On Saturday 12 July and Sunday 13 July, with concerns over an approaching typhoon the improvement project for the international women referees was held. It started last year as part of the preparation for 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. Not only lectures, but also some training sessions by the referee fitness instructor were included in this training. Participating referees had some lively discussions and they were very keen to learn anything new.

Instructors Comments

ISHIYAMA Noboru, Class S Instructor Workshop
The workshop included a lecture and practical training sessions for six women’s international referees on themes that could be utilised at international occasions.
The themes at this workshop consisted of (1) the Importance and Effects of “Playing out a Given Role”, (2) “Halfway of the Dream…to Myself Decade Later”, (3) Analysis of Match Incidents, (4) Lessons from the Women’s Asian Cup (English reports from participating referees).
The workshop went very smoothly because all participants were very active and eager to absorb contents.
Including the practical training, they realised that what they needed to improve was how to judge quickly and correspond depending on situations in a match, so I hope they polish their skills by experiencing various opportunities.
Though this was the last opportunity for me in the project of 2014, I hope the workshop will be developing as learning opportunities intended for international referee candidates and young referees eyeing for the AFC project future.

YAMAGISHI Takashi, Referee Fitness Instructor
This time, we focused on agility, agility endurance and speed endurance that could be utilised as practical exercises.
I asked them to keep imagining real game situations as they did the program, so they were able to do that in the training.
They have fewer opportunities than male referees, so I saw they found it new to them. You need to consciously keep doing even those ordinary movements and keep working on what’s available, so that it can change into your unconscious behaviour.
The heat of summer is going to be tougher from now on. I hope they keep working on it as they stay healthy with proper care for the heat.

Participants Comments

KUWAHARA Rikako, Women’s Class 1 Referee / Women’s International Referee
I learned lots of things, exchanging information with my peer, even during the time off from the program.
The importance of “plying out a given role,” I found it gives us a big impact on our facial expression, emotion and action. At the same time, it creates strength and resolute attitude that impacts people around us. So it has a lot of advantages. As I am normally at my own pace and indecisive, it is what I really need.
In the physical training session, we were taught some movements that are required in actual matches, including speeding up to the point of battle, speeding up to the next point after making a complete stop, and training agility to keep our eyes on a point.
Particularly, I want to enhance the movement, speeding-up from stopping because it is continuously required in matches. I want to enhance it by adding it in my training program.
In the practical training session, we learned when we should shift our attention from where the ball starts moving to where the next play is happening in the penalty box, and when we should look at our assistant referees as we need help from them.
In terms of these things, what I haven’t been able to do was made clear as my next assignment. I want to improve one by one and make use of it for the future.
I was also given plenty of advice on like how I whistled and how bad it sounded, and how I have a worried look on my face when I am unsure of something about managing a match. By “playing out a given role,” I will put my feeling into every whistle, every signal and every facial expression I make. And then I want to make my refereeing understood.
I will prepare myself mentally and physically and work on my job by utilising what I learned in this project.

OHATA Chie, Women’s Class 1 Referee / Women’s International Assistant Referee
Project’s objective and achievement
I tried to improve skills like conveying and showing what I have (English skill, communication skill and presentation skill), physical abilities, match analysing skill, and mind (how to observe, sensitivity and strong mentality) in order to gain credibility and show my presence on the international stage as an international referee,
Appreciation
As I could sense they were trying to develop our skills for real when the project launched in May last year, I was glad and also reminded that we have to do what we are responsible to do and fulfil our mission.
The project was full of ambitions of former women’s international referees and of hopes for junior members who are taking over their efforts. I would like to show my deepest appreciation to all the people concerning this project for developing us with warm hearts and connections throughout the year.
As well as people who are browsing this website, I am also one of the people who love football. Referees are human beings and not perfect, but human beings grow when we make an effort with ambition. I’m grateful that we sometimes get disappointed thoroughly and pleased thoroughly as well by learning and working on what football gives us. I will put all my efforts into the development of Japan’s women’s football.