Various events, such as soccer clinics and skill-up schools taught directly by junior youth coaches, were held, with a total of over 400 players participating.
Please see below for event details and a recap of the day.
[January 11 (Saturday) Kashima Antlers Soccer Clinic in Namegata]
On Saturday, January 11, the "Kashima Antlers Soccer Clinic in Namegata" was held at the Aso Sports Park multi-purpose field in Namegata City.
The first session, for kindergarteners (ages 4-5) and elementary school students in grades 1-2, focused on the theme "Aim for the Goal." In addition to dribbling, one-on-one drills were conducted during training.
In the one-on-one drills, players focused on observing the opponent's situation and aiming for the goal through available space.
The second session, for elementary school students in grades 3-6, focused on the theme "Accurate Kicking." Within kicking, the emphasis was on instep kicks, performed with the inside of the foot.
During the passing drills, basic techniques such as the ideal direction of the supporting leg were covered.
Next, a training session involving dribbling followed by kicking was conducted in a competitive format.
With the addition of dribbling, players focused on effective dribbling for kicking, such as touches before kicking and dribbling with the dominant foot forward.
In the final match, all players were conscious of the kicking and dribbling techniques they had practiced, and many players scored goals.
A school is held every Wednesday at the Aso Sports Park multi-purpose field where this event took place. Free trial lessons are also available, so please feel free to join us.
[Namegata School Schedule]
・17:10–18:00 Kindergarteners (ages 4-5), Elementary School Grades 1-2
・18:20–19:20 Elementary School Grades 3-6
・18:40–20:00 Special Course Elementary School Grades 3-6
*A separate selection process is required for the Special Course.
[January 12 (Sunday) Otoshidama Game Tournament]
On Sunday, January 12, an Otoshidama Game Tournament was held at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse Futsal Court.
In the Otoshidama Game Tournament, teams were formed by the players who gathered on the day, and everyone enjoyed playing matches.
Although there were many players who met for the first time in the matches, the players took the initiative to introduce themselves and call out to each other, resulting in many wonderful calls and instances of calling out names.
In addition to the game tournament, an Otoshidama lottery was also held at this event.
We hope that in 2025, players will continue to enjoy soccer, make new friends, and expand their circle of soccer.
[January 18 (Saturday) Kashima Junior Coach Skill-Up School]
On Saturday, January 18, the "Kashima Antlers Junior Coach Skill-Up School" was held for elementary school students in grades 3-6.
On the day of the event, Kashima Antlers Junior Manager Aono and Coach Morishima conducted training on the theme of "Attack and Defense."
For attack, Coach Morishima, who played with Zico CA during his active career, led a session on "Shooting."
Players focused on each shot, having received detailed instruction on where to shoot to avoid being saved by the goalkeeper, as well as how to receive the ball and timing.
For defense, Manager Aono, a former Kashima Antlers Youth player, led a session on "Winning the Ball."
Emphasizing the importance of maintaining distance from opponents and not backing down in tackles when winning the ball, the children gradually became more confident in making body contact with opponents and challenging to win the ball.
Finally, matches were played by grade level, with players utilizing the various techniques learned in training.
We hope that they will apply the techniques learned this time and excel in future matches.
[January 18 (Saturday) Kashima Antlers Junior Youth Coach Skill-Up School]
On Saturday, January 18, the "Kashima Antlers Junior Youth Coach Skill-Up School" was held for elementary school students in grades 3-6.
The event was divided into two sessions. In the first session, coaches from Kashima Junior Youth provided direct instruction on "Goalkeeping" and "Shooting." In the second session, "Dribbling" and "Man-to-Man Defense" were covered.
In the shooting part of the first session, Manager Sugimoto, who has played in 155 J-League matches and has scoring experience, conducted training on the "secrets of scoring goals."
Hitting the center of the ball and varying kicks were practiced during the warm-up.
Players got a feel for the technique through basic training, such as one person throwing a ball and the other returning it with a kick to the chest in pairs.
For goalkeeping, GK Coach Sato, who has played for Kashima Antlers and has 170 J-League appearances, conducted training on "shot stopping."
Training included demonstrations of basic techniques such as stance, catching form, and smooth movement.
Coach Sato's demonstrations were so impressive that players' eyes lit up as they watched intently, trying to pick up even the smallest techniques.
Afterward, the goalkeepers and shooters joined forces for shooting practice with a real goal and a goalkeeper.
They practiced in various situations, including mid-range shots and one-on-one drills. Manager Sugimoto provided guidance on varying shot power and kicking positions based on distance, which led to an increase in players scoring goals by effectively using different shots.
Midway through, there was even a serious shooting challenge between Manager Sugimoto and GK Coach Sato, and the players enjoyed the training while taking it seriously.
In the second session, "Dribbling" was handled by Manager Sugimoto, following the shooting session, and "Man-to-Man Defense" was handled by Coach Shinohara, who led his team to a national championship in the 2023 Prince Takamado Trophy U-15 Championship, the first since 2002, and also participated in the national tournament as a coach in 2024.
For dribbling, the training focused on "changing pace" to beat opponents and dribbling without losing the ball.
First, cone dribbling was performed to master the touch needed to handle the ball as intended, which is essential for all dribbling.
Players focused on performing all drills smoothly, even with conditions such as using only the right foot or left foot, or only the inside of the foot.
Next was man-to-man training.
Because there was an opponent, players had to observe the opponent more, but those who were conscious of their ball touch did not easily lose the ball, focused on beating their opponent, and effectively changed pace.
In man-to-man defense, training focused on "distance from the opponent."
Dribbling drills to get past cones were performed as a warm-up to instill the awareness of beating an opponent.
Players received detailed instruction not just on getting past, but also on the distance from the cone and feinting to wrong-foot the opponent.
Next, one-on-one training was conducted. Unlike cones, opponents moved, making it difficult to find the right timing to get past them, but with repetition, players learned when to get past and when to start feinting.
In the final game, many players bravely challenged themselves with dribbling.
This was a rare opportunity for players to receive direct instruction from coaches with national championship experience and former J-League players, and they approached it with a different demeanor than usual. We hope they will apply what they learned this time to their future endeavors.
