Unnoticed events have gradually helped the boys grow.
The player whose life was changed by a single save.
The player who kept losing to rivals.
The player whose spirit almost broke due to injury.
The player who turned gratitude toward their parents into strength.
13 first-year students at the Kashima Antlers Youth Academy.
Aiming for the top team and the world, what experiences have they accumulated, and what have they valued?
The answer lies in each person's "origins". (Part 2 / Total 3 parts)
Toma Misaki
"Stopping the ball was fun."
A single save that changed his life
[GK Toma Misaki's origins]
It was a single save that changed his life.
In the fourth grade, the team he played for at the time had no designated goalkeeper, so players took turns standing between the posts for each match. During one game, after he stopped a one-on-one chance, his coach spoke to him.
"He told me, 'Why don't you try being a goalkeeper from now on?' I was able to stop several shots in that game, and I thought to myself, 'Being a goalkeeper is fun.' I've been playing as a goalkeeper ever since."
The boy who started playing soccer because he enjoyed playing with his friends became fascinated with the joy of protecting the goal from that day on.
Raised in Kanna, Mie Prefecture, he started playing soccer in the first grade. At his hometown club, Oyamada SSS, he grew up in an environment that valued greetings, and after switching to goalkeeper, he has continued to hone his kicking as a weapon.
"Kicking has been my weapon since I was little. As I moved up to higher levels, the skill of those around me also increased, so I didn't want to lose to them. Even in daily practice, I focus on every single kick."
In the summer of his sixth grade year, he received an offer from the Kashima Antlers. He participated in training sessions and played with top-level players nationwide. "I want to join this team." That desire grew even stronger.
"The level was incredibly high, and it inspired me. It made me want to join this team even more, and I was excited to see how far I could grow. My excitement outweighed my anxiety about leaving my parents."
From Mie to Ibaraki. The boy jumped into the new environment without hesitation.
His current weapons are his high kicking accuracy with both feet. He takes pride in not only long kicks and punt kicks but also being able to make a difference in build-up play.
So, what is the appeal of the goalkeeper position for Misaki?
"It's a position with a lot of responsibility, where a single mistake can lead to a goal. But a single save can change the momentum of the team. That moment feels amazing, and it makes me want to make another save. That's what I love most about being a goalkeeper."
His goal at the Kashima Antlers Youth Academy is for the team to win three titles. And to lead them to victory himself from between the posts.
"First, I want to become a goalkeeper who can play in matches and help the team win. Then, I want to grow even more and aim to become a goalkeeper who represents Japan. To achieve that, I want to become a player who is supported by others."
In the fourth grade, he happened to be entrusted with the goalkeeper role. That day, a single save changed his life. "Stopping the ball was fun." That feeling continues to be Toma Misaki's origin today.
Itsuki Tojo
"At the national tournament, I changed."
The Kashima spirit nurtured by painful experiences
[MF Itsuki Tojo's origins]
Painful experiences changed Itsuki Tojo.
It happened in his second year of junior high school. On the pitch of the national tournament, Tojo learned where he stood.
"I couldn't play at all. I felt the gap between me and those around me, and my team lost there too. I was really frustrated."
When he was young, he played soccer however he liked. He started playing soccer at the invitation of his friends and grew up at Inzai FC, his hometown club where his father served as coach. Every morning, his father accompanied him for independent practice. He joined the Kashima Antlers Junior team in the fourth grade. Looking back on his junior years, he says, "I was doing pretty well myself."
However, when he moved up to the youth academy, an even higher wall awaited him. The frustration he experienced at the national tournament became an opportunity to re-examine himself.
"Until then, I had only thought about attacking. But I realized that if I wanted to go to a higher level, I had to be able to defend."
In his third year of junior high school, Tojo began aiming to become a "Kashima-like player."
"Dedication, tenacity in challenges. First, I became conscious of starting with defense."
It wasn't just about playing. More than aiming to move up to the youth academy, it was about the team winning. That mindset naturally began to show in his play.
"I wasn't really conscious of moving up to the youth academy. My desire to win with this team was stronger."
That accumulation of effort was recognized, and while on the ferry heading to the national tournament, he was told he had been promoted to the youth academy.
"Because they told me at that timing, I was able to play in the national tournament without overthinking it."
His current weapon is his left-footed kicking. On the other hand, he says that his running ability still has room for improvement.
"I think I need to develop that further."
His goal is to move up to the top team. However, there is no need to rush for that."Moving up to the top team is, of course, a goal. But I don't want to focus too much on only that, and I want to grow every day."
He still hasn't forgotten the frustration he experienced at the national tournament. Because he learned his weaknesses that day, Itsuki Tojo continues to aim for the "Kashima-like player" he envisions today.
Toma Takada
"I wanted to do it with this team."
What the six months spent standing still due to injury taught him
[DF Toma Takada's origins]
It was a detour.
It happened in his third year of junior high school. Toma Takada, who was aiming for the Kashima Antlers Youth Academy, was away from the pitch for nearly six months due to a stress fracture in his right leg.
"At first, I was incredibly anxious. I didn't know if I could move up to the youth academy, and it was a really difficult time for me."
Days when he couldn't play as he wanted. Even so, his goal remained unchanged.
The reason he started playing soccer was the presence of his cousin, Sora Iwato, who was one year older.
"I used to kick the ball with Sora since I was little. When I heard that Sora was going to Kashima, I started wanting to go too."
Raised at Seagull Hiroshima in Hiroshima Prefecture, he stood on the same pitch as Sora Iwato as a double pivot from the fourth grade.
On his days off, they would kick the ball together. They would take turns kicking long kicks and keep shooting at their hometown friends who were goalkeepers.
"We practiced independently together every day."
However, in the summer of his third year of junior high school, injury stopped everything. There was also impatience. Moving up to the youth academy seemed out of reach. Even so, he continued to attend practice.
"I knew I would make it in time for the Prince Takamago Cup, so I continued to condition my body so that I could return in the best possible state for that time."
Actually, his mother had been told about his promotion to the youth academy while he was still wondering whether to have surgery.
Only he didn't know.
"I heard it before the Prince Takamago Cup. I was really happy."
He felt relieved. That's why he was able to play boldly in the national tournament.
His current weapons are his defensive ability to win the ball and his strength in challenges.
"Looking at (Fukuoka) Yuwa-kun, Onuki-kun, and Sora as a pivot, I think I need to work harder."
His goal is to move up to the top team. There is no need to rush for that.
"First, I want to get on the pitch quickly and perform."
The six months spent standing still due to injury were by no means wasted. Because he had that time of waiting, Toma Takada is savoring the joy of being able to play for this team today.