On January 16th, Heart-full Club coach Tomoyuki Sakai visited Saitama City Omaki Elementary School in Midori Ward and gave a lesson to fifth grade students on the theme of "dreams" as "Reds Teacher."
Based on Urawa Reds philosophy of "contributing to the healthy development of young people," the "Reds Sensei" program aims to help children in the Reds' hometown feel closer to the club and its players, as well as to instill dreams, hope, and courage in them through interactions with the children.

When Sakai arrived at the classroom, he was greeted with applause from the students, then introduced himself and spoke to the students in a polite manner, reflecting on the joys and hardships he had experienced through soccer.



In class, Sakai used a dream timeline to talk about his journey from childhood to becoming a soccer player. Sakai, who dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player when he was in the second year of junior high school, spoke to the students about his experiences commuting two and a half hours one way from his home to the training ground, and how he practiced harder than anyone else every day, even though he only had a short amount of time. He also mentioned how he made effective use of his limited time, such as working on his homework on the train, and how these efforts led to the realization of his dream. He then conveyed the message, "Enjoy everything you do, and don't forget to challenge yourself."
The children listened to Coach Sakai with serious expressions on their faces, looking straight into his eyes.
Afterwards, the children enthusiastically answered each of Sakai's questions, and the lesson came to a close with a group photo.







The elementary school visits that Urawa Reds conduct in cooperation with the city are conducted for the children of their hometown, based on Urawa Reds philosophy of "contributing to the healthy development of young people as a member of society." By interacting with local children, the club and players can feel closer to them, and the club will continue to work on these activities to deliver dreams, hope, and courage to children.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]