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“The time in Japan is unforgettable for us, with a lot of nice experiences and memories,” said U11 player Mateo Sprajc, reflecting on his team’s trip to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ at the end of June. VfB’s youngest youth team spent eight days from 20 to 27 June in the city of Hiratsuka on the Japanese east coast, near Yokohoma. During their stay there, Moritz Pfeiffer’s side took part in an U11 tournament organised by Japanese top-flight club Shonan Bellmare, the boyhood club of VfB captain Wataru Endo. In the Bellmare Cup, VfB finished in a respectable seventh place out of 24 teams from all over the world. In the build-up to the event, the Stuttgart boys beat hosts and eventual winners Shonan Bellmare 3-2 in a friendly.
However, it was the aspects away from the football pitch that made the trip to Japan so worthwhile for the 16 youngsters and four coaches. “Immersing yourself in a foreign culture, in which the language, food, customs and etiquette are completely different, is a big challenge,” said Tim Kirk, head of education in the VfB academy’s foundation department. “The boys coped with it brilliantly, though. I have no doubt that they’ve matured as individuals and as a team. We’re extremely grateful to the people at Bellmare for making such a wonderful experience possible for our boys.”
Kirk was also part of the VfB travelling party, along with a number of parents. Björn Hinderlich, father of U11 player Henry, added: “The week in Japan was an unforgettable experience for our boys and also for the accompanying parents. That applies not only to the well-organised tournament, but particularly to the cultural experiences and the tremendous hospitality of the Japanese.”
The idea for the trip came about in March when Rouven Kasper, VfB’s chief marketing and sales officer, visited Shonan Bellmare. Due to the fact that VfB captain Endo progressed from a youth player to a professional at Bellmare, the club maintains a close connection to Stuttgart. VfB would like to express its thanks for the invitation, smooth organisation and great hospitality that our U11s experienced in Japan.
