[READ THE FIRST POST] The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

GOAL 4-The delusion continues!

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

I have a perverse enjoyment for these guys. I hope it takes him a while to get the point!

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Love this thread

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

If you weren't at even MLS standard, you have zero chance!

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

What Elalien X meant was not a try out for Sanfrecce, but for Fuji Xerox Hiroshima (OK a job there is needed) or Yamako FC or Hiroshima FC? They might be more on level.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Questions along this line. We will be transferring to Japan as my husband is in the Navy, Yokosuka. My son is U13 with Nike Rush FC and has been playing competitive for 4 years now. We would like him to continue at that level while we are there. The base schools don't provide the year round that we have been doing. What is it he/we need to do to give him the opportunity to tryout for a local club there? Were do we find a local club? He would be U14 and I see height is important he is about 5' 8 1/2" right now and definately not done growing.

Any input would be greatly appreiciated. Thank you for your time.
Shannon
Washington state USA

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

I just want to say this. While I mostly agree with what he said I ll say this as well:

My brother is currently in our national team. He is only 12 for now, but if he remains in the National team as he grows older, he will most likely be looking to join clubs in Japan. As an older brother I have some influence

And his favorite club is Sanfrecce Hiroshima. So you never know when a silly thread like this on a "silly" forum may lead to something

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

No, actually, what you just said is an excellent example to PROVE exactly what I said, in the post you quoted.

- First of all, he was good enough to play in his own country's NT, and therefore presumably a local club team as well. That is exactly the thing I told people to focus on first, before asking about Japan.

-Second, any information he gets about J.League clubs will be information he gets directly from his contacts in the real world (such as his brother). He wont have to go online and ask questions from people he never met, on some message board.

-Third, and most important, if you made a list of all the sources of information you had about the J.League, and about things a kid like your brother can do to boost their chances of finding a team, listed in order of how useful they were, Im guessing this thread probably ranks somewhere in the bottom 20%. Be honest now. . . . am I right?

How about bottom 5%? Bottom 1%?

I think there may be some value to having a thread on this topic, with a few very simple posts outlining the hurdles involved, the fact that in the 12-13 years of BigSoccer's existence, not a single player has EVER made a useful connection via threads of this nature to help them try out for even a 100% amateur team. Basically this thread has just become a source of repeat humour for people who follow the J.League, who enjoy laughing at people with large delusions

PS:　To completely contradict what I said above, If your brother does get interested in playing for a J.League team by the time he is 17, send me an e-mail and I will do what I can to set him up with free room, board and expenses provided he is willing to play for Ventforet (based on the current signings the team has made to replace Paulinho and Daniel, he probably would be able to outperform our current foreigners even at age 12! )

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

haha Like the last part of the post.

I am worried about Ventforet and its future in all honesty. Especially when I read the transfers made so far, however this thread is not the place to discuss it.


As for my bother thing is. If he continues to do well and actually manages to stay in our national team up to when he is about 18, he will probably already become quite a footballer, since he is a striker by profession and currently our national strikers are Tim Matavz (main striker for PSV) however the point is, we were discussing it and if it happens (and that is really still so far and hard to reach) if he would have some good European clubs to choose from, as it stands he would rather go to Japan.

I'll make sure it stays that way, he needs to make sure he continues to play well and develop as a footballer.
But yeah I agree with what you have said. It's cruel reality or not, that if you are a foreigner and are good enough to play at J1 or J2 you are probably gonna get offers left and right anyways and if you are good enough for JFL or bellow, than, it is most likely they will just pick some Japanese players instead, and perhaps you can only play for them to have fun, otherwise it would be better to make a thread, how to find a job in Japan if you are a foreigner.


But need to say, I really love this thread, it has given me so many smiles on my face I lost count heh

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Reality check for people, as I see the thread woke up...

Recently at Mito's tryouts, there were over 50 people who paid to get a look from the club. All were active players in a league on some level, most being a national league. There were players from J1, J2, and foreign leagues; some South Americans and a European player were involved. Many showed strong potential and great quality.

Of all of these, the ONLY player chosen was one with Japan senior national team experience. And Mito is one of the poorest teams in the country. There were great players who were interested in playing for free as amateurs and yet still weren't taken.

That being said, I can't wait for the next delusion!

