We delivered MY FOOTBALL KIT to the children of Himawari-en, a residential care home for children operated by the Fuyokai Social Welfare Corporation.
As the first delivery of the JFA × Molten crowdfunding project “Deliver Assemble-It-Yourself Soccer Balls to 1,000 Children!”, we visited Himawari-en, a residential child care facility in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Friday, November 28, 2025, and delivered MY FOOTBALL KIT to the children.
The reason we selected this facility was an article introduced by the Japan Football Association.
It told the story of someone who grew up in a residential care home and achieved his dream of becoming a soccer player.
That person is Hayato Iijima, also known as “Coach Hayato,” a former player of FC ISE-SHIMA.
Coach Hayato joined us in delivering the kits to the children at the very facility where he himself grew up.
Before the event, we held several meetings with Coach Hayato.
He encountered soccer at a young age and grew up alongside the sport.
He is now working full-time, and on his days off, he gives private soccer lessons.
Through soccer, he developed interests, found small goals, and eventually turned them into big dreams—growing up in a care facility and making those dreams come true.
When they saw us, they cheerfully greeted us with “Hello!”
Since we had some time before the event started, we played soccer together.
Even though puddles remained on the field from the rain the day before, the children ran around with big smiles.
While we were preparing for the event, Coach Hayato arrived and we finally met him in person.
As soon as he arrived, the children called out, “Hayato! Let’s play soccer!”
Even after graduating from the facility, he regularly visits and continues to play soccer with the children.
When it was time, the event began.
Carrying the wishes of the people who supported the JFA crowdfunding project,
we handed MY FOOTBALL KIT to each child one by one.
Before starting assembly, we shared three promises:
Even if you fail, try to assemble it by yourself.
If you don’t understand or need help, raise your hand—we will come and support you.
What matters is not who finishes first, but whether you challenged yourself.
The children carefully followed the instruction booklet and worked hard to assemble their balls.
Younger children worked together with their teachers, while older students gave advice to those who were struggling.
Through the assembly process, many forms of communication naturally emerged.
Flat pieces gradually turned into three-dimensional shapes, and little by little, the ball began to take form.
When some reached the halfway point, they put the half-made ball on their heads like a helmet—
a familiar and joyful scene that appeared again at this event.
The first child finished in about 15 minutes.
Not a single child gave up, and everyone completed their ball within 30 minutes.
Using the balls they made themselves, they immediately started playing soccer.
They even had a juggling contest with Coach Hayato—and as expected, he was amazing.
At the end, Coach Hayato shared a message with the children:
“I also grew up in this facility, and thanks to the support of many people, I became a soccer player and am who I am today.
You may sometimes feel different from others, or feel sad or frustrated, but please remember today’s fun experience and keep doing your best.”
We felt that by coming here and providing experiences they don’t usually have, these special moments become joyful memories that support the children in their lives.
Comment from Mr. Yu Suzuki, Partner Business Department,
Japan Football Association
“The children were so good at assembling the balls that it was impressive to see Coach Hayato learning from them.
We hope that through soccer, children can have dreams, and we will continue providing many opportunities like this.”
Comment from Director Taneda (Oida), Himawari-en
“Many of the children at Himawari-en love soccer, and they were really looking forward to this event.
Through soccer, children in care facilities can connect with friends and their community.
We are also happy that Hayato, who became the reason for this support, built his life through the connections and support he found in soccer.
Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity.”
Once again, thank you very much to everyone who supported us.
We were able to deliver a wonderful experience to the children.
One especially touching moment was when Director Taneda introduced Coach Hayato to us.
He shared many stories about Hayato’s memories at the facility, his good qualities, and how hard he worked.
Although there must have been many difficult times, we felt that Director Taneda has always faced the children sincerely, helping them grow and graduate.
He has even obtained coaching and referee licenses himself.
We were truly happy to see how soccer has always been close to the children’s growth.
Delivering education and sports to children who need experiences.
The support we received will continue!
Next, we will deliver MY FOOTBALL KIT to children in Kagoshima.