Report

Hometown Elementary School Visit: Hokota City Kamijimanashi Elementary School

On November 10th, Leo Silva and Pedro Junior visited Kamishima Nishi Elementary School in Hokota City and interacted with all 47 students in the gymnasium through games like "Janken Train" and mini-soccer. Both players mentioned having similar experiences at their previous clubs, although this was their first elementary school visit as Antlers players.

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First up was Janken Train. If you lost at janken (rock-paper-scissors), you had to get behind the winner and form a line. The two players quickly understood the rules, but they weren't very good at janken and lost immediately every time.

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After warming up with the students through Janken Train, the players gave a demonstration. First, they showed off their juggling skills. Pedro performed an incredible trick, but it seemed the students didn't quite understand what had happened. They also juggled together with the students. The two players gave enthusiastic applause to the students' earnest efforts. They also invited girls to join in a passing drill, but there were moments when the ball just went back and forth without anyone touching it, with the girls simply watching.

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Next, in a mini-soccer game, the students couldn't steal the ball from Leo, who maintained excellent ball control. The players overwhelmed the student team by showcasing quick passes in the narrow court. When Pedro hid the ball in his stomach and carried it near the goal, the students could be heard exclaiming, "That's cheating!"

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During the student team's penalty kicks, Pedro played as the goalkeeper. He defended with his back to the goal. The moment a student kicked, he tried to block it with his back, but he couldn't prevent it from going in.

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Conversely, during the players' penalty kicks, Leo covered his face and declared he would score by making the goal, marked by cones, only the width of one ball. As the students watched, Leo kicked, and the ball veered slightly off course. Just when everyone thought it would miss, Pedro changed its direction and scored. It was a trick play that utilized their synchronized movements and the students' momentary lapse of attention.

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To counter the players' scoring ability, the students used cones to defend, narrowed the cone width, and even had students stand between the cones to bolster the goal. Still, interpreter Takai assisted by widening the cones, and a shot was scored. The players were very satisfied with the back-and-forth play with the students, saying, "It's important for the students to keep thinking of new ways to defend, and for us to think about how to respond to that."

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After mini-soccer, there was a Q&A session where the players answered questions from the students.

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Finally, the interaction concluded with the players presenting signed autograph boards to the students.

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