Inside Japanese High School Football | adidas

High school “Bukatsu,“ or club team, is a rite of passage and an important environment for the cultivation of next-generation athletes in Japan. ​ The height of their teenage youth has been spent on the pitch, during practice, and in the locker rooms - a sacrifice that they have willingly made of “ordinary“ high school memories that their peers enjoy in their stead. ​ For many, these three short years in high school will be the last time they play the sport at a truly competitive level, as wintertime reigns in the national championships – a pinnacle moment of their football careers thus far. ​​ Hours of hard work and sacrifice for a shot at a moment of glory; and in the process, we discover how their passion for football also translates into lessons off the pitch, and a compass to navigate them through the uncertainty of what’s to come. 高校サッカーは、次世代の&#