On the last day of the camp, the players listened to the talks from Coach Yano and Coach Miyamoto in the meeting before the practice. Those motivational speeches gave the players extra boost to play better in practice matches after that. Although the players were tired due to all the work on the previous days of the camp, they showed all they had in three 30-minute scrimmages. They played much tougher than the first day and executed what they had been taught, repeating what they worked on during the camp and certainly exhibiting their improvements.
When this generation of players gets together for the next time, there will be a full roster of national team set. With a new hope and determination, every player headed back home.

Message from Coach YANO Kyoko
Everyone has a chance. It’s all up to how determined you are and how hard you work for it whether you can grab that chance or not. Everyone here has got the first step. I can feel that you all love playing football and you all want to play for Nadeshiko Japan. That serious look, that feeling I want you all to keep. I want you to be as determined as you think you will be a role model for other players and you will be a leader. I wish all the best and I hope you keep working hard.

Message from Coach MIYAMOTO Tomomi
I enjoyed playing football. I wanted to be better, better than others. So I arrived at practices earlier than others and practiced extra, and then I asked for an opportunity to play with boys when I was in high school. It was 1997 when I got called upon to the national team for the first time. I remember very well that when I got the notice, I said “Is there really a women’s national team?” Back then Japan’s women’s football league was the best league in the world and there were many international players, too. We were able and fortunate to focus only on playing football. But after Japan lost in the qualifiers for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the league regressed, and I had to start working for my day job and playing football after that.

We were under pressure and big responsibility to feel that if we lost again in the qualifier for the Athens Olympics in 2004, Japan’s women’s football would end there. We felt that we would never want to be the responsible ones. Then we could beat Korea DPR 3-0 that we had never beaten before. Having your national flag on your kit means having so many people’s wishes on your back. We could win and materialise everyone’s wish then.

The environment you are in today is wonderful and you are blessed to play there. So it may be difficult for you to feel the same way as we felt back then. But I want you to know that you are here today because everyone in the past worked and built every little thing in the history and you are taking that over. I want you to take people’s wishes as your added energy. Maybe you can’t feel it now, but I want you to keep it in mind that playing for Nadeshiko Japan and being a national team player will require that commitment from you.

Comments

OKUBO Kaho（Yamaguchi：Dream Chaser）
This is my first time to play in a camp like this, so I was very nervous at first. But everyone was so kind and friendly, so my nervousness went away little by little.
In practices I played with all these talented players and I could learn things and realise what I was still missing. I will take what I learned here back to my club and keep working on those.
About what I found missing in myself, I will also keep working on those in practice. I am very happy that I joined this camp and had a great experience in the past four days.

MORIMOTO Sayaka（Kagaawa：F.C.Cormo Ladies Azalea）
There are many things I learned in this camp. Defending very hard even at the first contact with my opponent, always trying to attack the goal, and playing collective defence are especially what I was careful when playing. What coaches told me are the things I am not doing very well yet. Even after I go back to my club, I will always try to come back to this national team and keep playing hard.

SUZUKI (Hokkaido: ASC Ladies)
Patitcipating in the camp, it was good four day training as I realized the high standard of Japan Women’s selection team and makes me think I have to brush up my skills. I want to improve the things by taking part in the training day by day. I am going to tell what I learned to the team and hopefully to make better team. I want to demonstrate my improved skills if I have an opportunity like this in the futures. Thank you very much for supporting us for four days.

Schedule