「本気を根気強く」　今年で就任４０年　前橋育英サッカー部・山田耕介監督の変わらない情熱に迫る(22/12/26)

Maebashi Ikuei High School will be competing in the National High School Soccer Championship, which begins on the 28th of this month. We took a closer look at the unwavering passion of coach Yamada Kosuke, who has been in the position for 40 years this year. Coach Yamada Kosuke is 63 years old. He has been with the Maebashi Ikuei soccer team his entire life, and this April marked his 40th year in the position. In his 36th year in the position, he led the team to Gunma Prefecture's first national championship. He has produced over 100 professional players. How has Coach Yamada built such a winning team? A look into the coach's daily life reveals his unwavering passion over the past 40 years. The coach has an early morning. He arrives at school at 6:30 AM and reviews the day's schedule and upcoming activities. At 7:30 AM, he heads to morning soccer practice with the soccer club. Shortly after, the staff gathers in the coach's office. The soccer club, which has approximately 150 members, has staff assigned to each category, and a daily meeting is held to share information. "We train separately for each category, so we check on their progress and schedules. I think staff meetings are extremely important," says Coach Yamada. Coach Yamada is a native of Nagasaki Prefecture. He attended Shimabara Commercial High School in high school, where he was coached by the legendary coach, Tadatoshi Komine, who passed away in January of this year. He served as captain in his third year and led the team to a national championship in the summer Inter-High. In an interview 30 years ago, Coach Komine said the following about his former student: "He was a student who really inspired me. I was captain at the time. He wasn't particularly skillful, but he was very energetic and a hard worker." (Coach Komine) Following in his mentor's footsteps, he became a coach and led Maebashi Ikuei High School to its first national championship in just his fifth year in the position. He retired as principal two years ago and now serves as "superintendent," assisting the entire high school. His free time in the mornings is spent on analysis. He repeatedly watches video footage of his own team's and opponents' matches, editing it himself. He breaks it down by category, such as offense and defense, and shares it with his players during meetings. "The more detailed the analysis, the more different moves become apparent. I feel the more I do it, the more I understand everything in detail," says Coach Yamada. He's also diligently researching the latest tactics. He pulls out a tactical document he compiled during the COVID-19 pandemic, a PowerPoint presentation of roughly 100 pages. "I have to keep learning myself. Football has evolved so much, so playing with an old-fashioned mindset probably won't cut it. While it's certainly necessary to aim for the back of the net with a pass-and-go strategy like in the old days, I think the players won't be able to survive if they don't learn about modern football." (Coach Yamada) Training begins at 4:00 PM. Except for special circumstances like external meetings, he observes practice and provides guidance every day. For 40 years, one thing he has valued in his coaching is "human qualities." "To improve soccer skills, a human element is necessary. You have to be able to listen to others properly, which means you need the ability to think. That's why we've always coached with the hope of somehow instilling in our players that kind of awareness." (Coach Yamada) This year's captain, Ryo Tokunaga, joined Maebashi Ikuei because he admired coaching that emphasized human qualities. "Coach Yamada really taught me about human qualities. I learned things that are more important than soccer, and I think that will help me in soccer, so I'm very grateful to him." (Captain Tokunaga) While coaches of his generation have retired from the front lines, Yamada continues to coach with passion. Shiro Higuchi, who is the same age as Yamada and led the powerful Yokkaichi Chuo Technical High School in Mie Prefecture for many years, had this to say about Coach Yamada: "Kosuke has a strong belief in player development, and while he values ​​the human element, he continues to produce great players and achieve results. That's what makes him more than just a coach; he's also a true educator. Looking at it from the perspective of those of us who have retired and are no longer playing the game, I'm envious of the fact that he's still at the forefront of the game." (Higuchi) He has produced 106 professional players to date, 52 of whom are still active. Former Japan national team player Moe Hosogai is one of them. "I've actually been a professional soccer player for a long time, but I definitely think that Mr. Yamada's decision to move me down to defensive midfielder there has had a major impact on my own soccer career." (Hosogai) His defensive talent was discovered. He currently plays as a defensive midfielder for his hometow...