I have submitted my candidacy for a third term as Nippon U21 manager. Over the 4 season I’ve managed I think the team has continued to progress. However, I think we have potential to continue to get better. We have some exciting young players coming up. Some are on the team now (20 year olds) and some will be added soon (19 year olds). These players should help us continue to get better and eventually be the future of our National Team.
Some of this progress can be seen from the recent results of our team. Our U21 team has won 7 of their last 9 games spanning across competitive and scrimmage games. Except for 2 cases, most of those games were against team in our peer group and ranked between 43 and 69. I think this performance shows the progress we’re making with the team. To be transparent though, when we get to the competitive season we will face some teams that are much stronger than this recent group and this will provide a significant challenge for us.
After 4 season of my management this vote should be a referendum on the job I am doing as U21 manager. If you like where I am taking things then you should vote for me. If you think we would be better off with someone else then I will respect the decision of the community and support the new manager.
Let me share some of my approaches to managing the team:
A) Player Prioritization. Priority is for developing players for NT first and winning games second. I will invest in players early (at 19) based on a combination of player potential, the managers visible commitment to training the player and their interest in helping our U21 and NT program. We will then supplement with other players (usually at 20/21) to fill out a competitive roster. If I cannot project the player to hold a contributing role on U21 or NT I will not give them a spot on the team.
B) Collaborative approach. I welcome everyone’s ideas on how to make the team better. I don’t let my ego get in the way to think I know best or have the only good ideas. I like to encourage everyone’s participation in the conversation on the team. Feel free to give me input on line-ups, game strategy, communication approaches, player selections, etc. If your idea has merit and is feasible I will try to work it in as possible.
C) Player Tracking. I track a large set of players from the time they are drafted, both high potential as well as supporting players. The managers of the elite players will receive a contact from me within a few weeks of the draft to encourage them to train their players for U21 and NT. I track player progress and talk with the manager so the most promising ones. The aim is to be aware of all our options and encourage development of the best players. As of today I am tracking 80 players and will add the new draft class soon.
D) Respectful Relationships. Success is the result of everyone’s contributions. Both local and international managers as well as those who participate through discussion and suggestions. I work to maintain a positive and respectful relationship with everyone involved. You will never see me criticize or question the comments someone makes or how they manage their team or players. Ultimately we all have our own approach to the game. I think maintaining positive relationships are important to keeping people interested in working with me and supporting our teams.
E) Game strategy and player line-up is a game by game decision based on the strengths of our team and where we can exploit the weaknesses of our opponents. I’m not a big fan of the Look Inside only approach. I like to mix things up to keep my opponents guessing but I will use Look Inside when I think that is the best option to get a win.
Last edited by Taiyo at 11/2/2011 8:19:06 PM