4月12日、15時45分。よく晴れ渡った青空の下、湘南の東海岸にある浜辺は、元気いっぱいのちびっ子サッカー選手たちの熱気に包まれていました。
砂浜に一応設置されたゴールを目指し、ゼッケンを付けている子もいない子も、夢中でボールを追いかけます。試合中には、「ヘイヘイ！」と、まるでいっぱしの大人じみた威勢のいいかけ声も響き渡り、本気度が伝わってきます。
よく観ると、男の子たちに混じって、女の子が一人。ゼッケン7番を付けた彼女は、果敢にボールに絡み、縦横無尽に動き回る勇ましい姿を見せています。そんな中、ゼッケン10番の選手がキックしようとした瞬間、突然足に痛みが走ったのか、動きを止めてしまいます。すぐにゼッケン2番の選手が駆け寄りますが、少しもたもたしているところへ、先ほどの女子選手7番がサッサと駆けつけ、替わりに力強くキック！彼女の積極的なプレーには、思わず目を見張ります。
その後は両チーム入り乱れての混戦模様に。指導者の「PKだ」という鋭い叫び声が響き、10番の選手が再びキックに挑みます。
将来の三苫や久保を目指し、W杯メンバー入りも夢じゃない！湘南の砂浜から世界へ羽ばたく日を夢見て、ボールを追い続ける子供たち。彼らの純粋な情熱と元気な姿に、心からのエールを送りたくなる、そんな素敵な春の午後でした。
Little Fantasistas on the Sand: From Shonan to the World!
April 12th, at 3:45 PM. Under a beautifully clear blue sky, the beach on the east coast of Shonan was filled with the vibrant energy of young soccer players. Aiming for the makeshift goals set up on the sand, children—some wearing pinnies and others not—chased the ball with absolute focus. During the match, spirited shouts of “Hey, hey!” echoed across the shore, sounding remarkably like grown-up players and showing just how serious they were about the game.
Looking closely, there was one girl playing alongside the boys. Wearing jersey number 7, she played bravely, fiercely contesting the ball and running all over the pitch with admirable courage. In the middle of the action, the player in jersey number 10 stopped suddenly just as he was about to kick, seemingly struck by a sudden pain in his leg. While number 2 quickly rushed over but hesitated for a moment, the girl, number 7, dashed in without a second thought and took the kick for him! Her proactive play was truly impressive.
After that, the match turned into a chaotic scramble. The coach’s sharp voice rang out, shouting “Penalty kick!”, and player number 10 stepped up to take the shot once again.
With eyes on becoming the next Mitoma or Kubo, dreaming of the World Cup squad is certainly not out of reach! Wishing them the best as they chase the ball on the Shonan sands, dreaming of the day they take flight into the world. It was a wonderful spring afternoon that made you want to cheer for their pure passion and boundless energy from the bottom of your heart.