The 3rd group training session of the Goalkeeper Level 3 Coaches Training Course and the 4th group training session of the Goalkeeper Level A Coaches Training Course of 2022 were held at Kashima Heights in Ibaraki Prefecture from October 4 (Tue) to 6 (Thu) and at J-Village in Fukushima Prefecture from October 10 (Mon) to 11 (Tue), respectively.

Due to the Covid impact, 2 courses of the Goalkeeper Level 3 Coaches Training Course were held at the same time. The curriculum has been changed this year to be equivalent to the UEFA GK-B curriculum under the guidance of Mr. France Hoek, JFA GK Project Technical Advisor and former Netherland national team GK coach. The target group for instruction is amateurs and seniors. In the group training, knowledge and methods will be shared and discussed mainly through group work. In addition, with the insights gained from the practical training, participants will have an 8-week "practical coaching practice" with their own team or a team in which they participated as interns in between the group training sessions. The main part of this course is to practice teaching with the goal of improving the "goal players* in the team". During this practical coaching practice, participants and tutors provide feedback via a digital platform, which is a completely different curriculum from previous coaching courses. The tutors supported the participants' independent learning, and the participants were able to check their own progress through the growth of the players they coached, a truly reality-based learning experience.

*Since the role of the goalkeeper (GK) has changed to an even more important position, not only protecting the goal, but also being involved in the four phases of the game, and being involved in the build-up of the team in attack, JFA GK Project is proposing to use the term “goal player (GP)" instead.

In Goalkeeper Level A, the target of instruction is at the professional level. The Goalkeeper A level is a more professional level of training, and requires in-depth analysis, training planning, and the ability to improve "goal players and teams". Participants were exposed to the logical thinking and coaching process of Mr. France Hoek, who is active at the world's top level, including game analysis methods (using reference CDEF/PMDS), training planning, coaching, and feedback, which provided a more practical learning experience. Numerous individual assignments were carried out through activities in their own teams or in the teams in which they participated as interns, which were shared between participants and tutors via a digital platform. In particular, the feedback provided during the 16 weeks of teaching practice allowed for reality-based learning directly related to the actual teaching field.

This was the last group training session for both Goalkeeper Level 3 and Goalkeeper Level A, but it was not the end, but the beginning of applying what was learned at the workshop to the future.

Tutors' Comments

Frans HOEK, Main tutor
We finished our last central meeting for the JFA GK A course. The students have had a seasoning course with many assignments overall and especially in their daily club work. They showed to be serious GP coaches and willing to work hard. Fantastic how they also worked together on several assignments. A beautiful start for the rest of their career. It was a pleasure to teach and help them together with top level tutors Kawa and Kato and of course the perfect organization and help of administrative office. Big thanks to all for this accomplishment!

KATO Yoshio, Tutor (Goalkeeper Level-3)
The JFA GK Level 3 course started in April 2022, with two courses held at the same time, as last year's course had to be postponed due to Covid. This was the first course with a curriculum that has been moved to UEFA standards by the main tutor, Frans Hoek. A total of 47 participants attended the course, which was conducted in a group training style. The face-to-face training allowed the coaches to interact with each other both inside and outside of the course, which led to many discussions. The participating coaches themselves conducted a self-diagnosis of themselves by conducting a self-scan, and then indicating their areas of expertise and what they wanted to learn in this course. Then, the coaches will write a log book to organize their team's style of play and their way of thinking. The team concept for the four phases of the team, including the GP's role, offense, defense and transition, will be clearly defined. The training logs and game results for the 8 weeks leading up to the 3rd group training will be used to show the team's approach to the training, and 11 sessions will be extracted from the video and instructional plan for instructional practice. The "learning in between" is an important part of the course, and you will be in contact with our tutors through a digital platform. In the game analysis, you will identify the issues that your team has encountered and try to improve them. This cycle of training has continued up to the 3rd group training. In the 3rd group training, we received a lecture and practical training directly from Mr. Frans Hoek, who gave us many suggestions. We were asked one question after another about why GP profiles are necessary, what kind of changes are created in the players by the involvement of the coaches themselves and whether the issues have been improved. They ask themselves if the training is realistic in terms of reality-based learning. I have gained a lot of knowledge and information from outside instructors, such as psychology, medicine and, physical and technological applications. We will be able to apply the content of these courses in our daily activities to have a greater impact on the athletes in front of us. We hope to work with you and the players and instructors we have influenced to produce the world's best GPs in the future. We would like to thank Mr. Frans Hoek from the Netherlands for his participation just before the Qatar World Cup 2022, all the coaches who attended, and all the people involved in running the course and providing us with the wonderful facilities.

