It was in February 2010 that Mr. Masahiro Inui, a professor of Sports Science in charge of the soccer club at Fukuoka University, visited Naka Elementary School (in Fukuoka City) for the first time. In the previous year, the soccer club won first prize at the national Prime Minister's Cup All Nippon Tournament, an achievement that started it all when Mr. Inui was approached by Mr. Hideto Furuta, the then principal of Naka Elementary School requesting to"teach soccer to the children."
Originally at Fukuoka University, the "Kids Soccer Class" was held every Saturday as part of the Extension Center's civic college lecture, with the soccer club members teaching soccer to the children. However, it is not quite the same thing to teach children as an extracurricular activity as opposed to teaching them in regular school physical education classes.
Mr. Inui developed a program to enhance children's capacity to exercise, including children who were not so good at exercise, in such a way that everyone could participate in the class without getting bored. At first, he got the children used to exercising through fun activities such as tag games, gradually raising the level and finally playing mini games using a ball. "Soccer is important not only in terms of skills but also teamwork and communication; everyone derives a sense of accomplishment from winning the game together," Mr. Inui said. In cooperation with assistant professor Izuhara Yoshiro, who had studied soccer in Germany, "coordination training," which efficiently enhances the players' motor nerves, was also adopted.