In regards to the post that woke the thread, just have your child enroll in normal school. From junior high, public school sports instruction is intense in Japan. The vast majority of pro Japanese players just played at their local junior high. Standouts in junior high that really turn heads would be recruited to join high schools with strong clubs or pro youth squads.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Jleague teams have academies start there, after you find out the price of enrollment try out for the high school team. Japanese high school soccer produces talent! Above post just beat me to it, anyways your kid more than likely wont make it anywhere enjoying the game should always be the number one priority.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

If you'll be in Yokosuka, the local J-League clubs would be Yokohama F-Marinos, Yokohama FC and Shonan Bellmare. All have established academy/youth teams, but I'd imagine they'd be pretty tough to crack as a foreigner. If you're not satisfied with the program the base school, a local Japanese school's soccer club will definitely train year-round. The obvious drawbacks, however, are the language barrier at a Yokosuka City school vs. the DoD school. Also, Japanese schools may train relentlessly, but the number of competitive games they play may be limited just to how many games the soccer club can survive within the prefectural tournament(s), which are usually single-elimination.

If your budget can take it, one other alternative may be to look into the programs/teams offered by international schools in Yokohama/Tokyo, at which the language barrier factor wouldn't be a problem, but which may offer a high level of competitive sports than the base school.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

I want to thank you very much for the information you provided. I will have my husband look into those leagues you suggested. I can see there is a different type of mindset there regarding "foreigners", I have much to learn. I have been raised and I raise my children that no one is a foreigner, we all have something to give, especially with the soccer/football comminuty being a univeral sport. I just recently heard about the international schools, again I will have my husband check that out as he is already there. We are doing our best to learn the language and the culture as we don't want to offend anyone. Is there a way to get private training or even guest play somehow, or do they just not want to see? My husband is a referee and wants to get involved with the referee community there as well. Would he contact the clubs to find out who the assigners are?

I can see this experience will open our hearts and mind to more worldly type views. I only want to best opportuinty for my children and I don't want him to loose any of his skills as we plan to come back here and return to our club. Again thank you so much and your honsety is greatly appreicated, it's just hard to hear as a mom.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

I don't know about clubs in Kanagawa, but the pro junior youth club for Mito (junior high and younger) is open to anyone paying the membership fee, but Japanese ability would be a must for parents and students alike.

Referees, for any official match including students, are required to be licensed by the prefecture soccer federation.

While the idea of universal acceptance is wonderful in a multicultural society, Japan is 99% Japanese and 99.9% Asian. You really have to embrace your role as a foreigner, especially if you know it is only for a couple of years. Many of us posting on this board are foreigners in Japan who have lived here for many years, bought cars and homes, married Japanese, can speak Japanese, or taken Japanese citizenship, and yet we are treated differently than a Japanese. Even national politicians (and Japan national team soccer players) have a very different life experience based solely on skin color, more han you might expect. This is not always negative though and there are many unique benefits to go along with occasional discrimination. I know that some foreigners posting here enjoy a bit of a closer or more privileged connection with their favorite team than a Japanese would because of being unique.

Fundamentally to try and be Japanese would be impossible, and if you already know your stay is temporary, should not be inflected in your actions. The Japanese society's attitude towards "guests" is very gracious. The attitude towards outsiders trying to change society, very cold. If you are attempting to follow "in Japan, do as the Japanese do", you will be held to the same standards, requirements, and responsibilities despite any language or cultural differences. Not to say that this is too much for people to handle if choosing to live this way, but if you can take advantage of being foreign in any way, it is not only NOT negative, but expected by the Japanese.

Without knowing anyone's specific abilities or history, it is hard to give specific advice. But I highly recommend that you embrace your unique natures and take advantage, and do any preparation and have expectations not on living in Japan, but as foreigners living in Japan. The American ideals of all being completely equal and the tradition of rugged individualism would lead to a rough time for your family.

I think this came out badly and might not have gotten across well, being really negative, but in my work I've dealt with hundreds coming to Japan the first time and the biggest cause for difficulty is when people have unrealistic expectations about the country and the reality doesn't match the expectation. I really hope to prevent that happening to anyone else.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Vendo's comments are an excellent explanation of what sort of attitude works best in Japan. Despite his protests, I think he described things very well.

Before I say anything else, let me explain that I am a naturalized Japanese who was born and raised in the US, as a middle-class, liberal "WASP". . . . indeed, about as WASPish as they come, with a New England family tree of almost 400 years, including two (distant) Mayflower ancestors. I also was raised with the CONCEPT that everyone should be treated identically and the only differences in treatment should be based on the content of your character. . . . .

