On Tuesday 3 May, TEGURAMORI Makoto, coach of U-23 Japan National Team, paid a visit to the area tremendously devastated by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake.

Despite rain in the morning, coach Teguramori, Assistant Coach AKIBA Tadahiro, goalkeeper coach SATO Yohei and conditioning coach HAYAKAWA Naoki called in Roasso Kumamoto, which restarted their team practice the day before. As Teguramori experienced another major earthquake in the Tohoku region of Japan in 2011, he inspiringly gave his message to the Roasso players. “Know that your mission now is very rewarding and worth spending your life for. Your mission is to provide people with energy and courage through the power of football.”

Later, the coaches moved to Ozu Sports Park to play football together with as many as 130 local elementary school and junior high school children. While elementary school kids played more of game-oriented ball control drills with coach Akiba and coach Sato, junior high school players after getting warmed up received more serious lessons by coach Hayakawa. Rain occasionally become heavier, but children showed a lot of smiles as well as their family members there enjoyed themselves. 

In the afternoon, the group visited Kashima General Gymnasium and Uki City’s Wing Matsubase, both currently being used as shelters for evacuees. As well as bringing foods and goods to them, they communicated their message to the people there to uplift their spirits. 

At JFA Academy Uki, where they visited as the last stop, a scrimmage practice was held with 54 elementary schoolers living in the area. Academy staffers also helped organising the event, and it turned out to be a wonderful time to interact with the children there through playing football together. 

Comments

TEGURAMORI Makoto, Coach (U-23 Japan National Team)
To Roasso Kumamoto players, I spoke about what I spoke to Vegalta Sendai players at the time of the East Japan Great Earthquake. They will have to go out and play with the emotions that people outside never have a chance to experience. It was good that I could mention that to them even a little bit. But at the same time, I don’t want them to push themselves too hard. When you have a strong will, you can bring out some unimaginable strength. But if you keep doing that, you also need to know that you will certainly be tired. The important thing is keep fighting through it. 

When I played football with kids, I was the one who was energised by seeing all the kids smiling. Even in such a devastation, kids can start smiling and get active very soon. Once they start playing football that they love, they can smile. It’s a precious hope in this situation. That brought smiles to adults around them, and I believe smiles can make things better in a society. On Wednesday 11 May, we have a match to play against Ghana in Tosu. We as a national team will play in order to provide new rebuilding energy to the region that has lost so much. We want to play well enough to give courage and excitement to the people in the devastated area. 

RYU Sota from Ozu’s football club
It took a bit of time, but we are now able to practice as a team little by little. I want to continue playing football. Today, we learned a lot of fundamentals from coach Teguramori like passing and small-sided games. I felt fundamentals like passing skills are important and that’s useful in our future. Thank you so much.

KAWATA Nobuyuki Kumamoto Football Association Vice President (Uki resident)
Coach Teguramori worked hard to coach football for Uki’s elementary school students. There are lots of people who are worried about afterquakes keeping occurring. But if JFA Academy staff takes the initiative and works as usual just like today, that gives a feeling of relief to local children. I also signed up for the disaster volunteer centre as an ex-city official. People from Miyagi, Gunma, Fukuoka and other places who used to play football came here to volunteer. A lot of supports and mutual assistance are spread out and they are appreciated at the places where they go.

Teguramori also paid a visit to evacuee shelters, guided by the city mayor of Uki. He experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake when he was in Sendai and he conveyed his experience, which I think helped many people understand the disaster and really feel encouraged.