Yoshito Okubo, a former Japanese national football team, has fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a professional soccer player.

The origin of Mr. Okubo, who left a record of 191 points in J1 maximum, was his teacher's guidance to "strengthen the strengths".


How did the boy, who was not confident and unable to speak, grow up?


(Interviewer / Interview Nagasaki Broadcasting Station Announcer Makio Kihana)

Kunimi Town, Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture, located on the Shimabara Peninsula.


Soccer balls are displayed everywhere in the town, such as the platform of the station and street lights.

It is the town where Nagasaki Prefectural Kunimi High School, a powerful player who has won the national high school soccer championship six times, is located.


The Kunimi High School Soccer Club currently has more than 100 members.

Players from all over the country gather and practice every day aiming for a regular position.


Mr. Okubo also devoted himself to soccer on this ground.



(Kihana)


Do you remember?


(Okubo)


No, I remember.

good old days.

I understand?

It feels like this soil is smashing.


I miss it very much.

I've been running here all the time, so everyone.


I ran all the time and it was really painful.


Oh, I'm glad I missed it.

There is such a place.

I was raised here.

Nothing has changed.

Boyhood when I couldn't even make a voice

Mr. Okubo was born and raised in Kanda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture.


When he was in the fifth grade of elementary school, the J-League started and he became a professional soccer player.


The origin of his aggressive play was his father's "Don't lose, always be the best, be the hero", which was tough on football.


Mr. Okubo said that he hated to lose from there, but he said he was not confident until the fifth grade of elementary school.



(Okubo)


I'm not confident at all.


He's not confident because he can't speak and can't make a request, and the manager said, "You don't play because you don't speak," and you can't get out of it all the time. It was.


But even if he speaks out, he can't say it because he's not confident.


I can't speak out.

I don't know how to put him out.


When I said that, I thought he might be saying something wrong, so I was really silent and silent.


From that time on, I realized that self-confidence was important.

While running so much that I feel "scary"

Mr. Okubo in high school To fulfill his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, Mr. Okubo went on to Kunimi High School.


It was led by Tadatoshi Komine, who died in January this year.

I raised it to a strong school through intense practice.

With so many rivals, Mr. Okubo couldn't make it to the top team, and he continued to practice hard every day.

(Kihana)


Did you practice hard?


(Okubo)


It was hard.


At 5 pm, the sound of "Edelweiss" will be heard here.


It's 5 o'clock.

When it rang, Dr. Komine told me to change to running shoes.

I didn't like running at that time.


I really hated it and was scared every day.


(Kihana)


How long has it been since 5 o'clock?


(Okubo)


It's about 2 hours, maybe not 2 hours.

You kept running that much.

Really, there were many people who collapsed and lost their memories.


The times were also the times, and I was scared or disliked that much.


(Kihana)


I don't know what kind of motivation Mr. Okubo endured, and I don't know if he endured that unpleasant practice, but did you do it?


(Okubo)


No, while I'm running, I wonder where to compromise, and if I compromise here, I'll run thinking that I don't have to run anymore, but in order to become a professional, this is the road I have to take. While thinking about it, I was definitely going to be a professional, thinking that this would be good for me, and I just ran.


You can't compromise easily.

I've never made a compromise.


You can still go if you think about compromising.

Probably, when it doesn't work, I think my body really stops.



After a year of practice, Mr. Okubo will have a chance.



(Okubo)


When I was in the second grade, I was cheering, but when I was asked "Can I get out once?" "Can I get out in Team A?" I said.


(Kihana)


Mr. Okubo is a starting lineup?


(Okubo)


In the starting lineup.


Moreover, I was in a position I had never done.



The position is below the top.

It was a position I had never experienced for Mr. Okubo, who has been a forward for a long time.


He says he didn't know how to move under the top.



(Okubo)


I didn't want to ask the teachers and coaches, "Isn't this possible?", So I didn't ask until the last minute.

Just before the match, I was worried if I didn't ask, and I thought I might be ruined, so I heard it at the end.

It may have been good.


You scored 4 points in that match, and that's where you started.

By getting those 4 points, I got more confident in myself, or I got confident that I could do it, and I went from there at once.


(Kihana)


Why did you get 4 points in that match, and why did you feel confident?


(Okubo)


I was able to take the opportunity by steadily moving away from my parents from junior high school.


I think it was because I really practiced that I was able to catch it while there were so many members and I had only one chance.


(Kihana)


Has movement changed as you gained confidence?


(Okubo)


It will change.

There is no correct answer in soccer.

There is no correct answer, but I will be able to move as I expected.


Before that, I was wondering if it was okay to move here, but I was thinking that it was okay to go there, so that I could show that I was going there or that this was good. It became.

Look at people and develop their strengths

There is another reason why Mr. Okubo was able to play an active role at Kunimi High School with confidence.

That is Mr. Komine's "seeing people" teaching method.


Mr. Okubo, who was good at middle shooting from dribbling, was told by Mr. Komine to "polish his strengths" and was working on shooting practice every day.


On the other hand, Mr. Okubo is sometimes sent off because of his strong defeat.

However, Mr. Komine may have known that Mr. Okubo has a delicate heart.



(Okubo)


It was during the Gunma expedition, but I was sent off in the match.

I think this is bad, and it's hard to leave in high school.

I thought I would get angry, and when I got back to the bus after the match, I was told "Kajin!"

When I thought, "Oh my god, I'm getting angry," the teacher said, "You've left, so eat two lunch boxes."

I thought that was all I needed, so I said "Yes, I'll eat" and ate it.


The teacher becomes shun when he sees people or when I get really angry.

