SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Youth Development
Tsukuba Junior Manager Hiroshi Nakano

At Antlers Academy, many children are honing their skills together at three locations, including Kashima, Norte, and Tsukuba, up to the junior high school level.
What do academy staff consider when approaching football coaching, where different approaches are required for each age group as children grow?
We spoke with Tsukuba Junior Manager Hiroshi Nakano about coaching youth players.

Conveying the ability to win objectively

―First, please tell us about your playing career and how you joined Antlers Academy.

“I played five seasons for Albirex Niigata, two seasons for Yokohama FC, and three seasons for Tochigi SC before retiring. After retiring, I started my coaching career at Antlers Academy. It all began when I was invited by Yukinari Nakamura, who was the Antlers junior youth manager at the time. I played with Nakamura for one season during my time at Albirex Niigata. We became close friends partly because we were both from Kyushu, and when I was considering retirement, he called me and asked, “Are you interested in coaching?” I also felt that opportunities to work at Antlers were rare, so I ended up joining Antlers Academy.”

―Were you originally interested in coaching?

“Yes, I had always wanted to become a coach. I obtained a teaching certificate during university, and at one point after retiring, I even thought about becoming a high school football coach.”

―What kind of impression did you have of Antlers as a club?

“I had the impression that the top team was a “winning team” that was required to win. I was very interested in how such a club developed its players, and I also wanted to learn various things at Antlers.”

―What did you feel when you actually joined Antlers Academy?

“When I watched the youth team training sessions led by Youth Manager Yuuzawa and the technical advisors, including Kagasawara, and heard what they said, I realized that “Antlers always strives to win, even during training.” That is something I understood only after joining the club. They didn’t want to lose in mini-games, and they didn’t want to lose in one-on-one training. You can tell that they work backward from victory from the way they make demands of the players. Such things are probably taken for granted within the club, but they are quite rare at other clubs. Having experienced playing against Antlers as an opponent, I hope to convey to the players what I have objectively felt about their ability to win under pressure.”

―At Antlers Academy, you are in charge of coaching the junior youth and junior teams. What kind of impression did you have of that age group?

“I really felt that the players in that age group grow incredibly fast. Until then, as a professional player, I improved step by step during the season by conditioning myself in training and improving my performance for matches, but from my coaching experience, I have realized that children grow rapidly both physically and technically compared to that.”

―In 2021, you led Kashima Junior to the final of the All Japan Junior Football Championship.

“At that time, the team had many very distinctive players. It was full of players who were eager to win even during training. As a whole, the team created an atmosphere where every single practice was about “not wanting to lose to the opponent,” and I feel that this was reflected in the results at the final tournament.”

―What did you keep in mind when coaching the team at that time?

“I wanted to value playful plays, such as plays that outsmart the opponent or nutmegs, and the children’s imagination. I myself prefer such plays, and I believe that is part of the appeal of football. I could feel how much the players loved football, and everyone expressed that at the final All Japan Junior Football Championship.”

―In the following year, 2022, you became the manager of Tsukuba Junior and won the Chibirinpic JA Zennoh Cup National Elementary School Football Championship. Although it was your first year in office, what did you teach the players?

“Technically, while many Tsukuba Junior players were excellent at ball handling, I also had the impression that they relied too much on that skill, so we focused on training that emphasized the importance of running and switching between offense and defense. Also, compared to the environment at Kashima Junior, the Tsukuba Academy Center has limited areas where they can play, so while ensuring that training within the allotted time was done properly, I encouraged them to think of ways to use their time outside of training effectively. Since many players at Kashima Junior would touch the ball in their free time, I also took a mental approach to help the Tsukuba Junior players create as much time as possible to touch the ball.”

―Did you deliberately use Kashima Junior, which had reached the final of the All Japan Junior Football Championship the previous year, as a comparison?

“Yes. At Antlers Academy, when there are friendly matches between Tsukuba, Kashima, and Norte, they can sometimes become very intense and heated matches, so I also wanted to foster a sense of rivalry among the Tsukuba Junior players. As a result, some players changed the way they used their time before and after practice. Originally, there were children who were physically strong, and others who were fast, so the players’ abilities were very high, and I feel that the results came from improving their mental state and awareness of switching gears.”

Advice based on failures in professional football

―Based on those experiences, what do you value most in coaching youth players?

“I think it is igniting the players’ passion. I believe that is important for improving at football. Of course, the content and quality of training are also important, but I think it is especially important for youth coaches to be able to keep the fire burning in the players and sustain their high motivation.”

―As a coach, what do you focus on most to ignite the players’ passion?

“What I focus on most is watching the players closely. Therefore, I try to get to the training ground early, wait for everyone to arrive, look at each player’s face, and pay attention to even the slightest changes. If there is a player who seems a little down, I try to have a casual conversation and communicate with them frequently.”

―What kind of presence do you think youth coaches should be for the players?

“When coaching football, you probably need to play various roles. For example, sometimes you need to be strict like a father, sometimes touch them gently like a mother, and sometimes approach them sincerely like an older brother or younger brother, so you need various ways of approaching them. I don’t think you can effectively promote a player’s growth by being only strict or only gentle, so I am very conscious of that balance. Since there is a position as a manager, you cannot talk to the players about everything, but I personally value building a relationship of trust by talking openly to some extent.”

―What experiences from your own career can you apply to your current coaching?

“When I was in elementary school, I played in a youth club that valued the basics, and during junior high school, since it was a school club, there were times when we had to think about various things ourselves when our advisor was absent. In high school, I was coached by a teacher who graduated from the University of Tsukuba, and I learned serious football there, and in university, I was able to play in an environment that was closer to professional football. Those experiences in my developmental years are very important to me, so of course I want to apply them to my current coaching. However, more than that, my ten years of professional experience are applied to my work today. My professional career did not go very well, but I sometimes give advice to the players based on those failures, saying, “I failed this way, so maybe you should do it this way?” Since it is a story from my experience as a professional player, I think it has some level of persuasiveness for the players. I think what I experienced as a professional is the biggest thing I can offer as a coach, and therefore I think there is a lot I can convey to the players.”

―Also, please tell us your thoughts on the theme often discussed in youth development: “pursuing results and not being solely focused on results.”

“It is important for players to approach matches seeking results. In fact, without that feeling, they probably won’t be able to grow through matches. The important thing is that it is a means to achieve victory. For example, if a coach imposes that method on the players, I don’t think it will lead to their growth. Coaches decide the formation for the match and give various instructions during the match, but basically, I want the players to talk thoroughly with each other and achieve victory. I believe that the players taking the initiative to aim for victory is what is important for their growth.”

―So it is not very good to play just as the coach tells you.

“That is something we coaches need to be careful about, not the players. Junior youth players are honest, so they will move as instructed. If the speed of switching between offense and defense slows down during a match, or if they make many mistakes and lack concentration, I will call out to them to spur them on, but the way the game is built and the choices of individual plays are things each player should think about, so coaches must not take away that judgment.”

―Finally, please give a message to this year’s Tsukuba Junior players.

“This year, there were some areas where we couldn’t produce results from early spring, but even so, I believe the players have worked hard for a year very seriously and with all their might. As they aim for Antlers’ top team from now on, I want them to use the frustration they experienced this year for their future. And I want them to face themselves and continue to work on football.”