Soccer as a Communication Tool: The Case of Kagoshima Prefectural Soccer Association

On December 27, 2023, together with the Kagoshima Soccer Association, we delivered MY FOOTBALL KIT to children of the soccer x after-school day service "NiKe Sports Academic" and the soccer team "FC Trimble" in Kagoshima City.
NiKe Sports Academic aims to participate in society by approaching the physical and mental growth and development of children with disabilities through soccer.

The MY FOOTBALL KIT we delivered this time was made possible by using a portion of the participation fee for the event "Summer Vacation Free Research 2023: SDGs through Soccer in JFA Dream Field" held jointly with the Japan Football Association during the summer vacation of 2023, as well as a portion of the sales from individual support.

Up until the day before the event, the organizers were concerned about how the children would interact with each other, but once they arrived at the event site, those worries were gone.

There are no barriers between the children who interact with each other through soccer on a regular basis, and they have fun, brag to each other, and help each other when assembling MY FOOTBALL KIT. Usually they are on different teams, but during this time they were one team. It was a great space to spend time as friends and understand each other through soccer.

After saying goodbye before lunch, the children pulled blue sheets over the pitch and prepared to eat lunch together.

Mr. Izumitani, vice-chairman of the Inclusive Committee of the Kagoshima Soccer Association, after the hands-on event,
said, "We had a great time helping each other as we assembled the ball, and playing soccer with the finished ball brought smiles to our faces."

It was a wonderful experience that delivered an opportunity for children to grow.
Thank you again to everyone who supported us.