DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman University women's tennis student-athlete Mina Matsuba was recently featured on a popular Japanese television show that showcases students from Japan living abroad.
"Gutto! Chikyuubin!" broadcasted on Yomiuri Television Network, aired a 30-minute segment highlighting Matsuba, a rising junior from Mie, Japan. Matsuba is the two-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women's Tennis Player of the Year, and she helped lead the Wildcats to the 2015 MEAC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
Tomomitsu Yamaguchi, host of the popular television show, gave Matsuba's father, Masashi, a chance to check on his daughter's matriculation at Bethune-Cookman as the episode featured her in the classroom, on the tennis court, and her apartment, in addition to highlighting the Daytona Beach area.
In addition to B-CU and the tennis, the show included stops at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, Daytona International Speedway, downtown, and of course, the “World's Most Famous Beach.”
“Bethune-Cookman and diversity have always gone hand-in-hand,” said Bryan J. Harvey, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications. “This kind of exposure for Mina, as well as Bethune-Cookman University and the city of Daytona Beach is tremendous. It shows the diversity of the university through not only athletics, but education as well. They were a pleasure to work with, and I am glad they were able to do it.”
The episode also featured an emotional segment where Matsuba openly talks about her late mother, Jyunnko, who passed away when Matsuba was 16.
“We're very proud of how Mina represented our program,” said Tim Pleasant, B-CU head coach for men's and women's tennis. “Not only is she continuing to progress as a tennis player, but she is becoming more and more comfortable in the unofficial role of `face of the franchise.' It's very satisfying to see her grow while she's been here.”
Matsuba said she's received many compliments about the show from family and friends in Japan, and is starting to hear feedback from this side of the world now that the segment has been uploaded and shared through social media.
“It was a new experience for me to be on television, but it was amazing,” Matsuba said. “Yes, it was hard for me to talk about my mother and I how I fought to keep my tennis career going, but I appreciated the opportunity to share my story. Many of my friends said that was emotional, but were so happy to see me.”
Matsuba just concluded a summer vacation to Spain that did include some competitive tennis – she won her first-ever tournament on a clay court at the II Torneo Tenis Drive held in Castellón de la Plana, Spain and recently finished second to incoming Kansas State freshman Ana Lorena Garcia in a three-set final at the I Torneo Nacional Pobla de Vallbona.
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