We will introduce the policies and activities of each prefectural football association based on the 12 themes — "Senior," "Grade 1," "Grade 2," "Grade 3," "Grade 4," "Kids," "Women," "Futsal," "Beach football," "Referees committee," "Facility committee (environmental maintenance)," and "Technical committee." We hope you to understand what sort of activities are held throughout the nation here.
This time, we will introduce the activities for the senior football of the Shizuoka Football Association.
*The following article is run in the "REGIONAL NEWS" corner of the JFA news April issue.

Our senior football activities – Shizuoka Football Association

SUGIYAMA Tatsuya, Senior chairman, Shizuoka Prefectural Football Association

"Energetic senior football in Shizuoka"

The senior football history of Shizuoka Prefecture started with the inception of a seven-team league in 1980, one year after the Shizuoka retired players football federations was established.

In their 35th anniversary, this year’s senior league has two divisions each in the league of the 40s and that of the 50s. The first divisions have nine teams and the second divisions have eight teams, and they play in a round-robin system in which they will play twice against each club. A total of 50 teams are participating. Starting last year, the participants of above 75 years old have been divided into two teams, and they have decided to play about two games a year. The participating players are limited to the registered JFA members, and the total number is about 1,000.

Now we have over 300 games just for the senior leagues of the prefecture. We have set our fundamental rule to use natural-turf fields for the games since the league’s inception, although we have more games to be played at artificial-turf fields in recent years. But as far as I know, no game has been played on a soil in the last 27 years. That was done by the unmeasurable efforts by the executive committee that runs the leagues. In order to give everybody a chance to know how hard it is, we have rotated the executive committee office with the five branches, as each is in charge for two years, since 2008.

We have done so well in the national championships, especially in the masters tournaments, in which the prefecture have won five championships, a pair of runner-up finishes and one third-place finish, in the last 12 years between 2001 and 2012. We earned a championship in the national senior football championships (above 50 years old) in 2011 and realised an all-Shizuoka Prefecture final in the nation senior football championships (above 60 years old), living up to the expectations of being ``Shizuoka being the football nation.’’ (Photo: Yaizu Tobiuo Soccer Club, who competed in the 2013 national senior football championship (above 50 years old)) We would like to support the activities of each generations, looking for better results, in the future.

The national senior football championships are held with the supports of the City of Fujieda every year, and it is run by five teams of Fujieda and its nearby towns from the senior football committee members. They are trying their best to give all the participants a chance to feel comfortable and enjoy their games. We are looking forward to seeing all the fellow football players of around the country.