[based translation by narwhaltortellini]

SUMMARY:

Hanai thinks about the team goal as he runs. He considered that if they make make the goal to get to Koushien and don't make the last step, then they haven't made anything, but if they make the goal to win Koushien but don't make even the last five or ten steps there, then they've still at least made it to Koushien. He decides a goal is just a place your promise yourself to reach for and doesn't have to be realistic. It has to be big so that it can push you to your limit.

Hanai is exhausted when he approaches his home since he ran so hard. His mother comes home at the same time. She is a bit drunk and smells of alcohol. She says the coach praised him for wanting to make a team goal since she'd been wanting to do the same.

Hanai's mom says that Momokan drank and talked quite a bit. She said she was manager of the team in high school, and when they changed over from softball to hard ball there was only one player that stayed on the team. Hanai's mother can't remember entirely what happened when/if new players joined, but however it went, the baseball team eventually ended up with no players at all and for a while the club didn't even exist.

Hanai wonders what happened to the one player the team had before, but his mother moves on to say that Momokan went to nursing school (?? not sure if she is currently in or graduated or what). She isn't sure if it's surprising or fitting and wonders what kind of nurse she would make. Hanai goes to bed, and when he wakes up in the morning he tries to remember what he wanted to ask his mom, but can't.

Hanai leaves for practice early so that he can talk to others and try to persuade them about the goal. He arrives to find Mihashi also already there. Mihashi starts trying to talk to him, and Hanai realizes Mihashi came early for the same reason as him. Hanai assures him that he changed his goal to be national champions. Izumi rides up quickly on his bike, also early. He tells Hanai that he wants to change his goal to be national champions, and Hanai and Mihashi look surprised.

Mizutani rides up. He's thought about the goal and is worried he won't be able to take the tougher training. Hanai and Izumi try to convince him he can handle it, but he says that besides that it still seems unrealistic. (?? Hanai says some things I don't understand, but appears to very much not want to continue to listen to Mizutani's skeptical words. Mizutani goes on to confirm Izumi and Mihashi feel the same way as Hanai).

Thinking he now has a chance to convince someone to change their goal, Mihashi begins to ask Mizutani about it, however Mizutani replies that he'd already decided to make his goal to be national champions, shocking everyone. He says that while he isn't sure he can take it he figured he may as well go for it too. Hearing that Mihashi was bold enough to make that his goal made him feel like he should try too.

Mizutani says that despite this, he feels weird saying he's trying to win Koushien “for Mihasih.” Izumi agrees that saying one is doing it “for Shinooka” works better (I assume because she is a girl). Mizutani looks shocked, and Izumi assures him he wasn't trying to imply anything. Mizutani quickly leaves, insisting he wasn't thinking anything in particular like that either.

When the entire team is assembled, Hanai informs Momokan that they have all agreed to make their goal to win Koushien. Momokan says in that case they will discuss what they will do to achieve the goal. Hanai says he will do 500 practice swings at home, but Momokan asks him if this is the best use of his time. She wants the team to think about what will bring about the greatest amount of growth in themselves. She tells them that even when they are in school and not practicing, they should try to keep thinking about baseball and continue to train their minds and bodies with their daily activities, using every minute for baseball.

Momokan gives the team forms with a list of blanks for goals. The forms have two columns, one for life goals and one for baseball goals, and then various chronologically listed goal points (50 year goal, 30 year goal, all the way down to 'today's goal') along with a spot for a dream goal and minimum goal. Momokan wants everyone to fill out their pages in ten minutes.

Hanai is flustered as he fills out his form. He considers goals such as living to a happy old age or making it into the Golden Player's Club (one of the Japanese halls of fame), and struggles against listing things he expects to be rather than real goals he should strive to achieve.

Mihashi thinks his dream is to be a pro player, but he is too embarrassed to write it down. When he considers the 50 year goal, he becomes bewildered by the idea of being an old man..

Tajima fills his form out without hesitation, planning to play baseball his whole life and listing his dream goal as playing till he is 200 years old. He lists various (likely more reasonable?) ambitious goals for the rest of the spots and finishes within the ten minutes.

When the time is up, Tajima, Sakaeguchi, and Nishihiro have finished. Momokan asks how they feel, and they seem very motivated. Oki speaks up nervously to say that he has not finished and asks for more time. Momokan asks him to explain why and he says he doesn't want to make a misstep when first starting out on a big goal (??). Momokan is pleased with his answer and that he actually spoke up. She asks who else didn't finish, and gives the team three more minutes to do so.

Hanai forces himself to keep writing, filling out his baseball goals. His dream is to make a living off baseball, and he wants to play catch with his kids and grand kids. After finishing their forms, everyone feels more motivated. Momokan tells them if they learn to concentrate on smaller goals practice will be more fun since they will feel good when they achieve a goal.

As the team heads off to stretch, Chiyo gives the goal sheets to Momokan. She sees that Mihashi did not fill out a single goal. She believes he is enjoying his time on the team now, but notes there is a life after school clubs are over, but figures they will all learn that themselves.

The team does various practices such as ladders, step ups, running uphill with weights, and rope climbing. As Hanai practices hitting, Momokan stands behind and advises him to swing higher. Hanai completely exhausts himself, and as he catches his breath Momokan speaks to him. She says he must be glad to have Tajima as his rival, but that now he needs to try to surpass Tajima. They will try to increase his hitting distance even more since Tajima cannot compete with that.

Hanai notes that he remembers what he wanted to ask his mother: What happened to the one player the team did have when she was manager?