to have technical skills, of course, but perhaps even more than that, I believe that a catcher is required to have a kind of emotional strength. He is required to be there for the pitcher at all times to cheer him up, as well as to inspire the entire team.
　It is good when the team is winning well, but it is tough when the team is losing badly, especially when the team is about to lose a game like a called game in which they are beaten to a pulp. Even so, I must support the team until the very end.

　The power of the voice is often effective in cheering people up, not only in baseball, but also when trying to cheer them up. If you use your loud voice to encourage someone in a difficult situation, it will be easier to convey your passionate feelings.
　I think I have a loud voice. Incidentally, when I was a catcher, at the beginning of every defensive game, I would stand a little in front of home plate and begin by calling out to the entire ballpark, “Let’s put it away! If I did that every time, that would make me a very vocal person. I am proud to say that I am one of those people who understand very well the power of the voice.

　There was an incident when I became aware that my voice had grown louder by myself. It was during a baseball practice when I had just entered junior high school. It was raining that day and we were in the school building doing some running and other training. After we had gone through the entire menu, the seniors called all the first-year students to line up in the gymnasium. There, the basketball team and other athletic teams were practicing, and there was a lot of noise and shouting.
　We freshmen were made to say our names and classes out loud from the corner of the gymnasium, and finally we were made to shout a single spirited shout. I could speak up at a baseball game or on the baseball field without much resistance, but I felt extremely embarrassed to shout my name in the gymnasium in front of a group of seniors whom I did not know at all. I hesitated, but encouraged by the way my teammates shouted from one end to the other, I managed to speak up. It was like a regular event for the baseball team, a ritual that everyone had to perform once they joined the club.
　What I found when I shouted was that I was very loud and that it was exhilarating to shout so loud. It felt good. After that experience I felt like I knew how to produce a loud voice, or rather, I had grasped the way to amplify my voice. It was as if I had some great weapon in my hands.

　I think there is an appropriate volume for each voice in each situation. A loud voice is not necessarily a good thing, and an unpleasant blast of sound that disrupts harmony is vulgar. So a loud voice can be a weapon or a weakness. If you can adjust the volume well, I think having a loud voice is one excellent tool you have at your disposal to communicate how you think and feel.
　The other day, a newcomer to my office had a very loud voice. It was a real blast. He was very loud in everything he did, including greeting people, and he seemed to be nervous, or perhaps he was completely unaware of what was going on around him. He was probably just trying his best to show off his energy. As he gets used to it, the volume will gradually decrease. However, I was somewhat envious of him.

　I rarely have a chance to speak out loud anymore.