Various events, such as girls' soccer classes and kickball tournaments, were held, with over 400 players participating in total!
Please see below for event details and scenes from the day.
[June 2 (Sun) Kickball & Soccer Tournament for Elementary School Grades 3-6]
A "Kickball & Soccer Tournament" was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court for elementary school students in grades 3-6.
Kickball is similar to softball, but instead of a bat, players kick the ball with their feet.
Many players were new to the game, and at first, they focused on learning the rules and kicking the ball far. As they played more, they understood the rules better and started thinking as a team about how to get a hit or score points!
The coaches also participated, with some coaches hitting many home runs!
At the end, everyone had a great time playing a game, utilizing the various kicks they learned in kickball!
It was wonderful to see players who usually attend different classes or are in different grades deepen their friendships and interact through soccer and various sports, which truly highlighted the beauty of sports!
[June 8 (Sat) Shooting & Goalkeeper School for Elementary School Grades 1-2]
A "Shooting & Goalkeeper School" was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court for elementary school students in grades 1-2.
For shooting, the training theme was "shooting at the intended course."
While hitting the ball strongly is important, on this day, the focus was constantly on aiming for the course.
To acquire accurate kicking skills, the initial training involved passing. By passing while stationary, players learned how to kick the ball straight by figuring out where and how to strike it, and at what distance between the pivot foot and the ball they could generate power.
For goalkeeping, the training focused on two themes: "enjoying goalkeeping" and "stopping shots."
First, players got used to the ball by catching a ball they threw up themselves and engaging in various ball-handling drills!
Next, we practiced the basic stance and shot-stopping. The stance is very important for a goalkeeper. We didn't just stand there, but thought about how to move easily for the next play. For shot-stopping, players learned to create a wall with their hands, stop shots, and how to fall without getting injured, and then actually stopped shots that were kicked!
Finally, the shooting and goalkeeping groups merged, and we practiced shooting at a goal with an actual goalkeeper.
For shooting, in addition to looking at the goalkeeper's position and aiming for the course, players tried to stop the ball in a position where they could kick it to either the left or right, making choices based on the opponent with an actual goalkeeper in place. For goalkeepers, changing the mind games and distance with the shooter significantly affected the number of shots they could stop.
Soccer is a game where one goal can greatly change the outcome of a match. Players who can score goals and players who can stop them become the heroes of the game. Therefore, we hope that the participating players will continue to hone their skills and become heroes and play active roles in future matches!
[June 9 (Sun) 1v1 Strongest King Deciding Match - June Tournament for Elementary School Grades 1-4]
The "1v1 Strongest King Deciding Match - June Tournament" was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court for elementary school students in grades 1-4.
This was the third time this event was held this year, and even more players participated than the previous tournament!
This tournament also featured many heated matches, and some players were seen crying tears of frustration after losing.
The winners of this tournament were Haruki Okubo in the 1st grade division, Shuya Hagiwara in the 2nd grade division, and Nao Taguchi in the 3rd and 4th grade division. The winners were awarded a shield as proof of their championship!
With each tournament, the players' skill levels and their desire to win have increased, resulting in nothing but exciting matches!
[June 9 (Sun) Girls' Soccer Class for Kindergarteners (Mid-Year and Pre-School) and Elementary School Grades 1-6]
A "Girls' Soccer Class" was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court for kindergarteners (mid-year and pre-school) and elementary school students in grades 1-6.
A total of 30 girls, from kindergarteners (mid-year and pre-school) to elementary school students in grades 1-6, participated, and everyone enjoyed playing soccer.
First, all grades participated in various movement drills, then separated into lower and upper elementary groups to practice basic soccer techniques in a fun way!
Even girls who were new to soccer diligently engaged in the training!
We will continue to hold events to allow even more girls to enjoy soccer in the future! Thank you for your participation!
