Kashima Antlers Tsukuba Junior

Victory at the "Chibirinpic 2026 JA Zen-Noh Cup National Elementary School Soccer Tournament" for the first time in four years

 

　It wasn't a goal born from instructions from the bench. Nor was it a set play prepared in advance.

　It happened during the qualifying rounds. Facing a set-piece opportunity, the players spotted an open teammate and decided for themselves where to send the ball. That resulted in a goal.

"Instead of just sending in a cross, they used an open player. I didn't tell them, 'Let's do this.' It was the result of the players thinking and playing for themselves."

　Kashima Antlers Tsukuba Junior manager Masahiro Nasukawa cited that goal as one of the moments that symbolized the tournament.

　In May 2026, Kashima Antlers Tsukuba Junior claimed victory at the "Chibirinpic 2026 JA Zen-Noh Cup National Elementary School Soccer Tournament" for the first time in four years. They reached the top by defeating Kawasaki Frontale U-12 1-0 in the final.

　There were no easy matches. Even so, with every game, the players grew stronger.

"I told them to take it one match at a time. The championship and the results would come later. It's not about whether you can or can't do it, but that it's important to try first. I told them to keep growing even while making mistakes."

　After every match, they reviewed the issues and made improvements for the next one. Gradually, the players began talking to each other more, even before the manager gave them any instructions.

"We should do more of this," "Let's target this area next time."

　The desire to win turned into communication where they demanded more from each other.

　There was a catalyst for that change: a training trip to Germany before the national tournament. As part of a partnership between Kashima Antlers and Borussia Mönchengladbach, they visited the club and experienced their academy's training sessions and coaching methods.

　What left an impression on manager Nasukawa was that the training left the players no time to rest their brains.

　If the players didn't understand the rules, watch their surroundings, and make decisions based on the situation, the practice itself wouldn't function. If they weren't listening, they wouldn't know what to do. They were required to keep searching for answers themselves, rather than just repeating dictated movements.

"It was training you couldn't do without thinking. We as coaches would also watch and think, 'This would work well.' But instead of immediately teaching that to the players, we decided to first watch how they thought and what kind of plays they made."

　By experiencing German youth development, they reaffirmed the value of the "individual-focused development" that Kashima has always cherished. The power to beat an opponent one-on-one. The power to win the ball back from the person in front of you. The sight of players moving the game through individual ability held up well even there.

　That is why he did not think Kashima's approach to development needed to change.

　Develop the individual. Without changing that core, he added mechanisms to make the players use their heads more. After returning to Japan, he gradually introduced elements where "it won't go well unless you think" into the junior team's training.

　It wasn't that the Germany trip directly led to the national championship.

　However, the philosophy of not giving the players too many answers and creating time for them to think for themselves became more certain after seeing the world.

　That attitude was evident on the Chibirinpic stage.

　The heroes changed with every match. 5th graders scored goals, and everyone, including the goalkeeper, fulfilled their roles. While they had players with great attacking talent, what manager Nasukawa strongly demanded was defense.

"You can't win just by attacking. I told everyone not to slack off and to go win the ball from the front."

　Win the ball high up, and head to the goal quickly. If pushed back, everyone defends with their bodies on the line. From good defense comes good offense. That classic "Kashima-style" play led to victory.

　The team's growth was also evident off the pitch.

　Even the players not on the field would celebrate their teammates' goals as if they were their own. Everyone feels frustration if they aren't playing. Yet, if the team scored, everyone rejoiced, and during difficult times, everyone called out to each other.

　Manager Nasukawa has always taught the players two concepts:

"Competition and unity. In daily practice, your teammates are also your rivals. But when it comes to the match, you must fight as one."

　There is competition in daily life, and there is unity in the match. The team that possessed both became the best in Japan.

"Just because we won doesn't mean everything was good. And just because we didn't win doesn't mean everything was bad. I place importance on what we tried to do and what we challenged ourselves to achieve."

　The national championship was manager Nasukawa's first title as a coach. Even so, he doesn't define the championship as the only answer to development.

"Precisely because they are in the junior age group, I want them to make many mistakes. When they fail, I want them to think about what they should do next. And then, build victories on top of that. I believe that repetition is what makes players grow."

　The place they are aiming for is even further beyond being number one in Japan.

"I want to raise players who can be protagonists in the top team, and players who can be protagonists in the world. At the same time, I want them to become people who care about others and can contribute in many ways."

　With the lessons learned in Germany and the experience of being number one in Japan as fuel, their journey to cultivate players who can think, judge, and derive answers with their teammates for themselves will continue.