[For 3rd and 4th Grade Elementary Students] School Exchange Match (vs Kawasaki Frontale)
On May 2nd (Sat), the same day as the J1 Century Vision League home game "FC Tokyo vs Kawasaki Frontale," an exchange match was held at the AGF Field adjacent to Ajinomoto Stadium for 3rd and 4th grade elementary school students, featuring school players from Kawasaki Frontale.
Although it was under a sweat-inducing sun, we were blessed with good weather, and on the AGF Field pitch, an intense match worthy of being called “another Tamagawa Clasico” unfolded.
The children entered the venue looking a little nervous, but as they gazed at the pitch where they were about to play, they also showed expressions eager to start the match soon.
After the opening ceremony, we began preparing for the match together with the coaches.
With many teammates playing together for the first time, it was impressive to see them actively communicating, such as learning each other's names.
They listened intently to the coaches' talk and confirmed what challenges they would take on during the match.
After warming up, we are all set and ready!
When the match started, some hesitant play was seen at first, probably due to nerves, but with the passionate coaching from the coaches, they gradually got into gear.
While tenaciously defending the goal, their proactive play aiming for the goal led to scoring.
As the matches progressed, the battles for the ball became more intense, and when goals were scored, there were natural high-fives exchanged among teammates and moments of sharing joy with the coaches. Even amid the tension of the matches, there were heartwarming scenes.
At the closing ceremony, the children’s expressions, mixed with a sense of accomplishment from finishing the matches and fatigue from battling through the heat, left a strong impression.
Through the exchange matches, it became an opportunity to learn the joy of playing with teammates and the importance of fighting without giving up until the end. I hope they will use this experience as a foundation for further growth.
After the closing ceremony with the coaches, the children headed to cheer for the top team! Their excitement was growing even more as they looked forward to the "unlosable Tamagawa Clasico"!