The ‘FIFA Grassroots Course & Festival in Japan’ was held from 18 to 23 September in Higashikawa-cho in Kamikawa, Hokkaido, which is also known as the ‘Town of Photography’. This event was co-hosted by the FIFA and the JFA, providing a valubale opportunity to learn about coaching children. This year was the seventh event since 2010. 

Jamie HOUCHEN (England) joined the event as an instructor from FIFA, working together with a JFA Kids Project Instructors to give lectures as well as practical lessons. Towards the end of the course on 22 September, the 26 participants from across the country, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, held a festival and a game tournament for local children from all over Hokkaido, including Higashikawa-cho and the Asahikawa areas.

All the participants displayed what they had learned through the course by instructing 300 children enthusiastically at Higashikawa Yume Kouen. There were smiles everywhere during the event.

FIFA Instructor's Comment

Mr. Jamie HOUCHEN
The Grassroots course held in Higashikawamachi was a great success and a credit to all of the Coaches who attended. I was so impressed with how each and every coach applied themselves to the course. The effort and commitment shown every day to learn, and take part was inspirational and I have every belief that these coaches will return to their regions and be real leaders in Grassroots football.

During the week, coaches were challenged to work in different ways in order to support players of all abilities and ensure that the best possible learning environments are created to help children both improve and fall in love with the game. The festival delivered at the end of the week to 300 children demonstrated just how much fun and enjoyment children can have playing the game, as a result of the coaches working incredibly hard to provide variety, challenges and opportunities for children to laugh, smile and learn through playing the game.

I would also like to comment how the support of The JFA instructors was vital to the course, in both providing feedback to the coaches and support to ensure that the big messages were consistent with The JFA philosophy, and will be delivered back in the regions by all coaches who attended.

JFA Instructor's Comment

Mr. MINAGAWA Shinichi
The 26 participants from across the country attended the course, which was led by Englishman Jamie HOUCHEN from FIFA, and learned a lot through lectures and practical training sessions. In the lectures, we especially focused on the ‘active learning’ method, including a lot of group discussions. Each participant had to be creative and proactive and make progress by trial and error, so that they can improve on their coaching method. This course showed the essentials required for instructors by not only giving the necessary knowledge of coaching children, but also being able to actually experience and apply those knowledge on the pitch.

On 22 September, a festival and tournament were held, and approximately 300 children, from infants to 4th-grade elementary pupils, attended. The course participants thoroughly enjoyed implementing what they had learned over the four-day course with the children. There was a good atmosphere all around with guardians and the staff, as well as children smiling a lot, while they played (practiced) football very hard. Many staff from the host city Higashikawa-cho also supported us significantly from the beginning to the end of the course. I’m really grateful for their support.

Participant's Comment

Mr. SENDA Susumu
In our society today, you encounter more problems that don’t have a set answer, as opposed to those problems that do have a specific answer like in schools. I learned the importance of trying to figure out the solutions by yourself and creating your own answers.

For example, as each session was organised specially for the children, they thought for themselves what to do without being told. I saw many children think for themselves to seek answers – ‘I should stabilise my ankle’, ‘it’s better to receive the ball here’, or ‘we should try and watch this’. I can say the same thing in organising this event. The 26 participants discussed among themselves and exchanged opinions in order to arrive at something for which there wasn’t necessarily a correct answer. We were thinking about how we can please the children and manage the festival smoothly. An answer that comes easily can be lost quickly. However, the answer you find on your own, you will never forget.  

What I learned during this festival is the importance of ‘trusting children’, ‘standing by them’, and ‘loving them’, all of which are essential. All the participants smiled, encouraged the children and enjoyed it as much as the kids. We could see how much the participants care for the children in their expressions and performances. We saw some excellent smiles to finish the event at the finale. I still remember one of the guardians came to thank us with a wonderful smile after the event. I believe watching children enjoying themselves made their guardians feel that way. 

What we can do is to spread smiles to children all over the world, by making them happier. With happier children in the world, I’m sure the future will be a bright one. Lastly I’d like to express my gratitude to the people in Higashikawa-cho for providing us with an excellent venue, and the staff from the Asahikawa Football Association and the Hokkaido Football Association for their support. I’d also like to thank the Japan Football Association for giving us this wonderful opportunity and Jamie, the instructor from FIFA, for showing us true respect and giving us priceless advice in coaching. I’m very grateful to all of them.