Academy School Staff Profiles
2nd Edition: Tsukuba Area School Coaches
The Antlers Soccer School operates at 21 locations across Ibaraki and Chiba Prefectures.
What football journeys have the coaches, who convey the wonders of football to the children in the school every day, walked, and what thoughts do they hold in their hearts as they face football?
In this second edition, we introduce nine coaches from the Tsukuba Area, where the school operates mainly in Tsukubashi City in the southern region of Ibaraki Prefecture.
“Coach, what do you think I need to improve?”
After training, a student asked the coaches this question. With a serious gaze, the coach spoke earnestly to the student, choosing their words carefully and using gestures.
Dedication, integrity, and respect—even in the Tsukuba Area, slightly away from Kashima, the home of Antlers, the coaches wear the Antlers emblem on their chests and sincerely engage with each student, embodying the J-Glicos Spirit.
Now in their 12th year in the Tsukuba Area, Assistant Chief Coach Kazuma Tarui reminisces about his childhood, saying, “Antlers were always close to me when I was young.” Born in Kashima City, his family home is located right next to Kashima Stadium and the club house. Until high school, he devoted himself to football in an environment where he could feel the presence of Antlers in his daily life.
After moving away from his hometown to become a coach upon entering university, he returned home with a strong desire to “work for Antlers.” After gaining experience as an assistant at the Kashima Area School, he became a coach in the Tsukuba Area. He moved to Tsukubashi City the year after the Tsukuba Academy Center was completed, and as a father of two, he continues to grow in this area with his son.
“Seeing more and more children wearing Antlers clothing makes me feel that Antlers’ presence in this area is growing. I want everyone, not only the students but also their parents, to feel that they are all part of the Antlers family.”
Assistant Chief Coach Tarui is polishing these rough diamonds with the pride of Antlers in his heart.
Assistant Chief Coach Kazuma Tarui, who has felt the presence of Antlers in his daily life since childhood
Coach Kohei Okada is no less passionate about Antlers. Originally a season ticket holder, he was such a devoted supporter that he would go to support the top team at away games. “Watching Antlers matches was my top priority, so I didn’t play football in high school or university, as I had a lot of activities on weekends,” he says. His dedication was so profound that he not only supported the team in Japan but also sometimes traveled around Asia to watch AFC Champions League matches.
Born in Tsukubashi City, he immediately joined the school when Antlers began operating in Tsukubashi during his junior high school years. “I was so happy that Antlers came to Tsukuba. I wanted to learn football from an Antlers coach,” he says. After the Tsukuba Academy Center was completed, he returned as a coach and continues to devote himself to coaching his juniors every day.
“Antlers, the team that has won the most titles in Japan, is here in Tsukuba, where I was born and raised. I want to pass that on to the children in my hometown.” Coach Okada’s passion and pride remain unwavering.
Coach Kohei Okada, who is also working to promote Antlers in his hometown of Tsukubashi City
Even more experienced in coaching in the Tsukuba Area than Assistant Chief Coach Tarui and Coach Okada is Chief Coach Yuichi Kogure.
The longest-serving coach in the Tsukuba Area, he has been teaching football to children in this area since before the Tsukuba Academy Center was completed. “When we first opened the Tsukuba School, it was difficult to establish ourselves in the community, and we didn’t have a field, so we rented a tennis court to practice,” he says, recalling the difficulties of those days. “But when the Tsukuba Academy Center was completed in 2011, the number of students increased, and we have since produced former students who became professional players. The coaching staff also started with only four people, but now there are nine school coaches alone. I never imagined it would grow to such a large number, so it is truly moving to see how much it has developed over the past 12 years.”
Originally from Tochigi Prefecture, he has known Hisashi Kurosaki, a fellow native of Tochigi and an Antlers alumnus, “since we were elementary school students.” He has also had the opportunity to work with Kurosaki since joining the Antlers Academy, and his words are filled with fulfillment: “I was able to work with the people I had seen on television, and I learned so much.”
