The 31st All Japan High School Women's Football Championship will kick-off on Friday 30 December 2022. Here we bring you the high school story of MIYAZAWA Hinata (Mynavi Sendai Ladies), who plays for Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team).

○This interview was conducted online on 22 December 2022

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First round elimination despite taking a three-goal lead

MIYAZAWA Hinata (Mynavi Sendai Ladies) has been a starting player since enrolling at Seisa International High School Shonan and participated in the 24th and 25th All Japan High School Women's Football Championships in her first and second year, respectively. In her second year, the team faced Hinomoto Gakuen in the first round, where she marked two goals and one assist to give her side a three goal lead, but the team conceded three goals that led the match into a penalty shoot-out.

Miyazawa was named as the third kicker, and while the players lined up on the halfway line, she overheard the opposing players saying:

“Good thing we have analysed them.”

She did not know what those words meant, or whether the other side had really analysed something, as there was no way for her to know for sure. In any case, the opposing goalkeeper read the course of the Seisa International Shonan players' kicks perfectly. Although the first spot kicker successfully converted her kick, the second taker was stopped, and it was Miyazawa's turn.

“The goalkeeper was spot on against the previous two kickers, so I felt a lot of pressure. I wasn’t very good at taking penalty kicks to begin with, and I couldn’t get over the words I overheard from my opponents.”

The bad feeling was confirmed when Miyazawa failed to convert her spot kick. Seisa International Shonan's goalkeeper also made good efforts, but after six players from both sides took the spot kick, it was Hinomoto Gakuen who prevailed at the end. Seisa International Shonan was eliminated at the first round in a penalty shootout for the second straight year.

“We did what we were supposed to do as a team, and we were able to showcase an entertaining match,” Miyazawa said, but the end result was not something she was hoping for, as she reflected on the reasons for the defeat.

“I think it was over when we scored the third goal and thought we were going to win. We had to be on the same page as a team, especially against a team who were capable of overturning such lead. Our opponents were well prepared for the penalty shoot-out, and we couldn't catch them surprise. Seeing our player miss at the end only added to the frustration.”

In her third year, Miyazawa was appointed captain by Coach KARASAWA Shunsuke. Although she claims that she “wasn't the type to show captaincy and wasn't good at organising everyone,” she decided to take on the responsibility of creating an environment where everyone, including the underclassmen, could play comfortably, and to take the team to the next level.

Three consecutive years of first round defeats and what she gained from it

At the Inter-High School Championships in the summer, the team won a penalty shoot-out victory over Tokiwagi Gakuen High School in the second round. Although they lost to Fujieda Junshin High School in the semi-finals, they finished third in the Inter-High School Championships for the first time in the team's history, which allowed them to enter the 26th All Japan High School Women's Football Championship with more confidence and drive to win the national championship.

They faced Daisho Gakuen High School in the first round.
Miyazawa herself came to the match with extraordinary determination, saying, "As a player who has participated in the tournament as a starting player for three years, I wanted to win at least one match." Despite conceding the first goal in the 27th minute, they managed to equalise in the 49th minute at the start of the second half.

They would have liked to ride the momentum from there, but the difficulty of the All Japan High School Women's Football Championship is that things don't always go according to plan. After conceding the go-ahead goal in the 73rd minute, neither Seisa International Shonan, nor Miyazawa herself, had the strength to fight back.

As an individual, she participated in the All Japan High School Women's Football Championship for three consecutive years but lost in the first round in all three occasions. While realising that "it is all over," she also felt that "I want to become the kind of player who can help the team win even when we are down in the closing minutes," and Miyazawa's All Japan High School Women's Football Championship came to an end.

Miyazawa describes her three years in high school as “hectic.” This is not surprising since, in addition to her school team, she also trained and played matches for OSA Rhea FC (now SEISA OSA Rhea Shonan FC) and participated in the national team's activities for her age group. Even so, “I have grown a lot as a person,” she says, affirming that “I am who I am today because of my three years in high school, and I am very happy to have gone to Seisa International Shonan.” For Miyazawa, whose goal is "to become a player who is supported and loved by many people," what she learned at Seisa International Shonan seems to have been of great use in her life today.

Seisa International Shonan won the 27th edition of the tournament, the year after Miyazawa graduated, for the first time in its history. Miyazawa was present at the moment when the team, whom she entrusted with the task of winning the national title, beat Tokiwagi Gakuen in the final. "I wish we could have won the championship while I was there, but I was still very happy that our juniors got the job done." Miyazawa smiled as he recalled that day.

Miyazawa said of the All Japan High School Women's Football Championship, “I put more effort into the tournament than anything else. It was a tournament where I could put everything I had done day in and day out and express myself.” After being eliminated in the first round in three straight years, she must have felt a great deal of frustration and sadness, but for her, every experience was memorable and gave her priceless lessons.

The 31st All Japan High School Women's Football Championship

Tournament Dates: Fri. 30 December 2022 - Sun. 8 January 2023
Venues: Miki Sogo Bosai Park, Goshikidai Sports Park, Ibuki Forest Football Ground, Noevir Stadium Kobe
*All in Hyogo Prefecture

Tournament Information