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Nurturing dreams for a future winger star

The football training session with Japanese coaches has become motivation for Bao Nam and his friends to pursue their dreams of becoming professional players

The Vietnam Youth Football Training Center is the latest stop of the football training program organized by Mitsubishi Electric in conjunction with the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.

Coach Dobashi from FC Imabari (Japan) directly guided Vietnamese coaches and young players through exercises following the 'Okada Method'. This training method was created by legendary strategist Takeshi Okada, who led the Japanese National Team to their first FIFA World Cup finals appearance in 1998. The Okada Method encourages independence, critical thinking and emphasizes players mastering game principles before age 16 rather than playing purely on instinct.

Vu Bao Nam is one of 30 young players selected to participate in the training program using the Okada Method. This young player's preferred position is left winger. He shared that he really enjoys running down the flanks, playing one-two passes with teammates, and cutting inside to take long-range shots.

During the training session, Nam received guidance from Coach Dobashi on Okada Method exercises to improve his reflexes and movement when receiving passes from teammates.

During the break, the 11-year-old player commented: “Today's exercises helped me develop better reflexes and train my persistence. I especially liked the ball juggling exercise with my partner. It helped me bond better with my friend, and we had to persevere to meet the requirements set by the Japanese coach. The rondo exercise was the most challenging. It required very quick reflexes and constant communication to understand teammates' intentions.”

At the end of the training session, Coach Dobashi divided the young players into 4 teams to apply what they had learned in matches. Bao Nam scored a beautiful goal with his signature long-range shot from outside the penalty area.

“I'm very happy and proud to have the opportunity to train with Japanese coaches today,” Bao Nam shared before leaving the field.