PE Teacher Vitalii Goncharenko will be moving to the International School of the Sacred Heart from August. He began at MST in August 2016 and has added a lot of quality to our PE and sports programmes with his coaching skills. I know the students will miss him (my own kids very much included!) and we’ll all be sad to see him go. So join me in wishing him well and offering congratulations on this move to a much bigger school (with the great sports facilities he’s always hoped for!) and the opportunity to really dedicate himself full-time to physical education classes and sports coaching. Good luck, Vitalii!
–James Moore, Head of School
From Village to Megacity
Where are you from?
I grew up in a small town in Ukraine with one school of 400 kids. We had beautiful nature and lots of forests. Everybody played soccer, went fishing and horseback riding.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A professional basketball player. I knew when I was twelve when I was able to play with bigger kids. My dad wanted me to play volleyball but it wasn’t my thing.
I did eventually play professionally for CSKA Kyiv. It was fun. I played shooting guard for two years. I even got to play pick-up games with Slava Medvedenko (former Lakers player), a massive dude who could play threes.
What were your favorite toys and games growing up?
I didn't have many toys because I took them apart to examine them but could never put them back together. So my parents stopped buying them. But I had keys to the school from 12 and opened the gym whenever I wanted. That was my playground.
What brought you to Tokyo?
I was working in Gunma for two years, my first overseas job from Ukraine. It was dull in Gunma and I started coming to Tokyo and made connections here and many friends.
What’s your favorite place in Tokyo?
I actually like Minato Mirai in Yokohama for the space. I love water and it’s by the sea. In Tokyo I go a lot to Nakameguro. Shinjuku Gyoen is also one of my favorites.
How do you spend your weekends?
When I’m not working, coaching basketball, I travel outside of Tokyo. I like to go to places like Shizuoka, Nikko, Odawara.
What’s your biggest passion these days?
Trying to get everything into a basketball system with teaching and coaching, be more efficient and have continuity with everything I do and teach.
Coaching at MST
How did you end up at MST?
When I was in Malaysia I came for summer vacation to Japan and was in touch with the school. I got to know the owners and eventually got the job.
What did you used to do before teaching at MST?
I was a sports manager in a university in Malaysia and also coached their basketball team.
Why did you decide to go into teaching?
My parents are teachers and my dad was the principal of my school. When you grow up in that environment, that’s home.
What’s your favorite thing about teaching?
Working with kids, communicating, seeing them enjoy and get interested in sports. I want to make it fun enough that they would do sports outside of school. With nine years here, MST has been a big part of my life. It’s been great to help so many kids love sports.
What are you reading right now?
I read a lot of news from back home and about politics, trying to understand how the world works.
What do you say to kids who want to be professional athletes?
It’s a big commitment, and takes a lot of time and discipline. And there’s a lot of repetition! A lot of work that’s not fun. If you do sports, make friends and make good connections. If you have talent, push further out.
But in the end, do what you like to do. Find a way to enjoy what you do and stay happy.