It’s no secret that Yu Darvish excelled at baseball since he was a youngster in his native Japan. His parents, both of whom were collegiate athletes, provided all the encouragement and support he needed.
Baseball was a big part of his high school experience at Tohuku High School in Northern Sendai.
Masahiro Wako, the school’s baseball coach, recognized Darvish at the age of 15 and he was constantly in the beginning rotation.
One of the most important events of the year at a school with several baseball stars. He helped lead his high school baseball team to the finals of the National High School Baseball Championship in Japan when he was just 16 years old.
He was regarded as one of the greatest high school pitchers in the 2004 NPB amateur draft by the time he graduated from high school.
Meet Farsad Darvish and Ikuyo
Although Yu Darvish’s parents hailed from different countries, their love for one another brought them together. His mother, Ikuyo, is Japanese, while his father, Farsad Darvishsefat, is Iranian.
In 1977, just before the Iranian Shah was overthrown, Farsad’s father, who ran a travel agency in Iran, decided to send his son to the United States to complete his studies.
Farsad dabbled in sports while he was a student in America, especially soccer and motocross. At the liberal arts college Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, he later met Ikuyo.
Yu Darvish’s mother played college soccer, just like his father did. After a brief courtship, Farsad and Ikuyo decided to marry and have a family in Japan together before deciding to spend the rest of their lives together.
Yu and his siblings have been identified as Japanese with Iranian ancestry.