SCHOOL REPORTS School Reports

On Saturday, May 23, at Utoden no Sato Sports Park, we held an exchange match targeting 4th, 5th, and 6th grade elementary school students with school players from Kashima Antlers. After the exchange match, we moved to Mercari Stadium and also held a barefoot preliminary match called the "Curtain Raiser Match."

The wind was strong and the weather felt chilly, but since the ground had been open before the exchange match, as soon as they arrived at the venue, they immediately started kicking the ball and communicating with each other!

After the opening ceremony, we finally began warming up for the exchange match. The coach conveyed today's goals, and both their minds and bodies were thoroughly prepared for the game.

From the warm-up, the children were full of energy, actively engaging while calling out to each other as teammates.

In the exchange match, despite the tension of playing against opponents they rarely face, each player gave their all, resulting in an intense and exciting game.

At first, due to nervousness, they couldn’t perform as they wished and there were moments when they were pushed back by the opponents, but gradually they found their rhythm and kept scoring!

This exchange match was conducted under the same rules as the Hundred-Year Vision League, and in the event of a draw, a penalty shootout was held. The children faced the tense moments that decided the outcome with excitement, making it a valuable experience they don’t often get to have.

After the exchange match ended, we moved to Mercari Stadium and held a preliminary match called the "Curtain Raiser Match," played barefoot. The children, standing on the pitch where professional players actually play, showed excitement as they ran freely across the vast grass, chasing the ball with all their might until the very end.

Playing in a stadium, an experience rarely available in everyday life, surely became a special and memorable experience for the children.