Various events were held, including a heading school and a special coaching event by Kashima Antlers Junior manager Aono, with a total of over 300 players participating!
Please see below for event details and a recap of the day.
[Wednesday, April 5th: Enjoy Game Tournament]
On Wednesday, April 5th, an "Enjoy Game Tournament" for elementary school students was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Ground.
On the day, participants were divided by grade level, and teams were formed among the players for matches.
Since the teams were formed with players who had just met, there was an initial impression that they struggled with communication and understanding each other's play.
As the matches progressed, the frequency of communication on the pitch increased, and since it was also a match day for the Kashima Antlers top team, some players were excitedly discussing it during breaks!
Through soccer, the participants learned about communication and how to build rapport, skills that are also necessary in other aspects of life beyond soccer!
[Saturday, April 8th: Kashima Antlers Junior Manager Aono's Special Kick School]
On Saturday, April 8th, the "Kashima Antlers Junior Manager Aono's Special Kick School" was held at the Kashima Antlers Futsal Court.
Focusing on 'passing' among kicking techniques, participants trained on inside passes and instep passes.
Manager Aono coached them on hitting the ball's "sweet spot" as a key to accurate passing. The players actively participating in the training seemed to understand the importance of hitting the sweet spot and the significance of passing, judging by the accuracy and sound of the passes when they hit the sweet spot.
In the matches, some players made passes that directly led to goals or left opposing defenders behind, showing the results of their practice.
Finally, Manager Aono told the players, "The shortest way to improve your passing is to kick the ball a lot."
Indeed, practicing a lot is essential to becoming a better soccer player. We hope they will continue to practice diligently, keeping in mind the key points covered in this training!
[Sunday, April 9th: 1v1 Strongest Player Deciding Match]
On Sunday, April 9th, the "1v1 Strongest Player Deciding Match" was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court, with 1st and 2nd graders participating in the morning and 3rd to 6th graders in the afternoon.
This was the first 1v1 Strongest Player Deciding Match of the year, and many players participated with the goal of winning.
As it was a tournament competing in 1v1 techniques, which are crucial in soccer, intense offense and defense battles were seen.
In offense, some players skillfully used feints and changes of pace to deceive opponents, while in defense, there was a noticeable spirit in tackling and blocking shots.
We hope that through this tournament, players will acquire the vital 1v1 skills necessary for soccer and become players who can win matches!
[1st Grade Division Winner: Aita Miyauchi (left) 2nd Grade Division Winner: Yota Kubota (right)]
[3rd & 4th Grade Division Winner: Ryota Ushiki (left) 5th & 6th Grade Division Winner: Kazuki Kodama (right)]
[Saturday, April 22nd: Dribbling School]
On Saturday, April 22nd, a "Dribbling School" for 1st and 2nd graders was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse.
The 1st graders focused on "fine dribbling," and the 2nd graders on "feints."
In the 1st graders' training, they practiced ball touches to escape from being surrounded by opponents and ball touches in various areas, acquiring skills in the strength and weakness of ball touches.
In the 2nd graders' training, they first practiced dribbling with the instep.
Dribbling with the toes can sometimes cause the ball to hit the hard part of the shoe, making it difficult to dribble as intended. Therefore, by slightly raising the foot and using the instep, more players were able to handle the ball freely.
After that, they practiced feints such as "scissors" and "double touch" from instep dribbling, as well as using changes of pace in dribbling.
Finally, during practical 1v1 training and games, many players bravely challenged themselves with the dribbling techniques learned in training!
Being able to dribble past just one opponent can create an advantage, so we hope they will make use of what they learned in this training and continue to challenge themselves in matches!
[Sunday, April 23rd: Enjoy Game Tournament]
On Sunday, April 23rd, an "Enjoy Game Tournament" for preschoolers (middle and senior year) and 1st graders was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court.
On the day, many games were played in various formats, such as matches within the same grade level and round-robin tournaments with teams divided among all participants regardless of grade.
Many players actively went for the ball, and while some matches had few goals, others were high-scoring, creating exciting and enjoyable games.
Additionally, some players showed growth through the games; even those who initially struggled to get involved with the ball were seen actively going for it towards the end.
We believe this event provided an opportunity for players meeting for the first time, and those who usually train on different days or in different classes, to deepen their camaraderie through soccer.
We will be holding events for various grade levels again, so please join us!
