On Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 August, the JFA held their 2019 edition of the training course for primary school physical education support instructors at J-STEP in Shimizu, Shizuoka, where the event attracted 20 participants from all over the nation.

Through the lectures and practical training sessions, teachers were given instructions on how to teach football during their physical education classes at school. The course aimed to provide the tools and knowhows for the teachers to allow them to realise that football is not a hard sport to teach.

Instructor's Comment

NAKAYAMA Masao, Instructor
This training course was constructed so that the participating teachers can effectively learn the key components to conduct a football class in school, regardless of their experience with the sport. In order to spread this course throughout the nation, we must first train the instructors to hold these courses. In the past, we have mainly targeted primary school teachers to be our subject, but this year we have broadened our recruitment to a wider range, as we welcomed promotion managers from J-Clubs, instructors from club teams, and staffs from the 47 prefectural FAs. By spreading JFA’s principle and philosophy on primary school physical education, we hope to create more opportunities to hold these types of courses throughout the nation.

Participants' Comments

Mr. SHIRASAKI Kensaku
This was my first time attending the course and I felt like the course provided many essential knowledges that can be implemented to the daily classes at school. The instructors made each step clear and answered the questions thoroughly, and it allowed me to get a feel of how these courses needs to be conducted. I am currently in a position where teachers observe my classes or I observe the teachers’ classes to give advice to them, and through this course, I felt the need to deepen my study in the areas of physical education. I am grateful to be given such wonderful learning experience. Thank you very much.

Ms. OHIRA Kurumi
Through this course, I was able to visualise a scene where both teachers and children are enjoying the class. There were many ideas that can be implemented into our daily classes, such as the “newspaper ball” that can be crafted by the children, the “ice break” that allows kids to get more involved with the group, and the rules on how to set the activity areas. We were also given instructions on what aspects we must keep an eye on and how to encourage the kids when playing the game. I strongly felt that the materials we learned from this course will allow teachers, regardless of their athleticism, to convey the joy of physical education to the children. Not only will I implement the new knowledge to my classes, but I hope to share the information with other teachers as well.

Mr. NAITO Makoto
The course was constructed to solve the issues the teachers have in their daily classes, and I really hope that more teachers can participate in this course. Instructors with expertise techniques and knowledge provided an easy to understand course that allows the teachers to implement football into their daily physical education classes. The lectures and practical training sessions were held in great harmony, so that it gave us the opportunity to learn and execute at the same time. The idea of calculating backwards before implementing, is a key concept I want many people to know. Many of the basic principles taught in this course were ideas that can be implemented in other areas besides football and physical education. I personally would like to share the new findings to my peers. Thank you very much for the precious experience.

What is “Training course for Primary School Physical Education Support”

A training course that complies with the educational guidelines recommended by the JFA to support physical education classes at primary schools. The course is targeted especially towards those who are not athletic, and it aims to allow the teachers to conduct physical education classes by themselves, instead of having someone else teaching the kids how to play football. We have been receiving many positive responses from those who have participated in this course, saying that the course has allowed them to implement the knowledge to their daily classes, not limited to just physical education.

① Practical Training: Sessions are conducted to allow the teachers to experience the joy of playing football and exercising. This part of the course aims to grant confidence to the participants and make them feel that they can hold an enjoyable class themselves, which is one of the key concepts.

② Lectures: The teachers will be provided with essential knowledges to plan and construct the classes, as well as the entire programme’s goals and basic principles that are constructed based on the children’s healthy growth.