The AFC Beach Soccer Coaching Course Level 1 took place over six days from Tuesday 16 through Sunday 21 May at TAKA FIELD YOKOHAMA in Yokohama, Kanagawa and ‘Tokyo Yugawara Onsen Manyo-no Yu’ in Machida, Tokyo.

AFC Beach Soccer Instructor Ling Luhui and captain of Japan Beach Soccer National Team MOREIRA Ozu led the curriculum with 16 participants, ranging from managers of beach soccer teams to coaches of beach soccer schools and clinics as well as former Japan Beach Soccer National Team players and coaches and current Japanese internationals.

The following programme is one of the specialised AFC courses aimed at increasing the number of qualified coaches who can instruct the basic fundamentals of beach soccer. Furthermore, new qualification criteria were set in 2017 for managers participating in the tournaments hosted by the AFC, and in response to this regulation change, the mentioned course was held for the first time in Japan.

In the lectures, the participants studied the basic skills and tactics of beach soccer as well as the training methods and techniques, while in the practical courses they became players and learned the salient points of training by experiencing different methodologies instructed by the class supervisors.

Interactions by the participants were also an important part of the programme as they exchanged ideas through group works and discussions and inspired one another during classes. Furthermore, they were given the opportunity to actually instruct the players as well. By actively participating in both lectures and practical courses, they experienced a fruitful six-day training programme.

Instrcutor's Comment

MOREIRA Ozu, Assistant Instructor
Former and current Japanese national team players gathered in this six-day programme, and different lectures and practical training classes were offered. It was a wonderful curriculum for all the participants. I supported the course as an assistant instructor, and it was an excellent educational experience for me as well. In regards to the future of beach soccer in Japan, chief instructor Lin was informative and different classes gave me plenty to think about how to improve the current level of beach soccer as well as nurturing new players and coaches. Furthermore, the six-day course had given the coaches and trainers a valuable opportunity to share and exchange information. I hope similar courses will be offered for the future of beach soccer in Japan.

Participants' Comments

Mr. KOMAKI Masayuki
Going through various group works as well as individual training, this programme has given me the chance to think about beach soccer for the past six days. Instructors were clear and informative and gave me pertinent advices, which allowed me to work on the training drills smoothly. I also had a fruitful time discussing about the past and present of beach soccer with other course participants. I felt instructors take on important role in promoting beach soccer as well.

Mr. GINOZA Tomoya
I attended the instructor’s course for the first time, and I am grateful that I learned about beach soccer from the instructor’s point of view. The course instructors were clear and confident, and friendly and humorous as well. Above all, I am overjoyed that my former teammates who fought together in the world stages gathered here again as instructors. Now, I am willing to take on new responsibilities and work for the future of beach soccer. Thank you so much.

Mr. TAKAHASHI Ryosuke
By going through a series of classroom lectures and practical training courses, I was able to review and reconfirm my understanding of the basic skills and tactics. I am currently playing beach soccer as well as instructing the children, and the following course had been a wonderful learning experience where the instructors gave me objective evaluation and advices. This programme has also motivated me to take on a new approach in training and coaching. It was a special experience to attend the class with the players and coaches who were instrumental in the development of beach soccer in Japan as well.