. . . however, I had an perceptual advantage over other white suburban American kids in that I also had a (adopted) younger brother who was black.

Consequently I never acquired any "illusions" about the reality of racial perceptions and treatment in this world. Racism is as deep and as persistent in the US as anywhere else in the world, not only in people's attitudes, but in the fabric of social institutions, the standards applied by legal and regulatory authorities, and the values and norms permitted to each individual. Only a white person could reach adulthood without understanding that fact

The ideal that everyone should be treated the same is a wonderful ideal to have, and to strive for in your own life. But having also lived for extended time in other highly bi- or multi-racial societies (Fiji, India, Hawaii, Malaysia) as well, I can tell you with complete confidence that there is no such thing as a colour-blind society. You need to simply accept who you are, value the differences that you find here, as well as the differences you offer as a "foreigner", and try to focus on the benefits and opportunities that arise from being who you are.

Some feel that Japanese people are more openly "prejudiced" in their behaviour than Americans, for example. That is probably an accurate perception in some ways. But if you look for it, you will also find a generosity, tolerance, and genuine acceptance of differences that you find few other places in the world. As a friend I knew years ago in Tokyo explained it: "As a gay, black man who up in San Francisco, I know about "practiced non-bias". But it wasnt until I came here (Japan) that I knew what it was like to have people accept me for exactly who I am."

As it applies to football, being a foreigner (and US military to boot) may actually be a great benefit in helping your husband find a league that will let him officiate. What is his certification level? If he has any sort of FIFA-related certification I suspect that local youth, and even adult leagues would be very open to having him participate, and if he makes the effort to learn Japanese, the demand for his participation will be even greater.

Once you arrive in Yokosuka, and have settled in, try to decide how much exposure you want your son to have to the local education system (it can be a tough choice so ask as many old-timers on and off base, as possible, before making a decision). As others have said, enrolling in a local school will be the best immediate way into a quality soccer team. The study load will be tough, especially until his Japanese improves, but you will be amazed at how local teachers and school administrators bend over backwards to give him the extra support he might need.

Alternatively, if you decide to send him to school on-base, there are many local teams, both public and "private", that accept talented players regardless of their nationality. In Yokosuka city itself, one well-known independent club is the Yokosuka Seagulls, which has regular teams (U-18 or "youth", U-15 or "junior youth", and numerous "kids soccer" groups from U-8 up to U-13), as well as fee-based clinics that run for a weekend (2 or 3 days). Right now their site has lots of blank pages because the 2012 schedule hasnt been made yet, but in February or thereabouts you can visit (using your browser's "translate" functon) to get more information.

I hope this information is useful. At the end of the day, the best advice I can offer is to always keep a friendly, positive attitude and ask a lot of questions. You will find lots of people willing to help point you in the right direction as long as you display goodwill and kindness in return.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Hi, my name is Mattheo. I am an Italian boy of 20 years. I love football and I'd play it in a major team until the age of 16 years. After I dedicated to the study and I just train myself (4/5 hours a day, roughly). From September, I started to play in a professional futsal team of League B (we'll probably go up in the League A) to improve my skill. Since my childhood I have the dream of playing in a Japanese team, of j.league 1 or 2, as a professional and now I'm looking for someone that can help me find someone qualified to organize a test or audition. I've already informed of any costs of travel and I'll pay it all at my expense because I intend to give my best and I'll devote myself only to soccer. If anyone can help me or let me have the contact of a manager I would be very grateful. I leave my email address if anyone wants to contact me: zabuzafanart@yahoo.it

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

I'm not a troll it's just that I've read the tread and I don't have understand cause someone tell something and another one the opposite... if someone could help me contact me by email. thanks

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

There is no ambiguity.

Do you have experience in the top division of a renouned soccer league?
Do you have professional soccer management handling your career?

If not, you have to do that first, and even then, be better than almost everyone else AND be lucky!

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

Read through your posts on another forum, the answer is still the same. No you do not have a hope in hell of ever playing in the JLeague give up the dream.

 

Re: The "I want to tryout for a Japanese Team" Thread

I just do not understand you ... will want to say that I appear in person directly, probably around July or earlier .. so we'll see ... I am sorry that no one knows how to help me .. I will want to say that all by yourself .... cnd Marine,i will tell you the contrary, the J League is a walk for me, because you play like children chasing the ball. I'm sorry to say so, I love Japan, but I consider myself more than up to play in your league ...