“JFA Football Future Programme Training Centre Workshop U-12” was held from 29 July to 2 August at Gotenba Kogen Tokinosumika and Tokinosumika Sports Centre as under 12 “Training Centre” players and coaches from all 47 prefectures gathered and stayed for four nights and five days.

The workshop was targeted to provide not only match and practice opportunities but also other off-the-pitch sessions for coaches and parents to get together and discuss an overall grand design of football for this generation.

While it was just after traveling from their own home to the site, the first day had a workout session for players from each prefectural football association to get ready for matches starting the next day.

At each field in Tokinosumika and Susono, opening ceremonies were held where YAMAGUCHI Takafumi, Chairman of Technical Committee Development Section, and IKEUCHI Yutaka, Youth Sub Director, spoke to the players of the right attitude expected to be creative and independent players and also rules to be followed at training centres.

Also Coca-Cola Co. Ltd., the event sponsor, held a seminar on ideal ways of hydrating, where the participating players earnestly listened for their upcoming matches and workouts.

The second day had matches both in the morning and afternoon. The players and coaches worked hard despite the heat and sudden evening shower.

Youth Sub Director Comments

IKEUCHI Yutaka
We had this workshop centred on 768 U-12 players and coaches from football associations around the nation for the improvement of our daily playing environment for this generation. All associations have prepared for this workshop in various ways and I think they all realised where they stand by getting to know other associations and their activities.

There were associations that experienced some significant changes during this workshop in terms of how they deal with their players, and also there were players, who have been selected through well-coordinated selection process, finding new assignment to tackle throughout this workshop. 

One of the objectives of this work shop is to set next goals to take advantage of this workshop opportunity for their future. I believe this was a great opportunity for everybody to deeply think about how to develop players individually. I would like to thank all the coaches participating in this workshop with their players, even when they have busy schedules for their own job.