College life is supposed to be some of the most memorable times in our lives. For 2019 Father Duenas Memorial School graduate Junya Kanemitsu, his journey toward a finance degree at the University of Notre Dame took him through the fields of football and lacrosse at South Bend as a sports manager.
As a team manager, Kanemitsu received a national championship ring with the Notre Dame lacrosse team in 2023.
Coming in as a freshman in the fall of 2019, Kanemitsu was a sports fan that wanted to get involved beyond attending games and cheering on the Irish.
“I’ve been playing sports all throughout my years from judo, soccer, track, and volleyball but I knew I wouldn’t be able to be a player at Notre Dame and remembered how the managers and support staffs were very helpful when I was a player and wanted to provide the same support that I had been shown,” he said.
Kanemitsu jumped on to the football team his first two years on campus
“I helped with the football team, mainly setting up the fields, acting as opposing players (standing in positions wide receivers would be), catching football snaps from centers for their practice, etc.,” he said.
After spending his junior year abroad, Kanemitsu returned to ND to help manage the lacrosse team, where he was part of the 2023 national championship squad.
“I helped with the lacrosse team for my last year. Set up field, run shot clock, look at practice plan given by coach and keep track of time, set up locker room, film practice,” he said.
Kanemitsu knew nothing about the sport of lacrosse, but came to learn, know and love it. Something he says he’d some day like to introduce the sport to Guam.
Monogram Club
The former Tamuning resident was recently inducted into the Notre Dame Monogram Club, a group of student athletes and staff that was part of the athletics programs for three or more years.
One year removed from college, Kanemitsu remembers some of the best times of being a sports manager with the Fightin’ Irish.
“Hanging out with the players was definitely the most fun,” he said. “They all respected us and really made us feel like we were a part of the team. For example, we had a trivia night with the men’s and women’s lacrosse players and they placed us in their teams.”
Kanemitsu is now in Chicago working at the United Airlines headquarters as a financial analyst.
