What awaited the players at the Borussia Mönchengladbach (Borussia MG) youth development site was training that constantly demanded them to watch, think, and make decisions. While the players were initially bewildered by an approach different from that of Antlers, which has honed one-on-one skills, interpersonal duels, and individual technique, they gradually adapted. And what the coaches discovered was more than just a new training method. Seeing the world made them realize once again the value of what Antlers had built up over the years. Through these two different approaches to development, they explored the possibilities for helping players reach even greater heights. (Part 2 of 4)

 

What awaited the Antlers Academy players who traveled to Germany was training slightly different from what they had known before.

"There were many drills where you couldn't progress unless you thought," recalls Academy Manager Shuto Suzuki.

It wasn't always just about one ball. Bibs of multiple colors were used, and roles shifted based on instructions from the coach. It wasn't enough to just chase the ball in front of them; they had to look around, grasp the situation, and decide what to do next. The approach was different from what Kashima has long cherished.

"Antlers has a strong Brazilian influence, and we've tended to play soccer that focuses on the individual, interpersonal duels, and 'don't lose your one-on-ones.' So, these were truly different exercises."

Which is correct? What the Antlers coaches found during this expedition was not the answer to that question. Rather, by being confronted with a club that tackles the same job of "developing players" in a different way, they began to look at their own development from a different perspective.

Yoshitaka Shinohara (Kashima JY Coach) views the difference between Antlers and Borussia MG this way:

"Since Antlers follows a Brazilian path, our main focus is on approaching individual technique. On the other hand, Borussia MG heavily demanded problem-solving within a group, such as perception, prediction, and how to gain an advantage. Whether the requirement is directed at the collective or telling an individual, 'Let's solve it this way'—that difference is significant. It's like, 'This is also soccer, isn't it?' My repertoire has really expanded."

A difference in approach. For Shinohara, it was not material to negate what Antlers has built up. The players felt that difference firsthand.

 

Hikaru Sakamoto (Norte JY Coach) says what left an impression on him was training designed so that one person's understanding affected the whole.

If you hadn't heard the explanation, you wouldn't know what to do next. If one person stopped, the players around them couldn't play smoothly either.

"It wasn't so much that the guy who couldn't do it was bad, but rather that if he couldn't do it, everyone else couldn't either. Since you couldn't manage it alone, there were many moments where connection or cooperation became more important."

Some players adapted quickly to the unusual stimulus, while others took time. A side of the players that was hard to see in regular training emerged. That was a new discovery for the coaches as well.

Masahiro Nasukawa (Tsukuba Junior Coach) witnessed a similar scene.

"At first, there were exercises we had never done before; it was clear they were very bewildered, or they would end up doing something completely different if they hadn't listened to the instructions."

However, as the days went by, change occurred. How can we make this work? What do we need to look at? The players themselves began to search for the answers little by little.

"As the days passed, more players started to grasp, 'Oh, this is how it works,' and I think that served as a stimulus."

The coaches didn't give the answers right away either. While watching the Borussia MG coaches' training, the staff would think among themselves, "Wouldn't it work if we did this?" Even then, they didn't pass it on to the players directly, preferring to watch how the players thought and played. Nasukawa had a major discovery that he brought back from Germany.

"It wasn't just repetition; each person had a role, and there was no time to rest your mind. If you didn't think for yourself, you couldn't participate in the practice. That way of structuring and planning training was a huge lesson."

However, what the Antlers coaches saw in Germany wasn't just what they were "missing." When it came to matches, there were many moments where they surpassed their opponents. Dribbling past an opponent in one-on-one situations. Stepping forward to win the ball. Dictating the game with their own power.

Nasukawa says he felt the value of what Antlers has honed once again while on the ground.

"The Antlers aspect of developing the individual proved effective. As coaches, we felt strongly that if we continue to build on this way of developing players, interesting players who can succeed on the world stage will emerge. It was a confidence-boosting expedition."

Shinohara also felt that just because they learned a different approach, it didn't mean they needed to change the core of Antlers itself.

"Our philosophy hasn't changed. The fundamental basis is to produce players who stand out technically, and I think we should focus more on conveying how to use that technique."

 

Acquiring technique should not be the end goal. One must use that technique to solve the situation at hand. It's not just about looking at the opponent after getting the ball, but looking around before the ball even arrives and predicting what will happen next. It's not about discarding the "individual" that Kashima has honed, but about developing players who can demonstrate that individual talent in a wider variety of situations.

Having seen different development methods in the world, the path ahead began to become clear. That is why they didn't just bring the Borussia MG training back home as it was.

Sakamoto says he has started adding small conditions to his previous training sessions.

"It hasn't changed drastically, but I use more bibs than I used to, and I include things that require reaction. Of course, while still focusing on the individual, there's more demand for using their heads than before."

Nasukawa was the same.

"We're not doing it exactly the same way. We are blending it effectively, and incorporating training that makes them think."

It's not about switching to a German style. It's about adding the newly discovered stimulus to what Kashima has cherished. And upon returning home, that change appeared in the players' own actions.

It happened during a tournament. On the pitch, the players saw the situation and chose the plays themselves. It wasn't something the coaches had told them to do beforehand.

"There was a goal that was born from them judging for themselves, 'This space is open, so let's use it.' Looking back, I think they were playing while thinking for themselves in those situations."

Nasukawa himself had always valued having players think for themselves. By actually witnessing a different type of development, he felt the importance of that anew, and added a new drawer to his method of making them think.

To go out into the world and see things different from one's own. What is gained there is not just a new method. One also notices the value of what one has been doing. Thinking about what should be changed and what doesn't need to be. And then, adding only what is necessary to one's own development process.

"Both are soccer."

Shinohara's words perhaps simply represent what the Kashima coaches gained from this expedition.

It is not about bringing home a single correct answer, but about increasing the options available for developing players. That is also part of why Kashima looks to the world.