Young talent and accumulated fatigue

 Hey, boys. How are you?? 

 Recently, I have been surprised at the youngsters in my team who are improving incredibly fast!! As you know, a mental strength for each player counts so big in football. Of course the higher you play in, the more it counts. And also how do you strength build it up?? The only one way to do that is to get as much experience of playing a official game as you can. 

 It's all depends on the coach who you work with, but the coach in my team likes to give young players a chance to play. Lately, I've seen them play in the same field, and they obviously make some big impacts to us game by game. It's pretty impressive and stimulating to me. 

 Because of their age, they could jump up to the next level much easier than I do as I can see their quick improvements with full of confidence between a game and the next game. That's what they have reminded me of recently.

 On another note, I've been suffering an accumlated fatigue. It doen't really matter to me now cuz the season is nearly over, but I mean my recovery speed from the fatique like a muscle pain on my legs after every game is getting slower and slower as I get older. I know it naturally happens to everyone, but I will have to find a good way for recovery to shorten the time to back up. I do stretching at least twice a day, and go for a job to make my whole body supple. However, it's not enough. I need to take in more technical method based on advices of a physical profession.

 I'm wondering how I address myself to this serions concern. Any advises?? 

 

 

 

　最近になって色々と気づくことが多い。それは若い選手の成長速度の速さと、粗さ。監督は積極的にユース上がりの選手を使っているけど、シーズン始めは２軍の試合でも自信なさげにプレーしていたのが、何かのきっかけで自信を得てプレーが飛躍的に良くなること。若手を使い続けるというのは監督にとって我慢が必要だろうけど、一度波に乗ればどこまでも成長していく。

　年齢を重ねると、一つ階段を上るのに時間をすごく必要とするけど、十代の選手は１週間で１段も２段も上がっていける。そういう成長を見ているのはすごく楽しいね。自分も負けれられない。

　もう一つは、疲労がやっぱり取れにくくなってきているということ。まだ筋肉系のトラブルは起こっていないけど、これから調整法を全く変えないでいると、肉離れや大きな怪我につながるかもっていう危機感を最近抱いてる。試合前も、今年の後半から試合２日前から極端に練習量を落としてる。試合当日にどれだけフレッシュな状態でっていうのを考えてのことだけど、最初は練習量を落とすのに、かなり勇気がいったし、運動量が落ちるんじゃないかと不安だったけど、試合日に疲れを全く残さない方が返って限界まで走れるということに気づけたのはよかった。あとは試合後の疲労をどうやっていかに早く落とすか。何か良い方法はないだろうか。

　最近は生き残るためにＤＦに力を入れたり、でもやっぱり前目の方がやりやすかったりと色々試行錯誤しているけど、今年は色々と良い経験ができてると前向きに捉えてるし、来季に向けてしっかり準備していきたい。

vs Peninsula Power

 Hi, guys.

 We took on a very strong and decent side last weekend. As you can predict easily, the result was devastating. We got totally destroyed in every aspect of the game. They just controlled the ball posession and overcome every part of the game such as 1on1 situation, transition for attacking, consistency as a team and fitness level...　you name it!! 

 I understand that there is a huge gap between them and us in quality both as a team and individual since some of their squads have a professional career before such as A-league and some European clubs. But what makes me piss off all the time is their attitude at every training session. I don't want to make a sloppy talk here, but let me whine only today. Lol

 Most of my team-mates never play seriously at training. it looks like they just chill out with friends with kicking a ball around. The coach also doesn't care what they do at training!! WTF!!  Just laughing, taking shit and whinging about referee after losing a game without blaming themselves first. They are really good at shifting the blame onto others. This makes nothing better.. 

 I know they have a certain skill, quality and passion for football as they had shown them in the beginning. I think a change of the regulation about relegation/promotion battle deprived of their motivation. As I have told you in earlier blog few times, no team will be relegated to lower division after this season. So basically, if we win or lose a game, it really doesn't matter to us. It's virtually a little short of throwaway match..

 But of course I don't want to waste any game in which I play. So I could've done a lot more for the team by exercising a leadership. To be honest, I've never been entrusted a captain role, but it must have been the time to do. I'm so sorry not to to that now. It's one of my challenge to solve in the next season!!

