We held various events such as clinics, 3-on-3 tournaments, and 1-on-1 strongest player決定戦 (decisive battles), with over 200 players participating!
Please see below for details and photos of the events.
[August 7 (Sun) 2-on-2 Strongest Pair Decisive Battle]
The August tournament of the "2-on-2 Strongest Pair Decisive Battle," which started in April 2022, was held.
This is a 2-player tournament held on a 20m long x 15m wide court.
Each pair strategized how to break down opponents and balance offense and defense in every match, showcasing various play styles, and every team played an exciting game.
The 2-on-2 Strongest Pair Decisive Battle determines monthly champions, and at the end of the fiscal year, a championship tournament will be held where all the champion pairs gather.
We look forward to many players taking on the challenge!
[Winning Pair: Kazuki Kodama (left in photo), Rui Kubota (right in photo)]
[August 13 (Sat) 1-on-1 Strongest Player Decisive Battle]
The "1-on-1 Strongest Player Decisive Battle 2022" was held, and the August champion was decided!
This tournament seeks to crown the strongest player in "1-on-1," a crucial skill in soccer.
In offense, players made choices in various situations, such as whether to dribble past or shoot quickly. In defense, many aggressive plays were made to steal the ball, showing various tactics in both offense and defense.
Every player showed a strong desire to win, making for a wonderful August tournament filled with smiles and tears.
The winner received a prize and the right to challenge for the "Championship" at the beginning of the year, where the monthly champions gather to determine the true 1-on-1 strongest player!
The September tournament will also be held, so we look forward to many players taking on the challenge!
[3rd & 4th Grade Winner: Ohtaro Fujimoto (right in photo), 5th & 6th Grade Winner: Sorasumi Yamamoto (left in photo)]
[August 20 (Sat) Defense Clinic for 3rd-6th Graders]
We held a defense clinic focusing on defensive skills.
The theme this time was "defense when marked." We conducted training in situations where players were marked by an opponent.
In the training, players learned the priorities of defense and the best play choices depending on the opponent's body orientation.
Finally, a 3-on-3 game was played, and many players utilized the techniques they learned in training to defend effectively.
This time, the theme was defense when marked, but we will continue to hold defense clinics with various situational themes in the future.
We look forward to the participation of many players.
[August 21 (Sun) 3-on-3 Tournament for 1st & 2nd Graders]
We held a 3-on-3 tournament with teams of three players.
A record high of 10 teams participated, more than the previous tournament!
Preliminary rounds were played in two groups, followed by a final tournament for all teams.
The winning team of this tournament was "Super Tiger."
*Ryota Ushiki, Shunri Nagamine, Takara Takai, Ruki Kimura, Yuzuru Okamura
The winning team received an "Antlers Towel Scarf"!
In the final match, they overcame a 4-point deficit, and after extra time and a golden goal, they clinched the victory!
It was a very tense match, befitting a final.
This was the fifth 3-on-3 tournament for 1st and 2nd graders this year, and the number of teams has increased with each tournament, making it a very exciting event.
The September tournament will also be held, so team up with your friends and aim to be the strongest team!
[August 21 (Sun) Individual Skill Development Workshop: Trapping and Kicking]
More than 60 children who seriously wanted to improve gathered at Maekawa Sports Park in Itako City, Ibaraki Prefecture, for a clinic.
The theme this time was "trapping and kicking." We thoroughly trained basic soccer techniques.
In the final game, players who understood the importance of trapping and kicking played with great focus on the theme.
We hope they will continue to practice, embracing many challenges and failures to achieve success, so they can trap and kick the ball exactly where they intend.
Future events are planned, and we look forward to even more players participating, as well as those who joined this time!
[August 27 (Sat) Enjoy! Elementary Schooler's Pick-up Soccer]
We held "Enjoy! Elementary Schooler's Pick-up Soccer" for 1st to 6th graders.
It was held on the artificial turf field at the Kashima Antlers Clubhouse, which had just finished having its turf replaced.
Players who participated on the day formed teams and played various matches, including 5-on-5 and 10-on-10 games.
Many players, even those playing together for the first time, actively introduced themselves and remembered names, communicating a lot.
While all players enjoyed themselves, they also showed a strong desire to win, and exciting matches unfolded across all grade levels.
[August 28 (Sun) Coach Satouchi's Movement Training Workshop]
We held "Coach Takeshi Satouchi's Movement Training Workshop," led by the Head of Coaching for the Kashima Antlers Academy, who has served as a physical coach for the Kashima Antlers TOP team and the Japan national team.
Approximately 80 players participated on the day.
The event included training on steps essential for soccer, varying speed, and reflexes.
Afterward, participants were divided into four areas to play games using soccer skills such as dribbling and inside kicks, and finally, all participants played a match.
Players from the Kashima Antlers Junior Youth also supported the event, and the participating players enjoyed learning various movements and soccer skills with Coach Satouchi and the Junior Youth players!
Thank you to everyone who participated!
Kashima Antlers will continue to host various events.
We look forward to your participation!