Two coaching training sessions were held at the culmination of the Championship of the Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Football League 2014.

In the morning session, 142 applicants attended a lecture by the instructor Sudo about their tasks since the FIFA World Cup and the analysis of the year’s games in the Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Premier League. Then they moved onto a match inspection.

In the afternoon session, 108 applicants joined to inspect a match. Then they had a lively discussion after the match with the instructor Matsuda as the facilitator, four officials, who refereed the match, an assessor, and Kamikawa, the Chairman of Referee's Committee.

Comments

Instructor of ‘Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Football League 2014 Championship’
SUDO Shigemitsu, JFA coaching trainer sub director
142 applicants joined the course and we delivered a report on nine months’ worth of the Premier League East and West from April to December. I considered their age as being at the very beginning of adulthood and showed the analysis regarding the World Cup Brazil. We shared the fact that both the positive aspects and the issues for the Japan national team were also same for the youth generation. We had a question: ‘how can we overcome those issues? What does JFA think?’ When I asked what the applicants thought, there was a valuable answer: ‘one has to change his daily life.’ ‘What happens in a match can happen in everyday life. So it’s vital to bring the pressure of the actual game into everyday life and deal with players.’ This is basically what I prepared for the conclusion of this training session, but one of the applicants said it by himself. I think the session was very productive. We watched a game between KASHIWA REYSOL U-18 and CEREZO OSAKA U-18 after the training session. In the match we saw both teams’ concepts and their everyday life. I believe we shared our common task in the training session – what needs to be done in order to improve Japan’s level. CEREZO OSAKA U-18 won the game 1-0 and became the champion. I’m grateful to the applicants for attending the lecture, watching the game, and spending a long time together.

Instructor of ‘Cooperation with referees’
MATSUDA Hiroshi, JFA national training centre coach in KansaiIn this training session, the applicants watched a match of the Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Football League Championship first. Then we had the question-and-answer session with Kamikawa, the Chairman of Referee's Committee, the four official, who had just refereed the same match, and the assessor Mayuzumi. We focused on how to judge ‘contact play’, bearing in mind the need to develop stronger players and exchanged our opinions.

It was very productive because when an applicant asked a question he could get an answer instantly from a real referee, using videos. The referees explained that they always adjudicate in close proximity to the ball, and consider the player’s intention. In terms of the contact plays, they mentioned there were severe ones, light ones, and the ones related to the goalkeeper, and they also explained the judgmental standard for fouls in each situation. In the session the applicants understood the refereeing even more, learning the depth and detail of the judgmental standard. I realised the importance of communication between the referees and the technical experts, so that they can think about each other’s position to understand more and respect each other.

The game between KASHIWA REYSOL U-18 and CEREZO OSAKA U-18 was tough, fair, and fast. It was a really good game. Kubota, the chief referee, commented: ‘it was an enjoyable game to referee!’, which made me feel refreshed. It was a game in which the players trusted the referees and it worked the other way as well.

Prince Takmado Trophy U-18 Football League 2014 Championship Referee
Mr. KUBOTA Yosuke
I am much honored to take a referee role in prestigious match of Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Championship 2014, the championship for high school age teams. As the games were full of high techniques, fair play, fast-paced play, I enjoyed the game pretty much in spite of doing a referee role.

[Collaboration with a referee]
In this session, I just extend my thanks to many coaches who gave me their feedbacks. I think you will have the different point of view depending on whether you are a coach or a referee. I believe the standard of football in Japan will be raised by holding discussions like this training. I really appreciate for giving me a chance to experience something you don’t see it in usual activities.