The National Training Centre for U-15 Girls, which now is in its 10th year since establishment, started on 12 December at Kashima Heights Sports Plaza in Kashima city, Ibaraki for its eastern Japan operation and at J-GREEN Sakai in Sakai city, Osaka for western Japan. For the eastern Japan camp, there are 82 players from Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai and Academy Fukushima while the camp in Osaka has 86 players from Hokushinetsu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu and Academy Fukushima. Both locations will take on four-day training programme.

The first day started with physical and fitness workouts including working on their body-core muscles including squats. Strengthening core muscles at the beginning of the day is a daily routine during this camp. After all players briefly worked on goalkeeper ball feeling drill, field players worked on fundamentals and goalkeepers practiced how to stop shots effectively. Before the two-hour practice finished, they all played 8vs8 matches. After the sun set, they had a video-and-lecture session. It started with a video clip designed to motivate players to work hard to play eventually as a Nadeshiko, Japan female international. In the following lectures, the basic knowledge on core muscle exercise was reviewed and the training themes for today and next day were introduced with some more video clips.

Players Comments

MOROOKA Tsumugi (Hokkaido/Club Fields Linda)
I came to this National Training Centre last year, too. Last year, it was the western Japan camp, so this year it’s my first time to be at the eastern Japan camp. I was very nervous and worried if I could play all right. After I practiced today, now I think the level of this camp is very high for sure. Other players can pass better, receive the ball better, know when to start moving and attack the ball stronger than I can.

I will watch and learn how they can do those things better, and I will try to copy them as my skill.Communicating with others is one of my weaknesses, so in this training camp, I will get better at it, and show all the plays I can make. Then I go back to my club, and try to teach my teammates there what I learn here.

KAJII Suzune (Kanto/Saitama Prefecture: AS Elfen Saitama Mari)
Before I came to this National Training Centre, I prepared myself very well to come in with the best shape. Also I set a goal for myself which is to show what I can do as much as possible. What I feel now after the first day practice is that other players are very good at receiving and passing the ball. The passing and receiving drills that I normally do was like totally different drills when I paid attention to more details. I was also inspired a lot by watching how other players play.

I will bring those attentions to details and inspiration back to my club, get even better and take advantage of this opportunity for my development. Also there are many players from different regions, so I want to make many friends with them in these four days. I want to say thank you for giving me this opportunity.

HAYASHI Kaoru (Tokai/Aichi Prefecture: OWLET FC U-15)
What I want to keep trying is paying attention to the timing of passes when I play. It has been my weakness. Also I will try to keep eating a lot to get my body strong enough to play against bigger international players. Today, I had some bleeding from nose, so I will keep taking care of my physical condition and try not to have that nose bleeding again. And I will show everything I have in the rest of the camp.

KOIKE Mari (Tokai/Shizuoka Prefecture: Tokai University Shoyo Junior High School Women’s Soccer Club)
I want to play to my full strength in this camp. My goal is to see how well I can play at this stage, how much what I have worked on can be effective here, and how I can make a good play by reading each situation. Actually, after today’s practice, I already found what I need to work on. It’s passing with my left foot. I am not good at passing with my left foot yet, and today a coach advised me “to move my left leg just like I move my right leg.” I will try to better understand what coaches tell me and tomorrow I will try to pass better with my left foot.

Member and Schedule (Japanese version only)

U-15 Women East Japan　　East Japan Member　　East Japan Schedule
U-15 Women West Japan  　West Japan Member　　West Japan Schedule