With the support of the Kids' Committees of each prefectural football association (FA), JFA has been organising “Traveling guidance” courses around the country. In the "travelling guidance" course, travelling guidance staffs from each prefectural FA go to kindergartens, nursery schools, and primary schools to offer a variety of programmes for children to enjoy football. This is an initiative to give nursery staff and teachers, who may not have much experience or knowledge of football, the opportunity to join a team of experienced football coaches and give the children time to exercise with the ball. Here we will introduce the traveling guidance activities that were recently conducted.

Thu. 13 January, Isawa Daigo Nursery School (Fuefuki, Yamanashi)

25 children from the four and five year old classes took part in the session. We were blessed with great weather and temperatures that allowed the children to run around and enjoy themselves even in the winter. We focused on activities that all children could participate in, such as movement drills and ball games, where they could “have fun, smile, interact, and gain a sense of achievement.” With the coaches' magic words of advice, “Never give up,” many of the children were heard saying “I did it, coach!” Despite the cold weather and slightly uncomfortable ground conditions, the children worked hard until the last game, thanks to the enthusiasm of their teachers. We were able to finish the day with lots of "fun, smiles, interaction, and a sense of achievement."

Coaches and Teacher's Comments

KURIBAYASHI Hidetoshi (YFA Traveling Guidance Staff)
In the football class, we started with exercises that allowed the children to get used to the ball, such as drills using their hands, before moving on to ball control drills using their feet. After they had learned the rules of the game, we finished the session with a football match, where everyone ran hard to score a goal. When the ball rolled in a different direction from the goal, they were able to stop the ball, change the angle to the direction of the goal, and perform some of the tricks they had practised earlier.

TAKAYAMA Yohei (YFA Traveling Guidance Staff)
I was very impressed by everyone's determination to “never give up” and try different techniques. During one of the drills, the children showed great concentration to win the ball when the coach signalled to chase the ball. In the last game, the children who were waiting for their turn to play cheered loudly, and I think they learnt how much fun it is to work together with their friends.

Ms. MOCHIZUKI Kuniko, Teacher (Isawa Daigo Nursery School)
The children seemed to enjoy playing with the ball in a different way to the way they usually play, and even though some of them were a little nervous in the beginning, they showed their willingness to give it a try. Some of the children were acting as coaches on the next day to teach their friends who were absent. Thank you very much.