SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Developing Junior Youth Players
Tsukuba Junior Youth Manager Mitsunori Yamao

At Antlers Academy, many children are honing their skills together at three locations—Kashima, Norte, and Tsukuba—up to the junior high school level.
What do academy staff consider when approaching football coaching, where different approaches are required for each age group as players grow?
We delve into the coaching philosophy of Mitsunori Yamao, who leads Tsukuba Junior Youth.

Moving, Fast, and Accurate

―First, please tell us about your career so far.

“I joined Nagoya Grampus in 2016 after graduating from university, and later played for Ventforet Kofu, FC Tokyo, Cerezo Osaka, and Yokohama FC. After retiring, I returned to the club where I was raised, Aichi FC, and began coaching high school players. I then served as manager of Aichi FC Ichinomiya Junior Youth and was involved in developing junior youth and youth players at local clubs Obara Club and Monolith FC. At the same time, I also worked as a youth director in Aichi Prefecture and became a manager for Aichi Prefecture’s national sports festival select team.”

―You have extensive coaching experience.

“It might be a bit much (laughs). Also, after serving as a manager at the national sports festival, I went to Germany for a year to train.”

―What kind of activities did you do in Germany?

“I went to learn how Germany approaches player development, including its training environment. I was hosted by a fifth-tier club in Saarland, in southwestern Germany, and mainly studied coaching. Even though it was a fifth-tier club, they had both natural grass and artificial turf pitches, and I was allowed to live in their clubhouse (laughs). At first, I didn’t understand the language very well, but as I gradually became able to speak it, I was eventually put in charge of the school program for children under eight. I also played for the fifth-tier team and its reserve team. In addition, I observed the activities of Schalke’s academy, where Antlers alumnus Atsuto Uchida was also enrolled, participated in seminars held by the German Football Association for overseas coaches, and saw firsthand activities similar to what would be called a youth development center in Japan. After returning from Germany, I became the U-18 manager of JFA Academy Fukushima, which was based in Gotemba City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and also coached the U-13 and U-15 teams. At FC Gifu, I worked as the Head of Coaching while also concurrently serving as the U-15 manager in my second year.”

―What impression did you have of Antlers Academy before this?

“When I was leading JFA Academy Fukushima, we played against Tsukuba Junior Youth in the Emperor’s Cup and lost 0-2. From that impression, I thought that Tsukuba Junior Youth had players who were strong in matches and tenacious in fighting to win, just like the top team. At that time, JFA Academy Fukushima was a team that had won in the Tokai region and entered the tournament, but we couldn’t score a single goal, so I felt that Tsukuba Junior Youth had players who, despite being junior high school students, possessed tenacity and strength in matches.”

―Now that you have actually become the manager of Tsukuba Junior Youth, what do you feel are the characteristics and unique qualities of this team?

“First, I think the basic technical level of the players in the Kanto region is high. That might be natural because this region has a large football population and, therefore, many competitors. Among them, my first impression was that the players of Tsukuba Junior Youth excelled in ball-handling techniques and the ability to kick the ball well.”

―During the Brazil tour in August 2023, you also coached players from Kashima and Norte, but what characteristics do you feel exist across the entire Antlers Academy?

“I strongly feel their commitment to winning and their attitude of fighting without giving up. That is what this club demands of its players, and I felt it particularly strongly from the Kashima Junior Youth players.”

―Antlers has a philosophy of dedication, integrity, and respect. What do you keep in mind when coaching, given your experience playing for other clubs?

“Just as Zico’s coaching philosophy includes ‘respect,’ I believe that in football, a team sport, it is important to express your own play while respecting the players around you. You must not focus so much on your own play that you neglect your relationships with the players around you; you also need to bring out the strengths of the players around you while demonstrating your own strong points. Also, just like the word ‘dedication,’ it is important to fight for the team and run for your teammates. I keep this in mind in my coaching so that the players will play with that kind of mentality.”

