HOKKAIDO - Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid held its first official soccer school in Hokkaido in August, bringing about 90 young players from across Japan to Urakawa, a town of roughly 11,000 people in the Hidaka region, with organizers now considering opening a permanent residential academy there as early as 2028.
The program was organized by a Japanese company operating under a licensing agreement with a foundation established by Real Madrid.
The company has run soccer school programs in Japan since 2011 and currently operates 10 permanent schools, including locations in the Kanto and Kansai regions, with about 1,400 students enrolled.
Urakawa, one of Japan's leading thoroughbred-producing areas, hosted the latest program last week. About 90 participants ranging from elementary school students to high school students were selected through applications from across the country.
The players received instruction from coaches familiar with Real Madrid's development methods, with an emphasis on possession, passing, tactical awareness and independent decision-making.
"The theme is to keep the ball a little longer so you can maintain possession and then make the pass," one coach told the players.
Among the participants was Eito Miyajima, a first-year junior high school student from Kanagawa Prefecture, who said he hopes to become a professional player. Asked about joining the J.League, he said, "First, I want to get in."
Head coach Julio, a Spanish instructor, led training sessions that drew enthusiastic reactions from the children.
Keiichiro Inoue, a fifth-grade elementary school student from Urakawa, said the coaching was easy to understand and highly educational.
Yuki Kubota, a sixth-grade student from Urakawa, said the program placed greater emphasis on passing than the soccer activities she usually takes part in. "Because it is Spanish soccer, they focus on passing. How you attack using those passes is different from an ordinary soccer club," she said.
Tatsuki Nikaido, a fifth-grade student from Tokyo, also praised the location. "The air is cleaner than in Tokyo, so it is easier to breathe," he said.
The program was divided into two categories according to age.
Students from fourth grade through high school took part in a three-day course combining practical training with classroom sessions covering tactics and other aspects of the game.
Children in third grade or younger joined a four-day program that included not only soccer but also activities unique to Urakawa, including horseback riding, giving them an opportunity to experience the town's local attractions.
Organizers said personal development is a central part of the program. Coaches encourage students to think for themselves, make decisions and act independently rather than simply being given answers.
During one exchange, Julio asked students why their passing had broken down. A player replied that the team had failed to move toward open space. Julio then continued questioning the group about how they could move into wider areas and what preparation was needed before receiving the ball, prompting the players to work through the problem themselves.
One reason Urakawa was selected was its climate.
With increasingly hot summer temperatures making daytime outdoor training difficult in many parts of Honshu, organizers saw Urakawa's relatively mild summer conditions as an advantage.
Kohei Masuda, head of Global Football Management, said the town's facilities and natural surroundings were also decisive.
"When I saw the natural-grass field and the horses, I was impressed and thought I wanted to let the children play soccer here," Masuda said, adding that the environment also helped encourage communication.
Urakawa officials welcomed the opportunity to strengthen ties with the world-famous club.
Koji Minbu, head of the town's commerce and tourism division, said it was valuable for both local children and participants from Honshu to experience authentic top-level coaching.
Urakawa has also been working to attract J.League training camps, and Minbu said the town wants to pursue different forms of soccer-related development that can give children from Urakawa and surrounding communities direct exposure to elite instruction.
Second-year junior high school student Toranosuke Numatate said the sessions were "really fun" and praised the quality of the coaching.
Kai Nishibata, a fifth-grade student, also said he enjoyed the program, adding that Julio's Japanese was good and his explanations were easy to understand.
About 60% of the participants came from within Hokkaido, including local children, while roughly 40% traveled from Honshu.
The program could eventually lead to a much larger Real Madrid-linked presence in Hokkaido.
According to Masuda, the operating company is considering opening a permanent boarding school in Hokkaido around 2028 or 2029, with Urakawa regarded as the leading candidate.
The proposed academy would recruit players from around Japan, and organizers are considering cooperation with a correspondence-based school so students could continue their academic education while training.
Plans under consideration also include using closed school facilities for classroom instruction.
For Urakawa, the project could provide a new opportunity as the town faces population decline.
The town had previously sought to attract J.League summer training camps and reportedly received inquiries from two or three teams. The plan did not materialize, however, partly because Urakawa is far from other training sites in the Sapporo area, making it difficult for teams to arrange practice matches.
That same distance is now being viewed as an advantage by the Real Madrid school organizers, who see Urakawa as a place where young players can concentrate on soccer without distractions.
The town also has natural-grass and artificial-turf fields capable of supporting training at a professional level.
Organizers say the broader goal is not simply to improve soccer technique but to develop players who can think and act independently according to international standards, potentially preparing some of them to pursue professional careers in Japan or overseas.
Source: HBCニュース 北海道放送