 

 

  今日は上位との試合。

　結果は完敗でした。個々の差、チーム力・・・。もっと言えば局面での１対１、連動性、運動量、そして攻撃の迫力。こっちは攻守の切り替えが遅すぎる。取られたときに一人さぼれば、もうスルーパス通されてＧＫと１対１なんて状況が前半だけでも何回もあった。

　相手は元Ａリーグや海外のプロリーグでプレーしてる選手が中心で、年齢も３０歳を超えてる選手も多い。こっちは２０代そこらで、最近の練習態度も半ば遊び半分。この際グチになって申し訳ないが言わせてもらう。負けてもヘラヘラ、練習でもヘラヘラ。負けたら責任転嫁がこのチームの得意技。審判があーだこーだ、監督があーだこーだ。

　能力は高いし、うまい選手が多いのにそれを試合に出せない。おまけに、コーチの息子、チームマネージャーの息子も所属していて、監督は彼らを優先的に使う。本当は使いたくないのか知らないけど、まぁ使わざる終えない無言のプレッシャーがあるんだろうとは想像がつくし、そんな理不尽なことは海外生活で慣れたけど、試合に出すのは文句言わないが、彼らの練習態度、試合への準備の仕方まで監督が気を使って怒れないようじゃ、話にならない。

　今シーズンはリーグの規定で降格がない。それが決まってから練習態度がさらにおかしくなった。「どうせ勝っても負けても一緒だろ？」って顔に書いてあるのがわかる。さらにこのチームは完全に白人と黒人とでグループができてしまってる。試合では一緒に出るのに、白人は白人を庇い、黒人がミスをすると非難する。少数派の黒人は居心地悪そうにプレーをし、縮こまる悪循環。この光景はオーストラリアでは当たり前やけど、すべては強烈なリーダーシップを持ってる選手がいなかったのが原因だと思う。強いチームは、試合中にしょーもないミスが起こると怒鳴りつけてる。このチームは誰がミスしても、ムスッとするだけで、チームとして解決しようとせず個人の言い合いで終わってしまう。

　自分がそういう選手になれなかったのが一番悔しい。年齢もある程度上で経験もある自分がそうなるべきだった。次への大きな課題。

　前置きが長くなってしまったが、今日の試合自分は右サイドバックで途中でトップ下に変わり、終盤またサイドバックで最後までピッチにいたけど、便利屋だわ。完全に。

　来週で今シーズンも最後です。勝って必ず終わります！

GEORGE BEST

 George Best. 

 If you are well up in football, maybe you have ever heard his name at least once before.  Me? Of course yes I have. But to be honest, all I had known about him is only his name, have never seen him play like on Youtube, and I had no idea what he was like. Why I started watching his playing video was that one of my workmates who is from North Ireland touted me to watch it once, and he alway told me that George is still my best player ever all time. It's worth watching!! He said to me. 

 Actually it was worth it!! If you want to know more about him, you better go to his wiki for the biography. Briefly speaking, he was born in Belfast, North Ireland. He was prized the Ballon d'Or at the youngest age ever when he was only 22 at Man U. Then he became a alcohol addict, and was tainted by gambling in his late 20's that pushed him into the early retirement. 

 Do you know his famous slogan that his fans made up before he died. It's still written on a wall in his hometown. 

 'Maradona good, Pele better, George BEST'

 I think so too.

 

 

 

　ジョージ・ベスト

　サッカー通なら名前くらいは聞いたことはあると思います。けどどんなプレーをする選手かまでは・・・。自分もそうでした。知人のアイルランド人がしきりに彼のYOUTUBEを見てみろと言ってたので、先日試しに見てみたんですが、一気に虜になりましたね。こんな選手がヨーロッパにいたんだと。こんなドリブルができる欧米人がいたんだと。

　北アイルランド出身でマンＵのレジェンド。２２歳で史上最年少でバロンドール。２０代後半で酒やギャンブルによるトラブルが増え引退。ジェットコースターのようなサッカー人生。

　そして彼への有名なスローガンがあります。これは後に、彼の生まれ故郷であるベルファストの壁に書かれることになります。

　「Maradona good, Pele better, George BEST」

　日本語訳は不要でしょう。

　特にこのYoutubeの６位のゴールが秀逸です。是非！

 

Last two games to go!!

 Hi, guys.

 I haven't posted on my blog about football recently.. 

 The season has come in the last month to go. And the league called BPL where my team is reorganized before this season started as a new league statewide called NPL has just begun since this year, so some teams in the league I'm playing now who have enough budget to compete with in the new league were relocated to it before this season, and BPL decided to promote some sound teams financially from division one league which is below BPL to make the number of teams up.

 That's why there is no relegation and promotion battle since these decision were suddenly made before the season launched. However, my team has struggled to compete in the league, and always wandering around the bottom of table..Under normal regulation we must've fought in the relegation battle desperately, but...  It's very difficult to keep our motivation up without any goals at the moment.

