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Even if the category is different, the teaching method is the same. All you have to do is look at the person.

KazamaI went to Canada in April to complete the S-class license curriculum (certified by the Japan Football Association).

NakamuraYes. I went to Pacific FC, a Canadian first division club in Victoria. It all started five years ago when I went to Canada to meet a Kawasaki Frontale employee who was in the country. At the time, the team was just starting out, so I was interested in what was going on with them now. In 2026, the World Cup will be held in North and Central America, including Canada, and the Canadian national team also participated in the recent Qatar World Cup, so I was also interested in Canadian soccer itself. Of course, I thought about doing an internship at a European club, but it was difficult because the season was coming to an end.

KazamaI think it’s fun to see not just the club as it is, but the football and the environment in which it will play out in the future.

NakamuraThat was exactly the case. During my stay, I was shown how to build a team for a week leading up to a match, and I also participated in staff meetings before practice and feedback after practice. I did this every day for two and a half weeks, including the match. It was a very educational experience.

KazamaI think it’s enough to have the experience of meeting new people in a different environment and gaining knowledge.

NakamuraKazama opened the “Kazama Juku Cerezo Osaka Coaching Training Center” last year and is also focusing on training coaches.

KazamaAfter all, in thoroughly pursuing the essence of soccer, how do you create a method, and how do you convey that method to the players? I think these two are the skills of a soccer coach. This is one of the efforts to make sure that players understand this in their heads.

NakamuraI’m really interested. You’ve coached in a variety of categories, including the top J-League, universities, academies, women’s teams, and coaches. Do you change your coaching methods depending on the category?

Kazama(The way of teaching) is the same everywhere. You just look at the people and do it. You look at everyone, and that’s why you have to keep a good eye on them. For example, when teaching children, there is one child who stands out the most, and another child who doesn’t stand out but is actually the best. You have to instantly decide what will happen if you touch each one.

NakamuraEach player is different. I don’t have experience as a coach, so I often give advice to each player individually, but I am conscious of how to bring out the potential of each player. As Kazama-san said, I think that the approach makes all the difference. Whether it’s at the Frontale Academy or Chuo University (where I serve as technical advisor), it’s not like the scouter in Dragon Ball, but when you look at it, you can see the elements that the player has. You can see what they are lacking and how to improve them. However, I try not to say it bluntly because it’s better for the player to realize it themselves. I listen carefully to what the player thinks, what he sees, and what he wants to do, and then I try to convey it in my own words.

KazamaOf course, I personally say things like, “Your turns are always like this” or “Your play will be different if you just change your position by half a step.” But what I say to one person is ultimately what I say to everyone. Even during my time with Frontale, when I told Kengo, who is the best at handling the ball on the team, “The ball isn’t stopping,” everyone took it upon themselves to listen. It gives everyone a common language and a common perspective on what it means to stop something.
I have defined soccer skills into six categories: “stopping,” “kicking,” “carrying,” “receiving,” “missing,” and “seeing or not seeing,” and now I have standardized them numerically. I am grateful that I have people around me who are willing to help me with things like video and measurements, and I also have more ways to communicate.

NakamuraEveryone is interested in Kazama’s teaching methods, so I think that’s why people who want to cooperate gather together.

Demonstrations, words, and images are used to communicate with athletes and change the standards.

KazamaKengo’s strength (as a coach) is that he can actually demonstrate it through his play. If you have the ability to demonstrate, your persuasiveness is different.

NakamuraThat’s right. It’s not enough to just say “pass speed!” When I actually pass the ball, the players look like they understand. Last year, during the S-class license course, I taught the players defense as a theme. However, the speed of the offensive passes was too slow to practice defense, so I stopped them with a whistle and gave a quick demonstration, and everyone started to pay attention to it.

KazamaBecause I can do that, I can come up with ideas to improve defense with one pass. When I demonstrate it, the atmosphere of the practice changes. That’s one way of communicating. I think that’s also where I can make a difference as a coach.

NakamuraFor example, if everyone’s passing speed is 20 kilometers per hour, I show them the actual pass and make them understand that it’s far too slow. Even if they look like they’re being asked to pass that fast at first, if they focus on it and face it, they gradually get closer to that speed. You can’t change all at once, but if your daily standards change, it will come naturally. So now, the speed of play and judgment is increasing. Of course, I learned this from Kazama-san, but I personally feel that one of the important qualities of a coach is whether or not you can change the players’ standards.

KazamaDemonstrations, words, and images are all that is needed to get the message across to the athletes. If we can change the standards, it will be a completely different story.

NakamuraI also pay attention to the use of words. How much do I need to say to understand what kind of player he is? You can usually tell by looking at his face and talking to him a little. Maybe it’s because of Mr. Kazama’s influence, but I don’t use foreign words very often either.

KazamaIt’s simply because Japanese is easier for Japanese players to understand. There’s no point if you can’t communicate what you want to say.