On June 17, Nakata C.R.O. (hereinafter "Coach Nakata") participated in the Kamisu school session.
During the session for kindergarteners, 1st graders, and 2nd graders, they played tag as a warm-up. The kindergarteners tried to catch him, resorting to tactics like hanging onto his legs, but Coach Nakata skillfully dodged them and escaped until the end.
In the subsequent game, Coach Nakata dedicated himself to assisting, repeatedly providing "just kick it for a goal" final passes. However, the kindergarteners would swing and miss, or make adorable and comical plays where it was a mystery how the ball ended up going in that direction, filling the venue with smiles.
For 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th graders, and the SP course, Coach Nakata demonstrated the skills he honed in the professional world, including brilliant ball control, feints, and accurate heading of high balls, captivating not only the students but also their parents. At the end of the practice, Coach Nakata conveyed a message expressing his hopes for the students' further growth: "You all did very well. But next time I come to Kamisu school, please show me that you've leveled up even more."
In between sessions, Coach Nakata also held an autograph session, which over 200 students and their parents had eagerly awaited.
On June 24, Coach Nakata participated in the Yuki school session. As local youth teams had been informed in advance, there were many walk-in participants and parents on the day, and it was a great success throughout.
Upon arriving at the venue, Coach Nakata immediately joined the 2nd graders' practice, starting to teach and play with them, covering the basics of dribbling.
During the game, he showed his commitment to winning, with scenes of him scoring goals after brilliant dribbling past opponents.
During breaks, he carefully spoke to each person while signing autographs and taking photos, and there was a long line until the very end. Parents also seemed to be looking forward to interacting with Coach Nakata, with comments like "We'll go to the game on July 5th" and "I've been a fan since he joined." There was even a grandmother who came to get an autograph on an old Joyo Bank fan, and many smiles were seen.
On Thursday, July 2nd, Coach Nakata participated in the Uchihara school session. Currently, the Uchihara school has about 40 students, including classes for kindergarteners through 6th graders and 5th and 6th graders in the special class.
From the first class, which was mainly for kindergarteners and 1st graders, the students eagerly tried to keep up with Coach Nakata. As the grades got higher, their enthusiasm further increased, and there were many instances of them trying to get past Coach Nakata or tackle the ball from him. In the special class, Coach Nakata showed off techniques that made one exclaim, "As expected from a national team player!"
