INTERVIEW

Shuto Suzuki, Academy Group Manager
Yuji Yamasaki, Academy Director
Takeshi Satouchi, Head of Coaching

The first page of the academy's history was written with the birth of Kashima Antlers.
What are the principles that have shaped the academy over the years?
Three staff members who lead the academy's activities share their insights.

The "Gego Spirit" at the Core of the Academy

It was 1992, when the J-League was about to be born.

"What position do you play?"

"Third base."

Academy Director Yuji Yamasaki fondly recalls an exchange that actually took place with an academy student when the Antlers academy first started.

"When I asked a child what position they played, they answered with a baseball position (laughs). Although the J-League had launched and 10 teams had turned professional, including the Antlers, Kashima Town in Kashima District, Ibaraki Prefecture (now Kashima City) was still a "football wasteland," and baseball was by far more popular than football. So, conducting football activities in Kashima Town was extremely difficult. There were very few children to begin with, and even fewer people played football. I remember having a hard time recruiting junior high and high school students who would join the junior youth and youth teams. Among the members we finally managed to gather, some had never played football, and some hadn't even gone to high school. On top of that, it was difficult to find staff who could coach the children in football. Even when looking for places to travel for development, the Japan School Sports Association was the main focus at the time, so the tournaments we could participate in were limited. Looking back, that was the kind of era it was."

While many academy players are active today, it was difficult to gather members in the early days

 

Academy Director Yamasaki, who played as a player for the Sumitomo Metal Football Club, the predecessor of the Antlers, was involved in establishing the academy. He also served as a youth team manager and coach, and has supported the academy organization in his current position since 2016. The tide began to turn when he received the cooperation of Gego, a Club Advisor (CA) who had played alongside him at the Sumitomo Metal Football Club.

"After several years, we began to hear about Brazil's developmental environment, and Gego CA's older brother, Edu, became an academy coach. This allowed us to incorporate new training methods and move closer to a more Brazilian style of development. As you all know, the professional team was gradually creating an environment similar to Brazil's, so the academy aimed to do the same. We learned various things from people in Brazil, including match tactics, and gradually improved our level. I believe that what we cultivated back then still forms the foundation of the academy today."

Amidst this, Academy Director Yamasaki points to two turning points in the academy's journey. The first was the implementation of overseas trips, including those to Brazil.

"It's probably been about 25 years since we started overseas trips. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, sixth-grade elementary school students and first-year junior high school students traveled to Europe, while third-year junior high school students traveled to Brazil, so that the players could gain as much experience abroad as possible. This was an opportunity for all players enrolled in the three teams—Kashima, Tsukuba, and Norte—to not only experience Brazil's football environment firsthand but also to learn about foreign cultures and interact with people from other countries, which had a positive impact on their personal development. To produce players who can succeed worldwide, we must develop players who can perform in any environment. The fact that junior youth players began to gain more international experience was also a turning point for the academy."

Another turning point, according to Academy Director Yamasaki, was the period following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. At that time, centered around the academy director at the time, Takehiro Takashima (now president of Athlético Claro Numazu), the Antlers began to change their developmental environment.

"Just as the powerhouse teams in the Japan School Sports Association had facilities such as player dormitories, it seemed that the foundation of the powerhouse schools was solid. However, very few professional clubs invested heavily in their academies. Amidst this, centered around the former director Takashima, we tried to improve the academy's environment. Partnering with Kashima Gakuen High School was one of those steps. Until then, the players attended different high schools, so they often arrived at practice at different times. We also began to place greater emphasis on overseas trips. Gego CA had recommended the significance of gaining various experiences not only in Brazil but also around the world, so we began building a foundation for that. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, we have gradually built the foundation that exists today. It also became a turning point when, centered around Takashima, we began to take the stance that a foundation as an academy was necessary to continuously produce excellent players."

Tracing the footsteps of the Antlers academy over the years, Academy Director Yamasaki continues to emphasize the importance of its "origins."

"In the past, it was much harsher than it is today, with only a handful of players able to turn professional. Therefore, while we have always valued football performance, I believe we have also taught the players the importance of their "personal side" off the pitch. At the core of this is the "Gego Spirit": dedication, integrity, and respect. It is no exaggeration to say that the Antlers academy was founded on this spirit. Today, we have translated that into various forms and created the "Academy DNA," which shows how to behave in football matches and everyday life. The "Gego Spirit" remains at the foundation at all times, so I hope we can continue to pass it on."

Academy Director Yuji Yamasaki, who witnessed the academy's founding in 1992

The winning mindset essential for growth and the club's atmosphere

The "Gego Spirit" is not only the foundation of the Antlers top team but also the academy, and it may also be something like a dynamo that has pushed the academy forward for over 30 years. Head of Coaching Takeshi Satouchi talks about the academy's "cycle" brought about by the "Gego Spirit."

