On the 15th, Tomoya UGAJIN, a former Urawa Reds player and in charge of strengthening the team, visited Saitama City Harayama Junior High School and gave a lecture to 257 first-year students on the topic of career education as a "Reds teacher."



"Reds Sensei" is a class in which current players and Urawa Reds alumni use their own experiences to convey the importance of having dreams and working hard towards those goals, as well as the importance of family and friends who support you in achieving those dreams. This time, the theme was "career education," and the aim was to develop the "life skills" and "work skills" necessary when considering future career paths.

In this class, Ugajin talked about his path to becoming a professional soccer player, how he has worked towards his dreams and goals up to now, and what he values, following a "dream timeline" he created himself.





Ugajin appeared on stage to a huge round of applause from the students, and after introducing himself, began the class. He talked about a "fateful day" that happened to him when he was a fourth-year university student, and looked back on that time.
Ugajin had the opportunity to take part in a practice session with Urawa Reds when he was a university student, and on that day the manager called out to him, saying, "I want you to come right away," and he seized his chance to go professional. "My life changed in just one day," he said, and sent a powerful message to everyone, saying, "I want everyone to cherish each and every day."

Ugajin also shared his own experience of writing a diary every day between the ages of 18 and 21, in which he reflected on what was necessary to become a professional soccer player, what he could and could not do, and then tried to correct it the next day.
Looking back on his journey so far, in which he has achieved each of the dreams and goals he set for himself, even if it took time, he told the students, "I hope that today's talk will inspire you to think about your own goals and figure out what you need to do to achieve them."



During the class that day, Ugajin spoke about the difference between a "dream" and a "goal" as being particularly important.
"A dream is something big you want to achieve in the future. A goal is one step at a time to make that dream a reality," he explained, adding, "It's important to find what you want to do and work hard at it, even if it's just a small goal to start with. By setting dreams and goals, I have been able to make all of the dreams I have set so far come true," he said, sharing his own experience. He went on to say that his next dream is "to lead Urawa Reds to victory in the J.League. To achieve that, I continue to learn and work hard every day."





The class concluded in a friendly atmosphere with a question and answer session and a lifting rally, during which Ugajin interacted with the teachers and students.





A student representative expressed his dreams and gratitude, saying, "After listening to today's talk, I want to set new dreams and goals. I could feel Mr. Ugajin's love for Urawa Reds. I also want to become a professional soccer player and create a good facility in Urawa where children can feel comfortable." Ugajin then sent a message to the students, saying, "Make sure you set dreams and goals. This is your homework. It's important to present them in front of everyone and to have the courage to take on the challenge. I have also declared that I have "dreams and goals." Hard work never lies. Let's work hard together."



At the end of the class, a commemorative photo was taken, and as the students were leaving, Ugajin handed each student a signed clear file, marking the end of "Reds Sensei" for the day.








The "Reds Sensei" program is based on Urawa Reds philosophy of "contributing to the healthy development of young people as members of society." By interacting with children in their hometown, the program aims to help them feel closer to the club and its players, and through these interactions, to continue its activities of delivering dreams, hope, and courage to the children.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]