―Are there any specific methods you use to instill that mentality in the Tsukuba Junior Youth players?

“My own training menus might involve a slightly larger number of players at once. That is because, as I mentioned earlier, I want to constantly maintain relationships with the players around them. I design the training methods with that in mind.”

―Based on your past coaching experience, what do you think is important in coaching junior youth players?

“Technically, I think it is becoming increasingly important for players to play while moving, quickly, and accurately. This is because in modern football, there is less space, the intensity is high, the pace of play is faster, and transitions between offense and defense are quicker. High-quality play is required in that environment. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the mentality aspect is also very important. Junior high school students are in the process of becoming adults, so I always tell the players to be independent. Whether on the pitch or off the pitch, they need to be able to always look at the situation at hand, think about what they should do, and act on it. For example, on the pitch, a player who can notice small changes and change their play accordingly, and off the pitch, a player who can take the initiative to clean up equipment. Based on the idea that actions on and off the pitch are connected, I require the players to acquire that kind of mentality.”

The goal of the developmental age is not here

―As a coach yourself, is there anything you are particularly conscious of?

“Before being a coach, I am conscious of acting in a way that earns the respect of the players as an adult. As a football coach, it will be important to demonstrate that through the sport. While coaching the technical aspects of football, I must continue to be someone that the players will naturally think, ‘I want to become an adult like that.’ I like and often read the books of the businessman Konosuke Matsushita, and in them, the phrase ‘leading by example’ appears. It is a phrase that means something like ‘standing at the front and setting an example.’ Since Konosuke Matsushita was at the top of management, it strongly makes me think that if the person at the top does not show that kind of attitude, the people below will not follow.”

―It is important to always keep in mind acting as an example.

“That is something I also tell the players. After all, the players don’t know when or by whom they are being watched. They might be watched by the Japan national team manager, or sometimes by scouts. That is how the world of football is. Even in off-the-pitch situations, they must act with the awareness that they are players carrying the Antlers emblem on their backs. By being conscious that they are being watched by others, I expect that responsibility will come with their actions.”

―Also, what do you think about the topic often discussed in youth development, ‘pursuing results and not being solely focused on results’?

“It is a difficult topic, but I want the players to always head onto the pitch aiming for victory. However, if they become too focused on immediate results, their play will become monotonous, and it will also cause some drawbacks where it becomes difficult for the players’ abilities to grow. Since our goal as youth development coaches is to help the players grow so they can become professionals, we must work backward from that as a basic premise. It is truly difficult, but the most important thing is to look ahead to the players’ futures and win while developing them. I do not think it is about leaning toward one of those ideas, but rather that it is important to work while balancing them.”

―How do you view the significance of learning from defeat?

“There is a memorable saying, ‘Win to gain confidence, lose to gain experience.’ By losing, the players feel frustrated, and that makes them want to work hard again. On the other hand, while winning will build confidence, I think it also carries the risk that it could turn into overconfidence and make them neglect the motivation to work hard, so losing sometimes is also a very important experience.”

―Finally, please tell us your thoughts on the Tsukuba Junior Youth players.

“The third-year students this school year are all highly capable players as well. However, there are also feelings that I could not have them fully demonstrate their abilities. If they grow further in their independence and mentality, which were also mentioned, they will be able to demonstrate their abilities more and feel the joy of football even more. I have told them directly as well, but the goal of the developmental age is not here. In Japan, graduating from high school at 18 or graduating from university at 22 is the turning point of whether or not you can become a professional. Toward that, the three years in high school become the decisive period for becoming a professional. I want the current third-year junior high school students to work even harder from now on. Also, with the current first and second-year students who will continue to play for Tsukuba Junior Youth next year, I want to fight together as a united new team. I want the players to immerse themselves in football during these three years of junior high school and see it through to the end. I expect them to show us an even more grown-up side of themselves.”