“I make it a point to respect each child’s individuality when coaching, and I find fulfillment every day in seeing them grow,” he says, engaging with the students based on the experience he has cultivated over many years.
Chief Coach Yuichi Kogure, who has been working with children in Tsukubashi City since before the Tsukuba Academy Center was completed
While Chief Coach Kogure and others were already coaching, Coach Eiju Hara joined Antlers Tsukuba as a student. He was one of the first students at the newly completed Tsukuba Academy Center, which served as the base for the school’s activities.
“The year the Tsukuba Academy Center was completed, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March, so it was very difficult to start activities at first. We couldn’t use the inside of the club house, so we sometimes changed our clothes beside the field. Around June, we were finally able to use the club house, and I truly felt how wonderful this facility was.”
He traveled from Chiba Prefecture to Tsukuba using the Tsukuba Express and spent three years at Antlers Tsukuba JY before entering Noshiji High School in Fukushima Prefecture. He was one of the first to follow the path that later players like Yuzuki Someno (now with Tokyo V) would take. After entering the workforce, he was invited by his former teammates at Antlers Tsukuba JY to return to his old club as a coach. “I hope to help the children grow every day,” he says, watching over their development on the familiar fields of Tsukuba.
Coach Eiju Hara, who also spent his junior high school years at the Tsukuba Academy Center
While some coaches have walked alongside the Tsukuba Academy Center for many years, others have newly arrived in this area. Coach Rio Kimishima moved here from the Norte Area this year.
She became captivated by football as a child, saying, “I saw my younger brother enjoying football, so I tried it myself and became hooked (laughs).” She played for girls’ teams from elementary school through university. When she first started playing football, she played with the boys, but she recalls her days devoted to football, saying, “I was happy when I scored a goal, but I was disappointed when we lost a match, so I would work hard to win the next time. That was what kept me going all those years.”
She sometimes says, “Because I was a girl, there were times when I felt sad when I was left alone when we were forming pairs.” Having turned such experiences into valuable lessons, she now supports the “Nadeshiko players” who work hard to compete with the boys, saying, “If a girl in the school looks like she might be in a similar situation, I make sure to look out for her first.”
“Seeing both girls and boys in the school enthusiastically face football is what makes this job fulfilling,” Coach Kimishima says, always keeping a smile on her face as she conveys the joy of football to the students.
Coach Rio Kimishima, who also placed first in Ibaraki Prefecture in junior high school track and field sprints
Joining Coach Kimishima this year, Coach Kota Ebato also joined the Tsukuba Area.
He left his hometown of Yamagata Prefecture, studied team management at JAPAN Soccer College in Niigata Prefecture, and eventually made his way to Antlers. He developed an admiration for the club after watching the Club World Cup final on television during junior high school, and now he wears the emblem of the team that once fought closely with the European champions and spends his days surrounded by football. “I can really feel the incredible coaching ability, football experience, and knowledge of the other coaching staff, not only in Tsukuba but also in Kashima and Norte, through practical coaching. I still have so much to learn about football. There is so much I can learn from the coaching staff of Japan’s most successful club,” he says, filled with inspiration every day.
He graduated from JAPAN Soccer College in March this year and has just started his coaching career as a first-year professional. To catch up with and eventually surpass the senior coaches, he is also using his own methods, saying, “When coaching the children, I try to explain things more clearly, using analogies and other techniques.”
“I feel a sense of joy in being able to work with the children at a club like Antlers, and I find fulfillment in those moments,” says 21-year-old Coach Ebato, who continues to share invaluable time with boys and girls every day.
Coach Kota Ebato, whose passion for football has never waned since he started playing in sixth grade
Coach Ryota Maeda is also known for his exceptional energy and bright smile on the field. Originally from Shiga Prefecture, he lived in the Kansai region until university. His cheerful Kansai dialect echoes across the fields of the Tsukuba Area, and he shares the joy of football with the students without distinction, saying, “Maybe it’s because I was born and raised in Kansai, but I’ve always been a cheerful person, so I can relate to the players on the same level.”