"Back when it was still the Sumitomo Metal Football Club, Gego CA demonstrated the attitude that would become the club's greatest foundation. Like painting colors onto a blank canvas, he built a highly ambitious team. There is the famous quote that "joining the J-League was 99.9999 percent impossible," but by instilling in the team the attitude to bet on that remaining 0.0001 percent—that is, the attitude of never giving up until the very end and the attitude of striving to win—he likely created a "winner's mentality." I believe that Gego CA's teachings have been deeply passed down to the academy coaches. In the youth team, Technical Advisor Mitsuo Ogasawara, Youth Manager Atsushi Yanagisawa, and Junior Youth GK Coach Jun Notsuke are now passing on what they have experienced to the academy players. A cycle rooted in the "Gego Spirit" is taking shape."

Following Manager Atsushi Yanagisawa and Technical Advisor Mitsuo Ogasawara, Junior Youth GK Coach Jun Notsuke has joined the youth coaching staff

The individuals Satouchi mentioned—Technical Advisor Ogasawara, Youth Manager Yanagisawa, and Youth GK Coach Notsuke—are "legends" who played for the Antlers top team for many years and brought home numerous titles.

"The 'legends' who led the Antlers as professional players are now involved with the club again as coaches. We hope that this cycle will create a wonderful synergy. Thirty years have passed since the launch of the J-League, and from now on, activities more closely tied to the hometown will become important. One of those is what is called "homegrown": creating an environment where academy-trained players who have grown up in the club can play as key members of the team. Currently, players like Yuma Suzuki and Seima Doi are active in the top team, and club alumni such as Kiyo Ueta and Hiroki Machida have been selected for the Japan national team, so we hope to continue developing homegrown players even more consistently in the future."

To produce more excellent players from the Antlers academy, what needs to be done in development is clear. Because Satouchi HoC has extensive coaching experience, having served as a physical coach for many J-League clubs including the Antlers top team and as a manager of a women's team, he has identified the points that should be prioritized.

"In the developmental years, priority should be given to developing the 'individual.' To do that, it is important to create a group of players with excellent skills and tactics for winning, and to turn that into victories. This does not mean the 'victory-first' attitude that is commonly talked about, but rather giving each player success experiences and instilling a 'winning mindset.' By having a winning mindset, players can learn the true meaning of enjoying football, and this also leads to pursuing the inherent benefit of sports, which is 'developing one's social side.' Since the Antlers academy consists of three schools—Kashima, Norte, and Tsukuba—we want to continue creating an environment where players from those three schools can compete with each other and gain many success experiences."

In addition to matches against other clubs, friendly matches are also held between the three schools of Kashima, Tsukuba, and Norte

 

Along with developing a winning mindset, Satouchi HoC also asks the players and academy staff to hold one more important belief.

"The most important thing is, after all, to 'love football' and 'love the Antlers.' I want them to have that mentality. We live in an era where information about football teams around the world can be obtained on a smartphone, so I have no intention of saying, 'Since you are at the Antlers academy, you must not like other clubs,' but we must develop players who really love this club's football. This is not only true for the players but also a fundamental requirement for the Antlers academy coaches. For example, during lunch breaks or whenever they have time, they enjoy football on the clubhouse grounds, and recently, when staff from Tsukuba and Norte gather at the Kashima clubhouse for meetings, they always have a staff game. In that way, there is an atmosphere of always competing through football, not only among the players but also the coaching staff. I believe this atmosphere is very important."

The atmosphere that the club Kashima Antlers has cultivated over many years—'giving your all until the final whistle blows'—is shared by the academy staff and players, and each grows through it. Development is also something that the 'Antlers family' should work on together.

"Now, based on the academy DNA, by having meetings among coaches and repeatedly practicing coaching, the coaches' ways of thinking are gradually beginning to align in the same direction. Also, there are more opportunities to exchange opinions with club legends and coaches with professional experience, allowing us to think more deeply about 'what football coaching is.' As a result, this is beginning to lead to an improvement in the quality of the players. The goal is to create an atmosphere where not just one coach looks at a player, but where all the coaches can work together to develop each player. Academy players are to be properly developed by all the club staff. I hope that we can all firmly support each other while holding this mindset."

Takeshi Satouchi, Head of Coaching, with extensive coaching experience. This year, he also serves as the youth physical advisor

A roadmap for making a "happy life" and a vision for the future

The cooperation for developing promising players has crossed the boundaries between clubs. This season, Eishiro Shimoda, who was set to be promoted from the youth team to the top team, will join J2's Iwaki FC on a two-year developmental loan. Academy Group Manager Shuto Suzuki expresses his thoughts on this.