KAWAMATA Noriyuki, Tutor (Goalkeeper A)
This year's Goalkeeper Level A, which started in February 2022, has concluded with this 4th group training course. We would like to thank everyone who participated in the course and the tutors, as well as the administrative staff, including the interpreters, for their support during the difficult conditions of the Covid Disaster. Although the main tutor, Mr. Frans Hoek, due to various reasons, was able to participate directly in the group training only this time, what he had shared in previous online lectures and reflections on his teaching practice was shown in person this time, using the phenomenon in front of him, which was effective and valuable not only for the participants, but also for us tutors. It was an effective and valuable experience not only for the participants but also for our tutors. The main part of this course was to put into practice the ideas and methods we learned in the group training, either in our own team or in a team in which we are participating as interns. They analyze their own game, share it with the team staff, make a weekly plan, and then prepare and play the game again in their daily training based on the plan. Of course, during this time, feedback is given to the team and to the GP himself. The course was a reality-based learning experience for the participants, as they had to identify issues that were actually happening in the field and find solutions to those issues. Although the course is over, there is still a final exam to be done on an individual basis. This too will not be an evaluation based on a single teaching practice, but rather on the entire process of game analysis, training planning, training implementation, and reflection. We wish all the participants the best of luck in their future endeavors and would like to once again thank Mr. Frans Hoek for coming to Japan at such a busy time before the Qatar World Cup as the GP coach of the Netherlands national team and for his guidance.

Participants' Comments

Mr. INOUE Akira (Goalkeeper Level-3/Hara Junior High School/Gloubs)
Due to the Corona disaster, I was able to attend the GK Level 3 training course after more than two years of waiting. The course content was greatly revised and the tutors' strong desire to make Japanese GPs No.1 in the world was reflected in the passionate sessions. I learned references for analyzing and guiding GPs in the right direction. In addition, since the two courses were held at the same time, we were able to interact with many GP leaders from different categories. By sharing our concerns and questions with each other, we were able to expand our knowledge both vertically and horizontally as GP leaders. I would like to continue what I have been doing on a daily basis up to the 3rd group training, and I would like to devote myself to working with GPs in an even higher quality manner. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the tutors for this new GK Level 3 training course. Thank you very much.

Mr. KAWAMURA Satoshi (Goalkeeper Level-3/Kashima Antlers Norte Junior Youth)
To be honest, a lot of new words (e.g. CDEF/PMDS, references, TF-TT-TO...) had been unorganized in my mind for a long time. Then, on the second night of the 3rd group training, I suddenly felt as if I could connect the dots, and it all became clear and organized. I think the fact that I was able to receive a lecture directly from Mr. Frans Houck for the first time at the third group training was a major factor, but I think I was able to feel that way because the lectures, teaching practices, interactive learning, and discussions with the other participants up to that point had all been built upon and deepened my learning. I think I was able to feel that way because of the deepening of my learning.

When I finished the entire program, including the "in-between" study, and felt such a change in myself, I strongly felt that GK Level 3 is a place of "learning," not a place of being taught. Learning in between was described as "true learning" and its content became very intense. Instructors are now also referred to as "tutors. I think this is another example of what GK Level 3 is all about. Although the workshop is over, I would like to continue learning for the sake of the players in front of me, for my own growth as an instructor, and to achieve my goals for 2050.

Mr. KOBAYASHI Shinobu (Goalkeeper A/Kawasaki Frontare Academy)
The 4th group training was an even deeper learning experience than before, as we were able to meet Mr. Frans Hoek in person and receive many sharp opinions and suggestions. Clarify the objectives. Analyze the game in more detail. To enrich the content. Evaluate. Drawing conclusions. He reminded us that all these things are connected with a high level of enthusiasm and a passionate attitude. Although we have not yet finished the final exam, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our tutors, Mr. Noriyuki Kawamata, Mr. Yoshio Kato and others at the JFA office, my fellow students and my club for their willingness to send me to the licensing course, which has guided us from the start in February to this point.