Elite Instructors from Japan joined the Chinese Taipei Summer Training Academy held in Chiayi from Sunday 8 to Tuesday 24 July. It was the ninth year since Japanese instructors began giving lectures at this academy.

The academy this year was composed of three divisions; junior high school women's, junior high school men's and high school men's, in which Japanese Instructors ONO Makoto, ONO Takeshi and KAMATA Yasuhisa provided theoretical and practical sessions and refresher coaching courses respectively to the players and coaches from all over the islands.

Instructors' Comments

ONO Makoto, Chief Coach of JFA Women's National Training Centre
I took part in the women’s division of the Academy which was held from 8 July at a university in Taichung, Chinese Taipei. We started a two-day refresher course for the participating coaches in the afternoon of the first day. We then welcomed the players to hold a three-day training centre camp twice for the junior high school division (60 players and 20 coaches) and the high school division (20 players and 12 coaches). In the practical sessions, the local coaches trained the players based on what they had learned from the refresher course. The themes of the practical sessions are “Defence (making aggressive approach to force turnovers),” “Ball possession (build-up),” and “Finishing (Scoring goals).” On the final day, they concluded the camp by playing games to see their progress through the Academy. The junior high and high school players were full of energy and participated in the training very actively. A big reason to that may have come from the sincere efforts made by the local coaches. Among the participating coaches, many were females and they displayed great coaching skills along with great amount of passion. Especially their abilities to make adjustments were exceptional. They discussed every evening at a coaches’ meeting how to prepare for the training sessions, how to coach and how to guide players on their daily lives and made everything alright on the following day. Not to mention all the support dedicated by the female students of the University of Physical Education and Sport was one of the biggest reasons for the success of the Academy. After seeing all the sincere efforts made by not only the players, but also the coaches and staff, I felt that the future is bright for the Chinese Taipei women’s football.

KAMATA Yasuhisa, JFA Instructor
We provided theoretical and practical sessions to the 20 coaches with great enthusiasm coming from all over Chinese Taipei, followed by practical trainings, including coaching practice by the participating coaches, for 48 U-18 players. I emphasised to the coaches repeatedly in every session and review of the coaching practice that it was important to duly recognise the viewpoints to analyse plays based on the world’s standards and to guide the players by asking without stopping them from thinking. For the players, I addressed the necessity to prepare themselves off the ball, to keep a wide perspective while the ball is making its way towards them, and to share ideas among the players who are not involved in the play. The participating coaches devoted themselves from the early-morning practical coaching sessions to the late-evening lectures and discussions with great passion. As a result, during the games conducted on the final day, the players showed clear improvements in both the mental and technical aspects. With the young players of Chinese Taipei showcasing great talent in attacking, the coaches must continue to develop their basic football skills, including quick transition between attack and defence, as well as the mentality to get more involved in both attacking and defence. It will certainly help spread the possibilities for the football in Chinese Taipei to strive to a higher level.

Participants' Comments

・This was my first time joining the Academy and I was surprised by the quality of trainings held here. The visual aid that was provided to us prior to the training sessions by Coach Kamada helped us visualise and understand the theme, critical points, and techniques of the trainings. The coaches and the older players helped us control our emotions by encouraging us with positive feedbacks, even when we made mistakes, which allowed us to focus even more in the training sessions. We learned so many things including the timing to receive the ball, fundamental movements, collective defence, body shape, rhythm, and the quality of passes. I’ve done similar drills at school, but at this camp, it occurred to me naturally that I wanted to pursue for higher quality. Through the three days spent here, we were given the opportunity to know where the world’s standard lies, and I am very thankful for that. Once I return to my hometown, I will implement what we’ve practiced here into my daily trainings. (Player)

・One of the most surprising thing during this Academy was the training conducted by Mr. Ono Takeshi. An ordinary drill from a textbook can be made into a totally new one by adding a slight twist to attacking and defence. I thought about it when I returned to my hotel room and reflected on my coaching. Mr. Ono’s coaching method was very flexible and his explanations were very persuasive. I was given the opportunity to experience the cutting-edge training methods at first hand. Once I return to my hometown, I will revise my training methods and challenge myself to strive for a higher level, which will ultimately help my players grow as a better player. (Coach)

・I believe that the joy of learning comes from exchanging opinions. Through the discussions and coaching practice, the ideas of each coach become more detailed and effective. The main focal point of a training session is always the players. That is why we must spend time on the analysis. Through this refresher course, not only was I able to learn the world’s standard and the current trends, I was given the opportunity to deepen my own coaching style. I am very grateful to Professor Lu and the students of the National Taiwan University of Physical Education and Sport for providing us with such a wonderful learning experience. Football is full of possibilities and the sport requires creativity, knowledge, and wisdom. The coaches must also strive to obtain those qualities as well. And once the coaches are prepared, I believe we can develop players with great creativity, so I will keep working hard to become a better coach. (Coach)