"Regarding Eishiro Shimoda's developmental loan, Iwaki FC raised their hand and said they 'want to develop him.' From the Antlers' perspective, we trust Iwaki FC, and we can imagine him gaining match experience and returning in two years. Eishiro himself wants to do his best there, grow, return, and then develop even further at the Antlers, so everything has come together. Of course, whether he can play matches at Iwaki FC depends on Eishiro himself, but he will be in an environment where it is easier to play matches. Moreover, Iwaki FC is a club that also has the concept of training the body, so I think it is a very good developmental plan for him to return stronger. Also, this was made possible because Eishiro played for the Antlers academy for six years and knows the Antlers philosophy. I hope this becomes one of the future model plans."

Eishiro Shimoda, who was with the youth team until last year, aims for further growth at Iwaki FC this season

Academy Group Manager Suzuki played for the Antlers academy in the junior and junior youth teams, and after graduating from Waseda University, he returned to the top team. However, he was unable to play matches during his three seasons there and is someone who knows the harshness of the professional world better than most.

"I originally intended to become a teacher in my second career, but above all, I believe that what matters most is that the player's life becomes happy. I felt frustrated not being able to play matches during my three years at the Antlers, but I want to avoid as much as possible a situation where the academy players who move up to the top team cannot play matches and cannot stay for a long time. Being promoted from the youth team and being able to succeed in the professional world is the greatest ideal, but I know many players who have a difficult life, such as having their contracts end immediately even after becoming professional players after graduating from high school, so considering those things, I think it is also important to look for a different path, such as going to university."

Growing up in the Antlers academy, going through high school and university, and joining the top team is a career similar to Academy Group Manager Suzuki's own. Also, because he served as the manager of Meiji Gakuin University after retiring from playing, he says, "I think there are so many things you can learn by going to university." So far, only Academy Group Manager Suzuki and player Ueta have returned to the Antlers via university. In reality, only Ryuta Sasaki (now at Minami-Katsushika SC) and Yuzuki Someno have come through high school.

"At other J-League clubs, there are several places that bring players who grew up in the academy back to the top team via university, but it is not yet common at the Antlers. Therefore, I think it is our job as academy staff to keep track of academy alumni who are at university, high school, or other clubs. Currently, the academy scouts and top team scouts are working together and exchanging various information. We share information when an alumnus plays a match, and if it becomes a news article, we share that too. It is not that they are no good because they could not be promoted from the youth team, but since there are many alumni who are currently excelling at university, we want those players to come back as well."

This is not limited to players.

"Coach Naoyuki Handa, who is currently involved with the academy as a school coach, is an alumnus who grew up in the Kashima junior and Kashima junior youth teams. In addition, Kashima junior youth coach Minoru Kotani (from Kashima youth), trainer Yuji Suzuki (from Norte junior youth), Kashima junior manager Tomoki Aono (from Kashima junior youth and Kashima youth), Tsukuba school coach Hidetoshi Hara (from Tsukuba junior youth), and even Norte junior coach Hikaru Sakamoto, who grew up in the Antlers from the school to the youth team, have also returned to the Antlers academy as coaches. Even if it is not necessarily as football players, it would be wonderful to have alumni who grew up in the academy return as coaches or front office staff, and to have more people from the academy join the club."

Three players, including third-year youth player Hayato Mae, participated in the top team's training camp

 

The academy can be said to be an indicator of the club's future. In some countries, there are clubs where more than half of the 11 players who play matches are academy graduates. Academy Group Manager Suzuki speaks while looking toward the future ideal of the academy.

"Ideally, I want about half of the top team to be academy graduates. At Spanish clubs Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, more than half of the players who play matches are local players. Of course, I do not think it is good to have only academy graduates, but all the academy staff hope that as many academy graduates as possible will succeed in the Antlers top team. For that reason, we are communicating closely with Top Team Football Director Munekazu Yoshioka, and we are actively inviting academy players to top team practice, such as allowing three players from the youth team to participate in this year's training camp. Also, top team staff such as Manager Daiki Iwamasa have come to watch the youth team's practice. Last year, physical coach Ryosuke Ito and trainer Atsushi Inaba, who were youth coaching staff, became top team staff this year. The relationship between the academy and the top team is deepening more and more. We hope to produce players who will become the main players of the Antlers top team, succeed abroad, and even become Japan national team players who can win the World Cup."

Moving toward a new future under Academy Group Manager Shuto Suzuki

For over 30 years, the principles of the Antlers academy have been shown by many people who love football and the Antlers. They will also be passed down forever. In order for the Antlers to remain the Antlers, the Antlers academy will continue to develop under those principles.