 But personally, I really enjoyed playing for the team as I'm playing at the position where I really wanted to play, and we've got the results so far ever since the coach used me there.  

 Anyway, I've decided to keep playing seriously till the end of the next season, but I'm still not sure which position I will try my luck with. It might be a defender... haha 

 

 

  

 

 

 

　最近、サッカーの話をしてなかったので少し。

　気がつけば今シーズンもあと２試合となりました。今年はリーグ編成上、降格・昇格はないみたいなので、下位にいる自分のチームはなかなか消化試合と化した試合にうまく入っていけてません。けど直近の自分が出た試合は１勝１分。下位同士がぶつかってるのもあるけど、今はトップ下で自由にやらしてもらってるので、かなり楽しいです。試合中は誰よりも走ってると思うし、毎試合点に絡めてる。アシストばかりで点取れてないのが個人的にはストレスですが・・・。

　今は来季に向けての個人的なアピールしか考えてないし、どこのポジションでチャレンジするかも決めかねてるところ。どこのポジションである程度できる自信はあるけど、「ここが一番得意」ってのが言い切れないのがね。

　残り試合も大切にしながら、これからじっくり考えていきます。

　とりあえず今季、まだまだ自分に伸びしろがあると感じたので、来年もオーストラリアで現役を続けるつもりです。

Back in NZ!!

 Hi, boys!!

 The other week I had a short trip to NZ for only 4 days. I was always thinking that I wanted to go back to Auckland and catch up with my mates and the kids who I had coached over 1 year. Finally, I could take a schedule for that, and had a great time there.

 I still keep in touch with them on Facebook or other social networks wherever I settle down. That's why they really welcome me back to NZ despite giving them a short notice about my short stay this time. But of course I got involved in some troubles during this visit as usual as I travel to other countries. Lol  One of them were about my visa to stay in NZ and AUS. But I expected not to be as easy as the normal tourists from Japan to get through the immigration clearance. I had few regular quetions from the officer about my visa condition and where you (would) stay. It's not big deal, though. And the second one was that I didn't declare my used soccer boots at security check. I mean I just run though ED card that results in failing to tick the item that I had to check on. Fortunatly, the officer I faced at security looked like being in a good mood, so he just warned me, but he didn't get me a fine which was suppoe to be 400NZD!! I'd have been fucked, if they had fined me that.  And last one was that I lost my back card in NZ!! Lol  It ended up being found, though. 

 Anyway, I had a fantastic journey in the end. These troubles turn in my good memories at last that I will never forget.  And I was really happy to reunite with the kids to coach them and to see them play for a local club. They inspired me a lot, and gave me a new motivation for the rest of the season in Brisbane. 

 Big thanks to all the kids, their parents and my friends who game me a wonderful time during the stay!!  

 

 

 

　ども。

　少し前ですが、ニュージーランドに数日間行ってきました。試合の休みも重なって、ここしかないというタイミングでチケットを取り出発。泊まるホテルもほとんど予約しないまま行ったけど、向こうにいる知り合いの方にほんとにお世話になり、すごく充実した滞在にすることができた。

　国は変わっても、つながっているのはサッカーであり、急遽連絡したにもかかわらず、歓迎してくれた皆さんには感謝しきれない。行くまでに、空港で３つほどトラブルがあって、入国するまでヒヤヒヤしたけどね。まずは、飛行機にビザがないからと疑われ乗れないと言われたこと、結局受付を変えて乗れたけど一番焦った。笑　あとは、ＮＺに入国の際、入国カードにサッカーのスパイクをカバンに入れているのを申告しなかったこと。新品の場合はＯＫですが、使ってて土や芝がついてたりすると、申告をしなければ４００ドル（４万弱）の罰金になります。

　今回は必死の言い訳の末、許してもらえたけどこれも焦った。最後に着いた先の空港でお金を下ろそうとＡＴＭを使うと・・・。なんと入れた銀行のカードが吸い込まれたままででこない。焦って空港のサービスカウンターに管理会社の電話番号を教えてもらって、電話して事なきを得たけど、こんなことがある留学生の初日に起こってたら、もう半べそかいて日本に帰ってしまうくらいのトラブルの連続でした。笑　まぁこれもええ経験でしたけどね。

　滞在中にはおいしい食事に、友達との再会、サッカーチームへの飛び入り練習参加、そしてサッカースクール開催と盛りだくさんでした。特に以前ＮＺにいたときに始動していた子ども達が、その当時のお母さんたちの呼びかけで1日だけの特別サッカークリニックが開催できたのは一番のサプライズであり、嬉しいイベントでした。彼らの成長に刺激をもらい、親御さんの協力の下、大成功で終えることができ、感謝の気持ちしかありません。

　またいつか、必ず近いうちに戻りたいですね。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E-FRESH

 Hi, guys.

