Because it's a team mainly composed of young players,
I want to remain a calm and composed presence.

College of Global Communication Third-year students
Soccer Club
Graduated from Kumamoto Municipal Hiyukan High School

Reio Kurokawa

Main content

Don't blame the environment.

Influenced by my older brother, I started playing soccer in kindergarten. I don't remember much, but apparently I started kicking a ball when I was two years old. From elementary school onwards, I belonged to a local club team, but I hit a slump in my later years. I couldn't play the kind of soccer I wanted to, and I wasn't able to participate in official matches. It was a frustrating experience.

In high school, I learned important life lessons under the guidance of my coach. Even now, I cherish the lesson that "you should not blame your circumstances, but instead focus on yourself."

I wanted to dedicate myself to soccer at university as well, so I decided to attend J. F. Oberlin University. I have a dream of working in the aviation industry in the future, and I found my track record in the aviation sector appealing.

Always look ahead and approach practice with a backward-planning mindset.

Since 2023, the soccer club has been designated a specially strengthened club. As a result, about 40 first-year students with excellent technical skills joined the team last year, and I think the team's atmosphere has changed dramatically.

This year, since we don't have any fourth-year students, we third-year students are mainly in charge of running the team. The thing we pay the most attention to is the pace of practice. Because there are so many of us, if we let our guard down, the pace will drop, so we make sure to give specific instructions, such as calling out to each other during breaks in practice and arranging the practice equipment. We always try to think ahead, about two steps ahead, and act accordingly.

The current team is mainly composed of first and second-year students. There are still some rough edges, but the atmosphere is bright and energetic, almost to the point of being "noisy." We share the team's situation with the adult staff and create practice menus by working backward from the annual goals and league schedule. What needs to be strengthened in the summer? What should we focus on this month? I feel that we are getting closer to the ideal form of "connecting" football that we aspire to.

Focus your attention on yourself, not on the other party.

Our current goal is to win the league championship again this year, following last year's success. The team is also doing well, so consecutive promotions are becoming quite realistic.

My role is to take a step back and objectively observe the entire team. Since it's a team mainly composed of young players, there's a possibility that they might fall apart in situations where they're forced to be patient. I want to be someone who can calmly assess the team's condition and changes in play, and work with my teammates to make accurate course corrections. Now that our goal is within reach, I want us to focus on ourselves and dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to soccer, rather than trying to adapt to our opponents.

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

Because it's a team mainly composed of young players,I want to remain a calm and composed presence.

Main content

Don't blame the environment.

Always look ahead and approach practice with a backward-planning mindset.

Focus your attention on yourself, not on the other party.

Related content

Because it's a team mainly composed of young players,
I want to remain a calm and composed presence.