Tokyo Athlete Certified Player Interview (52)
Kento Kato (Minato Ward) 5-a-side soccer (2020/1/28)
【profile】
Kent Kato Born October 1985, 10 Belongs to AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
2019 Japan Championship Winner
Five-a-side soccer (blind soccer) is a game played in which four players wearing eye masks and three people (the goalkeeper, manager, and guide (caller) who do not wear eye masks) call out to each other and cooperate.Kato says that if you focus on ``playing without the ball,'' such as covering while you can't see or moving into an empty space, you will understand the greatness of blind soccer even more.
～Please tell us about your encounter with blind soccer～
I started playing soccer in the third grade of elementary school, and at the time the J League had just started, so I dreamed of becoming a J Leaguer.I went on to Seiko Gakuin High School (Fukushima Prefecture) and continued to play soccer, but by the time I discovered my illness in my third year of high school, I had almost no vision in one eye.
From then on, my eyesight in the other eye gradually deteriorated.At first, I hid my disability from those around me because there were no visually impaired people around me and I myself had prejudice against disabilities.I often retreated to my house in despair, wondering what would happen to me from now on, thinking that I would no longer be able to achieve the job, marriage, and dreams that I had always envisioned, and that my life was over.
It was my parents who took me outside and introduced me to blind soccer.My first encounter was when my parents discovered this sport and I went to watch the team in Tsukuba, which was the closest to my home.
~What was your first impression of blind soccer? ～
I was really surprised when I saw it for the first time.I thought it was a little different from the soccer I was used to, but I thought it was simply amazing to play soccer with an eye mask on and a ball that makes noise.
Since I have a background in soccer, I was able to dribble to some extent if there was a ball at my feet, but trapping was difficult.Stopping the ball is a simple thing that anyone can do if they can see it, but finding the ball just by sound and stopping it at my feet was really difficult at first.
~What made you decide to give it a try? ~
The team I went to watch in Tsukuba had a lot of players around my age, and they invited me to play together, and that's how I got started.
Of course I was happy that I could play soccer here, but more than anything, the feeling that I was needed was the biggest reason for my feelings at the time.I am still connected to the friends who invited me back then.
～Became a representative of Japan since 2007～
In 2005, when I entered Tsukuba Technical College and started playing blind soccer, I was able to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the Kanto League.At that time, I started thinking that I wanted to get better, that I wanted to represent Japan someday, and that I wanted to aim even higher.
In 2007, when I was a third-year university student, I was selected to represent Japan for the first time in an international tournament, and when I sang the national anthem, I was thrilled, or rather, it was the moment when I felt most strongly about representing Japan.It still left an impression on me.However, in the match, I was unable to play as well as I wanted due to the pressure and nervousness of being on the Japan national team.
~What are your impressions at that time? ～
After completing my first international tournament, I realized that it is not enough just to want to represent Japan. I realized that if I don't have a strong mindset of ``What do I want to do on the world stage?'' then I won't get any results.
So from then on, my goal changed to ``I want to be a player who can help Japan win,'' and I began to think more about what I should do to achieve that goal as I played. I think 2007 was a turning point when my mindset changed from ``for myself'' to ``for Japan's victory.''
～What is necessary to compete in the world～
I try to manage my physical condition not only during practice, but also in my daily life by weighing myself every day, recording my sleep hours, and paying attention to my meals.
Even in a match, if you have an idea of what kind of team your opponent is in advance, it will be easier to get into the match because you will be able to organize where you will be in the match and how you will move.
No matter how high-ranked you are, if you have an image of your opponent, you won't let your emotions get the better of you, and if you prepare well, I believe that it will definitely lead to a good result.
~Please tell us your enthusiasm for the Tokyo 2020 Games~
It is not certain that I will be selected among the eight members of the Japanese national team, so in order to be selected, I would like to perform well at the training camp for the Japanese national team and in upcoming tournaments.
This will be the first time for Japan to participate in the Paralympic Games, but I don't just want to participate; I want to win a medal as a representative of Japan.The future of blind soccer will depend on what kind of results we get, and I think this is a tournament with great significance.
Personally, my child will be two and a half years old in the year the Tokyo 2020 Games are held, so I would like to see him play.In order to achieve that goal, I first have to be selected for the national team and stand on the pitch.In that sense, I have strong feelings towards the Tokyo 2 Games.
~What do you think about the future of blind soccer after the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games? ～
The appeal of this sport is that everyone can participate together, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.I think we need to use the tournament as an opportunity to let everyone know about it, and I want as many people as possible to not only learn about it, but also to experience it and get involved.
To be honest, I think there is still a lack of understanding of disabilities in Japan.To that end, I want people to become more familiar with visual impairments and deepen their understanding through this competition.
～Efforts are being made to popularize it～
Children in particular are obedient and have no preconceptions.Experiencing sports for people with disabilities from an early age is very important for understanding disabilities.When I visited a school, children who had initially seen me as a person with a disability cheered when I saw them play, and I saw that I was treated as an equal, and even treated with respect. You will be able to see it with your own eyes.There is no such thing as a person with a disability.I hope that we live in a world where such awareness becomes commonplace.
I would like to continue to be involved in the activities of the Japan Blind Soccer Association, and personally use my experience at events and lectures.I think it will be too late to start such promotional activities after the Tokyo 2020 Games are over.
At this time of excitement, as an athlete, I would like to work on promoting the sport at the same time.
~Lastly, do you have your own special place in Tokyo? ～
Before a game or road trip, I always go to the beauty salons in Omotesando and Yoyogi.It's not a routine, but I always do it before a game.Getting your hair cut can help you change your mind, and the hairdresser in charge is knowledgeable about soccer, so you can talk about soccer and it's a place where you can relax without thinking about anything.
My hair style and hair color differs every tournament and game, so I hope you can look at it with that image in mind.Please keep an eye on what will happen at the Tokyo 2020 Games (lol).
