Kicking Dreams Shattered: Shocking Attack on Prestigious City Football Academy

CITY FOOTBALL ACADEMY is a soccer vocational school opened by Tochigi City Gakuen in April 2023 in Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture. It is also the training organization for Tochigi City Football Club, which belongs to the Japan Football League (JFL), and Shinagawa City Futsal Club, which plays in the first division of the Japan Futsal League (F League). Each department is a two-year program, with about 50 students enrolled in the Professional Football Department, Football Business Department, and Manager/Goalkeeper Department, who work hard at their studies and practice every day, with the dream of making a name for themselves in the soccer and futsal world in their hearts.

[Photo Gallery]CITY FOOTBALL ACADEMY Professional Football DepartmentChairman of the school, Takashi Oguri, explains the purpose and significance of the school, saying, “We want to develop professional talent who can immediately contribute in the soccer and futsal worlds, and talent who can work in a global environment with a global perspective, and contribute to the development of the industry and the revitalization of the local community.” The school building is a 10-12 minute drive from Tochigi and Iwafune stations on the JR Ryomo Line. It utilizes the former Tochigi City Onodera Kita Elementary School, and has been renovated to be suitable for a soccer and futsal vocational school. The school is equipped with classrooms for each grade and department, a large lecture hall, a gymnasium, a library, a cafeteria, a muscle training room, and more, and just looking around the school building, you will be amazed at how well equipped it is. Each department has a two-year educational program, and first-year students focus on classes on campus. Looking at the curriculum of the professional football department, which aims to become a professional player, there are classes from Tuesday to Friday that are packed with common sense and manners for working adults, accounting, nutrition, English conversation, and basic computer operation. This allows students to acquire the mindset of a professional player and a member of society. Department Head Norio Naoi explains, “When you become a professional, you’re self-employed, so you have to be able to manage your money, and when you think about going overseas, you want to master English conversation, not just English. Many of the students live alone and think about their meals, so we’ve also incorporated nutrition.” Currently, six students, including first and second year students, commute to school from home, and most of them live alone. Football-related subjects include coaching theory, tactical theory, game analysis, rules training, basic knowledge of sports injuries, and a wide range of specialized subjects. In the afternoon, students basically practice and train under experienced instructors from 2:00 to 4:50, and on Saturdays and Sundays they play training matches or official matches. The teachers, lecturers, and coaches are all people who have been active in various fields. The class is full of talented people, including junior high school teachers, J.League club operations staff, managers, and trainers, as well as members of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee, a goalkeeper coach for a strong futsal team, and an analyst for a J.League team. Also among the external lecturers is former Tochigi City player and former Japan national team striker Yasuhito Morishima, who gained popularity under the nickname “Deka Morishi.” In the second year, the number of on-campus lectures decreases, and the menu changes to one that mainly involves practical training. However, coaching theory and English conversation continue, computer classes move to applied courses such as PowerPoint, and business skills subjects are also introduced. Vice-captain Hayato Funahashi (2nd year), from Saitama Prefecture, is a graduate of Urawa Higashi High School, which produced former Japan national team goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, and also plays goalkeeper. He commutes to school by train from his home in Saitama Prefecture. He was considering going to a vocational school to become a judo therapist, but after hearing about Tochigi City Gakuen from his high school goalkeeper coach, he enrolled. “Every time I take a class, I become more aware of my own thoughts and the intentions of my coaches from various angles. It is very meaningful to be able to learn English conversation, and I am working hard,” he said. Regarding training, he introduced an interesting class, saying, “The environment and practice time are completely different from when I was in high school, and after receiving lectures on coaching know-how as a C-class coach and kids leader, it was really fun to put it into practice on the pitch.” He has already participated in training sessions with teams in the JFL and Kanto League. “Since I entered this school, I will definitely work hard for the rest of my time so that I can become a professional,” he said, expressing his enthusiasm, and self-proclaiming, “My strengths are shot stopping and build-up. I’m also left-handed, and my goal is to be like Shusaku Nishikawa of Urawa Red Diamonds.” Head of the department Naoi said about the students of the professional football department, “If they have a strong will to become a professional player even if it means clinging to rocks, they will also start to reconsider their lifestyle. Two years after entering the school, they will enter society, so they need to be aware of it. We want to tell them that we want them to seriously aim to become professionals, and help them think seriously about what they want to do as professionals.” He spoke of his mission as a coach. External lecturer Morishima gave a strong cheer to the current students, saying, “Tochigi City has just been promoted to the JFL, but they are doing well in the top ranks. I want the students to have the feeling that if they work hard here, they can become professionals.” (Text and photo by Tadashi Kono)