Affecting play, no good at all.

However, when I was praised, I was so confident that I could go crazy, so the teacher knew that and didn't get angry at that time.


Maybe it was when I was really riding a good wave at that time, so I wouldn't know if it wasn't that way of dealing with it.

Play may have fallen, and if you can't talk to me, you don't like it.

I hate getting angry.

However, the teacher was only "eating two lunch boxes", so it was just right for me.



And Mr. Okubo is in his third year of high school.

Kunimi High School shows overwhelming strength nationwide.

He won the summer high school overall, the autumn national polity, and the winter championship, and achieved three crowns.


In the championship, Mr. Okubo scored 8 goals and became the top scorer, such as deciding the middle shot from the dribble that he was good at in the final match.

To a leader who will build confidence someday

Mr. Okubo, who has retired from active duty and wants to stand in the field as a leader in the future.

The image of his teacher is what comes to mind as the image of the leader he is aiming for.



(Kihana)


Regarding the future of Mr. Okubo, how do you want to be involved in soccer from now on?


(Okubo)


After all, I was raised by soccer, so I want to give back to that, and now I have the feeling that I want to try it, like a director.


(Kihana)


Is there any place where you can make use of Mr. Komine's teaching method in your future?


(Okubo)


After all, being told to "strengthen your strengths" was a big thing for me, and I want to be a leader who can identify and develop each person's individuality.


Mr. Komine tells everyone, not just me, to "strengthen your strengths, polish what you are good at, and make something that is second to none". It was.

When I was told that, if I wanted to dribble, shoot better, and defend better, maybe everything would be normal, but the moment I was told that, Then I tried to keep shooting from the dribble.

Then you might get something that no one else has.


As a result of continuing to do that, it became a weapon, even if I became a professional.

So, I was glad that I was glad to hear what I said.


(Tree flower)


What kind of treatment do you keep in mind for Okubo's four children in order to build confidence?


(Okubo)


You don't get angry when it comes to soccer.

The personality of each person is different if there are four people.

However, there is one thing that is the same, and it's no good if you get angry.

So, without getting angry, even if I see a match or practice and think "I should definitely do it over there", I praise it without saying it.

It's like "Isn't it good?"

I'm happy to say, "I think that if you keep doing that and practice more, you'll get a little better, so you should do that in order to become a professional, right?" Is doing that.


My child has that kind of personality.

Just like myself, when I get angry, I lose motivation and I can't exert my strength.

However, I know that if you are complimented, you can go up at a tremendous speed, so that's how you treat it.


(Kihana)


Does building confidence occupy a large weight on the growth of children?


(Okubo)


Probably, the self-confidence of any child is amazing, after all it seems to be up to elementary, junior high and high school students, even if you are a professional, until about 22 or 23 years old, but a little confidence becomes a great confidence and you play Because it changes as.

That's why I think it's better to gain confidence early on, and I'm telling everyone that way.

You have to be confident and take on the challenge.

And you have to get success there.

But you can't just get success, and sometimes you make mistakes.

However, if I make a mistake, I think I will make another mistake, so I will not challenge again.

Then, if you make a mistake, it's just a minus.

Even if I make a mistake, I will change to the feeling that "I will definitely show a different play next time" and challenge.

Then, the confidence when you succeed there is amazing.


I want you to always take on the challenge because of the repetition of that.

Don't worry about the eyes around you.

You are the only one who can help you.


(Kihana)


When it comes to production, I think there are many people who are nervous and atrophied and can't exert their strength.

What do you think Mr. Okubo is at the end of building confidence?


(Okubo)


Believe in yourself.

I used to write "believe in myself" in my notebook and put it on my desk, as I did when I was in high school.

I'll do this because someone else told me, and even if I make a mistake, the person who said it won't take responsibility.


You can only take responsibility for yourself.


That's why I'm dropped by Team B, and in the J-League, I can't play in the match.

To prevent that, believe in yourself and do what you think.

So if you make a mistake, it's your responsibility and you can't blame others.


I think it's important to believe in yourself.


And it is practice to be able to believe in yourself.

I just practice.

I wasn't confident in shooting.


When my teacher told me to improve my strengths, I had been practicing shooting and shooting from dribbling for three years, and as I did that, my anxiety disappeared and I could do it. It changes to the thought that it may be.

From anxiety.

I've hit that far, so believe in yourself and hit it in the match.

After all, I've been doing a great amount of practice by then, so I enter.

It will succeed.

I was practicing.


That kind of thing overlaps, and you can believe in yourself.

I've practiced, so it doesn't work.

But if you practice and challenge yourself, you will naturally believe in yourself, so keep doing that.


If you give up somewhere, you won't believe it, so don't give up and push forward.

(Kihana)


I have the impression that there are quite a few high school students and quiet children now, but what is important in order to strengthen the strength of a striker like Mr. Okubo?


(Okubo)


I think it's most important to have the feeling that you don't want to lose, whatever.

I was only playing soccer, but I'm definitely second to none in soccer.

So, if you have the feeling that you will score goals and become a hero, you will go aggressive.

It is important to have that kind of feeling.


I think there are probably a lot of children inside, but there may not be many children who don't want to lose these days.

That kind of thing appears in the play, so I want you to have that kind of feeling.


(Kihana)


If the player is sent off, what kind of voice would Okubo say if he was sent off?


(Okubo)


No, I'm already saying, "Eat two bento boxes."

I say it as I was told.


I don't think I'll get angry.

I say what I felt.


For the time being, if you say "eat two bento boxes", I think it will make you feel better.


It's with me.

So I would like to use it.