B.LEAGUE's Levanga Hokkaido Inters Official Supplier Agreement with Native Camp to Boost Team Cohesion Through Unlimited English Lessons

Native Camp Co., Ltd. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kunihiro Tanigawa), which operates the online English learning service "Native Camp Eikaiwa" featuring unlimited lessons with native speakers, has concluded an official supplier agreement with the professional basketball club "Levanga Hokkaido" of the B.LEAGUE.

Background of the Partnership: Why "Basketball x English" Now?

In the modern B.LEAGUE, high-level coordination with foreign players and staff with extensive overseas experience has become a decisive factor in winning and losing. Smooth communication without time lags is essential for split-second instructions on the court and building deep relationships of trust off the court.

However, professional athletes face the challenge of extreme difficulty in maintaining a consistent study schedule due to frequent away games, practices, and overlapping matches.

【3 Reasons Why Native Camp Was Chosen】

- Instant Lessons Without Reservations: Athletes can effectively utilize "5" or "10" minutes of spare time between practices or during travel. - Unlimited Lessons: Allows for intensive study before matches or daily practice without worrying about costs. - Accessible from Anywhere in the World: Connects users with teachers worldwide from away game locations or at home, accommodating various accents.

Levanga Hokkaido, aiming to be a "world-class player and club," and Native Camp, which supports global challenges through English, found a match in their ambitions, realizing this partnership. By providing a practical English environment for players and staff, we will contribute to building a team capable of competing globally.

Comment from Takehiko Orimo, President and CEO of Levanga Hokkaido

We are pleased to announce the signing of an official supplier agreement with Native Camp Co., Ltd., which provides the online English conversation service "Native Camp."

Currently, Levanga Hokkaido includes not only Japanese players and staff but also a German Head Coach, three American players, and one Philippine player.

To achieve smooth and deep communication among teammates both during play and off the court, it is necessary to have the ability to understand each other's intentions and convey thoughts using our only common language, "English." However, players and staff who are not fluent in English often face frustrating situations when an interpreter is absent, where they cannot convey 100% of what they want to say or fail to fully grasp the other person's intentions, feeling "I want to talk more but I can't."

Furthermore, the environment surrounding the B.LEAGUE is becoming more internationalized year by year, with increasing instances of participating in overseas matches and responding to foreign media. In fact, Levanga Hokkaido's overseas activities have also become more active, such as dispatching players to events hosted by partner companies or the B.LEAGUE in the Philippines, and participating in matches hosted by Taiwanese teams.

As the need for English proficiency increases not only among team staff and players but across the entire club, we believe it is highly meaningful for the club to take a step toward international human resource development by improving our English skills through daily online lessons with the cooperation of Native Camp Co., Ltd.

We also feel that the ability to take lessons without reservations during spare time is a key point that makes it easier for players who travel frequently to continue learning.

Through this supplier agreement, we aim to deepen team unity without being constrained by language barriers, develop world-class players and staff, and strive to become a club that can make great strides from Hokkaido to the world.

About Levanga Hokkaido

A professional basketball team belonging to the B.LEAGUE (B1 East district) with Sapporo, Hokkaido as its hometown.

Founded in 2011 by current President and CEO Takehiko Orimo, the team name is derived from the reverse reading of "Ganbare" (Do your best). Under the slogan "Bringing tomorrow's 'Ganbare' from Hokkaido," the team conducts community-based activities based on the philosophy of "delivering excitement to 'people' and 'society' from Hokkaido, and making the world smile."

In addition to operating the top team, the club actively engages in regional revitalization centered on sports, such as "education and human resource development through sports" and "community building through lifelong sports," through developing youth teams and holding basketball academies.

Features of Native Camp

1. Unlimited lessons with native speakers 2. Instant lessons available 24/7, 365 days a year 3. Accessible anywhere via PC, smartphone, or tablet