After graduating from a university in Osaka, he came to Tsukuba after enrolling in the graduate school of the University of Tsukuba. He was such a pure-blooded striker that he says, “Until university, I had always played as a forward. I was the type who would tell my teammates, ‘Pass it to me!’ (laughs).” Although he was the team’s ace goalscorer during his student days, he now shines the children who are devoted to football by holding the conviction of a supporting role: “I’m not the main character anymore. It goes without saying, but I just do what I can for the players.”
“I want the players to become better at football, and I also want them to grow as people. I want to pour passion and love into them, support them as much as I can, and become a coach who can help them,” says Coach Maeda, who is racing through his second football life as a coach in this area.
Coach Ryota Maeda, who majored in education during university and also holds a teaching license
Coach Eito Matsumoto also always makes it a point to express the joy of football. With the motto, “I also find joy in football. And you can improve by playing with everyone,” he conveys the appeal of football to the children.
Coach Matsumoto, who was born and raised in Saitama Prefecture, first developed an admiration for Antlers when he was in junior high school. When he played a practice match against an academy team of the same age, his eyes lit up at their deep red uniforms and traditional emblem. “If I could attend an Antlers academy, I wanted to join the team,” he says, having kept that true feeling to himself while spending every day chasing the ball in his hometown. Even so, “When I watch the J League, Antlers’ strength always leaves a strong impression. Living in Saitama, I was always curious about what kind of club Antlers was.” His interest in Antlers only grew.
After entering the workforce, he became a coach in the Tsukuba Area through an acquaintance, and he experiences the unique greatness of Antlers, saying, “I can tell that the students also play with a desire to win, and I can feel the attention to detail in the coaching staff’s guidance.” Now wearing the emblem he had admired back then, he says, “I want to continue working with the children with the awareness and responsibility of wearing the emblem of a club that is always at the top of the J League, and with the passion for coaching.” Even now, in his sixth year after joining, he continues to devote the same passion to the students.
Coach Eito Matsumoto, who spent his formative years at prestigious Saitama teams such as Minaminasu SS and Bunan High School
Joining the Tsukuba Area School last year, Coach Tetsu Sugiyama is also a former J League player who played for the Antlers top team. From the time he left Antlers to join Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, he continued to hold a strong desire to return to Antlers, and after retiring from active play in 2021, he was selected as a school coach in the Tsukuba Area.
“Antlers is the club where I started my professional career. During my eight years as a player, I truly felt the greatness of this club and the unity of the Antlers family. I want to give back to the club that raised me.”
With passion in his heart, he is walking his second career with the Antlers emblem once again on his chest.
“Even after retiring from active play, by interacting with children from toddlers to junior high school students, I am gaining many different experiences. Among the players of various levels in the school, I find my value and fulfillment as a school coach in how I can coach so that they can feel the joy of football.” He says he is having a fulfilling daily life. “Until university, I had always played on dirt fields, so I prepared the fields almost every day. The children today probably don’t have such experiences,” he says with a smile as he looks out over the green field of the Tsukuba Academy Center.
Reflecting on his own career, he gives back his experience to the future J League players, saying, “I want to tell the children, ‘Now is not everything.’ Your football journey has only just begun. If you keep working hard, your future possibilities will expand infinitely.”
Coach Tetsu Sugiyama, who also experienced winning numerous titles during his active playing days, including three consecutive league titles
Every day, the energetic voices of children echo across the green field standing in a corner of the residential area in the southern region of Ibaraki Prefecture, where the city is developing rapidly. Under the guidance of nine excellent coaching staff members who wear the proud emblem on their chests, many children are savoring the joy of football today, devotedly chasing the ball.
