With organizational strength that can rival even the strongest schools,
Aiming for promotion for the second consecutive term.

College of Business Management Third-year students
Soccer Club
Graduate of Kanagawa Prefectural Sagamitana High School

Asahi Kakihara

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I was overwhelmed by the way my senior played.

Influenced by my two older sisters, I started playing soccer in the first grade of elementary school. Initially, I played as a forward and was responsible for scoring goals, but from middle school onwards, I was often assigned to defensive positions such as defensive midfielder and center back. I currently play as a defensive midfielder, making use of my strong point, which is my high work rate.

Originally, I didn't intend to continue playing soccer in a club at university; I just wanted to enjoy campus life like everyone else. But somewhere deep down, I felt like I hadn't quite achieved my full potential in high school, so I decided to go and observe the soccer club. There, I witnessed the play of Seiji Imai (currently playing for "Creação Shinjuku" in the Japan Football League), who was two years older than me, and I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere he exuded, his ambition, and his high level of skill. I strongly wanted to play with Imai, so I decided to join the club.

No individual can surpass an organization.

I joined the club a little later than my classmates, but I soon suffered a major injury: a torn anterior cruciate ligament in my left knee. I spent a year focusing on rehabilitation, and honestly, there were days when I felt like giving up. I think I was able to return as a soccer player because my teammates encouraged me.

As captain, what I focus on is creating an environment where everyone can play comfortably. This year, the J. F. Oberlin University soccer club has many technically skilled members among the younger students. It's an environment where you can compete and improve, but inevitably, there are players who have skills but can't play in matches. It's essential to follow them and make any efforts to improve the atmosphere even a little.

Certainly, it would be easier to only focus on the players who are actually playing in the match. However, I realized that this wasn't enough after participating in the Amino Vital Cup in March of this year. While we were technically on par with teams in the first division, there was a difference in our organizational cohesion. They had decided what they needed to do as an organization and were able to strictly adhere to the team rules. In soccer, no individual can surpass the strength of the organization. I resolved to create a sense of unity that would rival the organizational strength of top-ranked schools.

Doing the obvious things carefully and consistently

I believe that consistently paying attention to the small details is crucial for creating a sense of unity within an organization. Personally, I value greetings and reactions. It may seem like a given, but showing that I'm paying attention to even the smallest actions and comments of team members allows them to focus on soccer with peace of mind.

Last year, the soccer club was promoted to the second division. Our goal for this year is to win the second division league and achieve consecutive promotions. J. F. Oberlin University is a group of young soccer players who couldn't give up on soccer even after entering university. We will always play with passion, so please support us.

Interview date:
This was done in June 2024 for the "Obirin Sports" website.

With organizational strength that can rival even the strongest schools,Aiming for promotion for the second consecutive term.

Main content

I was overwhelmed by the way my senior played.

No individual can surpass an organization.

Doing the obvious things carefully and consistently

Related content

With organizational strength that can rival even the strongest schools,
Aiming for promotion for the second consecutive term.