 It's been so hectic recently. so I tend to put it off blogging as well. 

 Because I've been working for the company where I used to work for a year when I was still staying here two years ago. Now it's not a full time job, just on-call work that they call me up when they need me like while one of their workers take leave from work for weeks or absent due to sickness.

 I've been already busy without this job, but I have a massive reason I can't help but going for work to help them as they saved me before. I'm still grateful for the boss, and feel like I still have a debt to him. So I've decided to go and help him no matter how busy I am when he needs me at all times. I sometimes feel dump to get up at 5am to get to work, but I never feel stressful or frustrated with work and workmates as the boss never make us feel uptight at workplace which is really good for me. To be honest, I couldnt believe the way they work in the beginning as I had never worked for an Australian company before. In Japan, Japanese work so hard at all times. I had thought that it's a global common sense. But it wasn't here. Lol

 Watching Facebook, browsing internet on Iphone during work was a kind of common sense here. turning up late at work is my habit nowadays..Lol  If I were in Japan, I would already be fired aftr the three times. Maybe I'm unsuitable for working somewhere in Japan any more!! OMG...

 

 

　最近忙しいです。ブログさぼりぎみです。

　というのも、２年前にオーストラリアにいたときにずっと働いていた会社から、人手が足りないときに今も電話がかかってきて、「ヘルプできてくれ！」と言われます。その仕事が立て続けにあって、しかも以前にしていた仕事より遥かに忙しくなってます。ここの人たちは本当に自分の当時の恩人なんで、どんなに自分が忙しくても、サッカーだけに集中したくても、助けてくれと言われれば必ず行くようにしています。それくらいあの当時の自分を救ってくれた思い、感謝が今も残っているからです。今、またこうして海外にいれるのも、あの時の時間があったからだと本当に思っています。

　まぁ朝５時半起きってのは辛いけど、オーストラリアの会社で働くのは日本の会社とは全く違うし、ストレスをあまり感じない。仕事中にみな勝手に休憩行ったり、コーヒー飲んだり、うちの会社は市場の野菜や果物を扱って、それをブリスベンのレストランに配達していく会社なんで、仕事中にみな朝食代わりに果物食いまくってます。携帯で電話したり、FACBBOOK見たり、日本では考えられないかもしれません。おまけに、うちは毎週金曜日に朝ＢＢＱをやります。みなそれをつまみながら仕事をするのです。

　最高です。恐らくこんな環境にいると日本でもう働けないかもしれない。笑

 

This is my boss!! Suprisingly, he is a former pro-footballer who had played in Scotland.

うちの偉大なボス。スコットランドリーグでもプレーしてた元プロサッカー選手でもあります。

He is a chinese Australia, George. I've never seen him working seriously!!

こいつは中国系オーストラリア人のジョージ。純粋なオージーより仕事しません。笑

He is a Uni student, Conor. He loves facebook and other social networks. just chilling out with his beloved I-phone at work. 

彼は大学生のコナー。仕事中は携帯触るか、おれに喋りかけてるか、けど良いやつです。

It's a bland new folk-lift that I drive(was forced to drive!?) and Japanese super sales person, Yoshi. It's a company logo of the company on the side of folk-lift that you can see in this photo. And also its website is below the logo where you can google when you seek for some fresh vegetable and fruits anytime. we deal with some export orders from some Asian countries, so if you are interested, we are waiting for your calls. 

自分が仕事で運転している（させられている！？）フォークリフトと営業担当の日本人ＹＯＳＨＩさん。フォークリストにあるロゴのefreshは会社名。新鮮な野菜・果物に興味ある方は一度ウェブサイトへ。海外へ輸出もしているので是非。

She is the boss's youngest daughter. I'm calling her ANGEL!! 

最後にボスの一番したの娘さん。天使でしょ？

There are few more labours that I haven't shown you with their photoes as I don't have them. They all are friendly and affable, and make the points when they are busy and quiet. It's very important. And I think our boss always works harder than anybody else that is more important to keep us motivated for work. 

他にもオージーやアイルランド人など数人が働いてます。みなやる時はやるんですよ。仕事はメリハリが大事でしょう。何よりうちのボスもみなと同じように働くんです。良い会社の条件は、ボスもおごりなく、みなと同様、いやそれ以上に働いて周りを鼓舞できる企業だと思います。ボスがやってれば回りはさぼれませんからね。