Motherhood mission: Sports summer vacation in Sweden for my Tokyo-based global family

How do you all do it? How do you stay active as you travel back home, or away, for the kids' summer vacation?

We're a Swedish-Japanese family with 3 kids, based in Tokyo.

Oldest son: Plays tennis 6 times a week

Daughter: Plays volleyball 3 times a week. Ace hitter.

Youngest son: Plays baseball Saturdays and Sundays. Catcher.

Summer break should be a break from life as they know it — school and homework — and I'm adamant to provide them a healthy sports context when they travel back home to Sweden.

It helps to keep their language skills on par while also being a proven way of making new friends. We are truly fortunate that the Swedish sports community have welcomed us with open arms.

Baseball

In 2022, we took 6 youth baseball players from Tokyo to Leksand on an unforgettable 10-day international exchange. I wrote a few stories about it.

We found common ground with the baseball family in Sweden who invited them into their teams at two tournaments and trainings in Leksand, Karlskoga and R?ttvik.

Just this morning, a dear friend wrote: How's your summer plans? Do the boys want to play some baseball?

How's your summer plans? Do the boys want to play some baseball?

Oh yes.

They'll be joining N?cken Cup in Stockholm in August.

Thanks always Per Lindgren and Andrew Steuernagel

Volleyball

Ahead of summer of 2024, we've been in touch with volleyball in Sweden to explore if my daughter could join any local teams for practice in the Dalarna region where she'll be spending most of her time with her grandparents.

All volleyball contacts kindly got back but what essentially happens during the summer in Sweden is that practice takes a break, only to start off when it's time to go back to school. And that's just about when we head back east to Japan.

We'll bring a Mikasa volleyball for her to practice on the meadow.

And her new Japan shoes, just in case.

Thanks to Simon Dahl & team!

Tennis

Through our friends at Good to Great tennis academy outside of Stockholm, we have scheduled a couple of training sessions for our tennis loving son.

Thanks Mikael Tillstr?m & team.

We're talking to a tennis club in Uppsala too with the goal of slotting a practice session there as well as we head up to Leksand.

And no doubt we'll be occupying the hard court and maybe even try clay in Leksand this year.

Maybe you have a court booked and wouldn't mind playing an hour with a 13-year-old Swedish-Japanese boy?

sound mind, sound body

Baseball volleyball tennis.

Planning planning planning.

Connections connections connections.

Sports sports sports.

My motherhood mission

Sports summer vacation in Sweden for my Tokyo-based global family.

And amongst all the things I'm coordinating as we speak, you'll find my kids swimming in Lake Siljan, skating in the skate park, and running around from dusk till dawn.

As for me, after all this successful planning, I'll be enjoying my espresso right here:

How do you keep your kids active in sport as you travel home, or away, for the summers?