I visited Onagawa Sports Shonendan's practice in Miyagi on 3 June after a while. The training site Onagawa Undo Koen Tamokuteki Undojo turned out to be a significant sporting facility in the affected areas as it allows people to enjoy football, baseball, and gateball on artificial turf. Looking at children enjoying football, I'm so glad temporary housing was not built here.

The players started training with square passing drills and worked on 4v1 and 1+2v2 (3v2) ball keeping drills before finishing with a scrimmage of 2s+4v4 (cone goals with goal line passing rule). The children were focused for the practice.

On 5th, I went to Kadowaki Okaido Sports Shonendan's practice held at Okaido Elementary School's field. The thing is that I saw children practising at the field on the way to Onagawa on 3rd and dropped by the site. It was the Kadowaki Sports Shonendan. Then, I told their parents I would be back on 5th and left there after a short stay on that day.

I paid a visit to the Shonendan again on 5th as I promised. They started their training with "human wire puzzle" as an icebreaker and worked on ball-feeling drills. At the end, the children had a game-style practice. Everyone was enjoying playing football.

Kadowaki Okaido Shonendan did not have enough players to participate in a tournament last year. Just like last year, there is only one sixth grader, but more fifth and lower graders joined the team this year, which enabled them to take part in a tournament. 

They have training at Okaido Elementary School's field on Wednesdays and its gym on Fridays, starting at 4:30 p.m. They hope to start training at 6 p.m., but they are not able to use the gym in their favour because of other sports teams' practising at the time. The children work on training on their own motive even when their coach does not make it for the session’s start time.

I went to see "the 26th Izumi Ladies Futsal Tournament” on 6th at Shellcom Sendai in Izumi-ward. A total of 32 teams assembled in the tournament, divided into the Mothers, General and Girls categories. The Ishinomaki district women's selection team participated in the tournament with the name of "Cobaltore" as one of the affected area teams. 

In the Mothers category, Kisennuma Motoyoshi Sweet Players, who I coached once, played the tournament following the last year. They got through the group stage at second place but showed some hope for the next year. As it is the 26th tournament, some players were taking part in together with their parents or children. I was surprised at how the tournament was heated.

The training of Kenhoku Training Centre, one of the Fukushima Reconstruction Training Centres, takes place every Thursday. The four training centres’ activities in Fukushima City are carried out every Monday for U-11 and U-12 schools. With the concept to motivate players and coaches in district training centres, I visited Fukushima City Daiyon Elementary School Ground on 8th.

On 10th, I showed up at U-11 and U-12's practice of Soso District Training Centre at Koyo Soccer Field. The players warmed up with passing and controlling drills and 4v1, and also worked on possession drills of 3v2 + 2v3. I required "looking and judging" and "accuracy and intensity" From the players. Their game-style practice was formed as 5v5 for U-11s and as 6v6 for U-12s.

Both training centres were being operated in a good mood as local staff members actively interacted with children. Coaches are committed to children’s future! Let's keep up our work!

On the following day 11th, my visit was to Kamaishi Robin FC's practice in Kamaishi, Iwate. We had difficulty finding time to meet before, but this time I finally visited their training.

Their session lasted for two hours at Kamaishi City Kyugijo, starting at 6:30 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m. With 10 participating players, they worked on dribbling, passing and controlling drills, and went through man-to-man challenges in front of goal after shooting drills. At the end, they had a competitive 5v5 scrimmage. It was fun and went surprisingly fast.

The practice of FC Sun Atlas Ofunato was held at the City Gym on 12th. By working on 4v4+4s for possession and 2s+4v4 with cone goals and line passing rule in game style training, they tuned up for the "Iwate Prefecture Sports Shonendan Soccer Tournament – Kamomeno Tamago Sailor Cup."

Hachimantai City Nakazawa Ground and Appi Kogen ASPA Ground. On 20th and 21st in the following week, the final round saw 16 qualifying teams play fierce competitions at Miyako City Heigawa Roki Tamokuteki Ground and Rikuzentakata City Kamiosabe Ground.

Among Iwate's coastal area teams, Takata FC and Derufire Toro reached the last 16, and FC Kamaishi and Altas made their last 8 berth. In the quarterfinal, Kamaishi and Altas met each other as Altas won the contest.

MIRUMAE FC and Valente-Tono squared off in the final, and Tono defeated MIRUMAE 2-1 to end their tourney with a crown. Kurosawajirihigashi FC finished at third place followed by Altas at fourth. I'm happy to see four teams out of 12 teams from the coast advancing to the final round.

It was the first tournament that was held at the coastal area (affected area) after the disaster, but everyone was cooperating with each other and sharing roles to manage the event, including the Iwate Football Association, staff members of the coastal area teams (including teams who were eliminated in their qualifiers), and players' parents. 

The tournament was in full of appreciation for the support they were given, and the participants were apparently getting motivated to work hard from then on. I believe their bonds in the community became stronger.

Morioka City's Otahigashi Soccer Shonendan, who reached the last 16, supported Ofunato Sanriku FC Seagull by providing homestay opportunities when Seagull travelled to the tournament held in the inland. 

On the contrary, Seagull welcomed the Morioka side for homestay to show their appreciation for the last support given as well as to offer warm hospitality. It was a great tournament that impressed me with the heart-warming story – when you or others get in trouble, you help each other out. 

After the disaster, all the tournaments have been held in the inland of Iwate.  But I hope this tournament encourages more tournaments to be held in the coastal region as well, and it boosts the reconstruction.