"2021-22 Yogibo WE LEAGUE: WE ACTION DAY Collection" page revealed!

WE ACTION is a movement - It is where the players, WE club teams and partner companies, together realize the league’s mission to “promote a society which allows everyone with diverse dreams and ways of living to individually shine through women’s football and other sports”, and together (WE) take ACTION to make it a reality.

Throughout the Yogibo WE LEAGUE season, each WE Club has two weeks in their annual calendar, where no league matches are scheduled. During such weeks, clubs are encouraged to organise a WE ACTION DAY, with the aim of working towards achieving the League’s mission.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day & JFA Women’s Football Day, we would like to celebrate women’s achievements, by showcasing the most recent WE ACTION DAY events that were held by each WE Club thus far.

On this special day, the Yogibo WE LEAGUE wishes to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to all the women around the world!

Checkout the most recent WE ACTION DAY events from each WE Club below.

“WE ACTION Forum” hosted by JEF UNITED ICHIHARA CHIBA LADIES

The first WE ACTION DAY was organised by JEF UNITED ICHIHARA CHIBA LADIES on 12th September 2021, who held an online “WE ACTION Forum”, discussing how to achieve a society that allows for every person to individually shine.

The players were joined by Ms. Mayumi Kawaguchi, Deputy Mayor of Chiba City, and Mr. Seiichiro Maki, a former professional football player, to talk about social inclusion, as well as career development paths for women. Ms. Otaki who was pregnant at the time, had the chance to explain how the system within the WE LEAGUE allows for players like herself to be able to continue to play football even after giving birth. The panel discussion gave people the opportunity to consider and appreciate the value of diversity within society, and recognize the need to continually strive for an inclusive and supportive society that would enable the next generation to thrive.

In addition to the “WE ACTION Forum”, the players also took part in volunteering at a local clean-up event, as well as a ‘Food Drive’, organized by a food-bank that collects surplus home foods in the local neighbourhood and delivers them to local welfare organisations and institutions.

INAC KOBE LEONESSA’s big clean-up project.

On 19th September 2021, INAC KOBE LEONESSA organised an “INAC Family Rokko Island Clean-up Day” on the man-made island of Rokko, located in Higashinada Ward, Kobe City.
The club organised this event as a way of giving back to their local community through helping clean and improve public areas.

Over 150 people volunteered on the day, including players from across all the different category teams within the INAC KOBE LEONESSA Club, together with children and their parents who live on the Rokko Island. The event was hosted in conjunction with a few local organisations, and by the end of the day, more than 40 bin bags were filled!

It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to get to converse with their favourite football players, and see them off the football pitches, leading by example in helping out in the community. The players themselves also expressed how much they enjoyed the event, and how they hope to be able to continue contributing to the local community through similar events, and further promote woman’s football too.

High school girls invited to an online ‘Football Skills-Up Class’ with MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES URAWA REDS LADIES

On 25th September 2021, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES URAWA REDS LADIES invited 18 junior high school girls from Urawa Ward, Saitama City to attend an online ‘Football Skills-Up Class’, and have the chance to talk directly to professional football players.

During the class, the girls were able to learn from the players about what it’s like to be professional athletes, and received many tips on their football training drills. The participants were seen sharing advice and learning from one another, with some girls even revealing their dreams to one day become professional football players themselves.

There are currently very few Under-15 girls' teams in Japan. As a result, it is said that many girls stop playing football when they enter junior high school. The club created this event with the hope to make football more accessible and relatable for girls, and broaden the scope of women's football in Japan. The club intends to host these classes three more times in the future too.

The club also organized a clean-up event with the players, picking up rubbish from the streets, in the surrounding areas of their local stadium, known as the “Reds Land”. The event was filled with much laughter and smiles.

NOJIMA STELLA KANAGAWA SAGAMIHARA’s fun football day with children of all abilities

On 2nd October 2021, NOJIMA STELLA KANAGAWA SAGAMIHARA invited children with intellectual and developmental disabilities to join them at their Nojima Football Park to play friendly football together. The event was organised and planned by the players themselves, with the hope to promote an inclusive society through football. The 20 children who participated in the event, regularly attend an “After School Day Service”, ran by a welfare facility for children with disabilities in the Sagamihara and Kawasaki area.

The children’s beaming smiles throughout the day said it all. They expressed how much they were happy to be able to spend time with the players, and further mentioned how they enjoyed playing football. The event ended with a group photo together, and a special autographed present was handed by the players to each of the children.

One of the WE LEAGUE players, Ms. Ishida, explained how a WE ACTION DAY enables the club to carry out their social responsibilities and help the local community. She added that it was a good time for the players to think about what they can do together to promote the women’s game in Japan.

Two talk shows hosted by ALBIREX NIIGATA LADIES.

On 10th October, ALBIREX NIIGATA LADIES hosted two talk shows placing the spotlight on women who work at their home stadium, the Denka Big Swan Stadium

The first talk show was held at the stadium, where the club’s Head Coach, Team Goalkeeper, and Team Trainer, were invited to speak to approximately 50 children and parents on the topic of "careers in football". The panellists explained how there are a wide range of jobs available within football, stressing the importance of all jobs within the club, which one way or another, impact the performance of the teams on the pitch. The talk show gave the children the opportunity to learn more about career paths within women’s football, and be reminded to always show gratitude towards people around, such as friends, family, teammates, and coaches.

The second talk show was held in a local shopping mall, where the players were joined by Ms. Yokoyama, a barista at Suzuki Coffee, to celebrate recent achievements by women, and talk about women’s professional football as a new profession. WE LEAGUE player, Ms. Yamatani, discussed the significance of the birth of a women’s professional football league in Japan, and explained that she hopes to play her part in creating an environment where girls can easily think and say that they aspire to become professional football players when they grow up.

In addition to the two talk shows, the club also organised a stadium tour and a football school. It was a great opportunity for the whole club to join hands with the local community to promote the WE LEAGUE philosophy through the WE ACTION DAY.

OMIYA ARDIJA VENTUS presents “VENTUS ACTION WEEK”

From 12th to 17th October, OMIYA ARDIJA VENTUS held a “VENTUS ACTION WEEK”, organising 4 different programmes within their home town of Saitama City. The programmes were designed by the players themselves, each with a particular aim to “promote a healthy active lifestyle”, “contribute to the local community”, and “deepen their understanding towards societal diversity”.

The week kicked off with the players visiting a football school within their club, called the Nadeshiko Class, and spending time with the girls playing football. During the week, the club also visited a nearby primary school to greet the children as they left school in the afternoon. On the 15th, the players took part in a clean-up campaign to pick up litter around the ward offices and main stations in the 5 northern wards of Saitama City.

And on the last day, all the players had the opportunity to experience disability sports (Blind football, Vision-impaired futsal, and Amputee football) together with 36 footballers, ranging from primary school children to elderly people, from beginners to national team players. The programme was made possible in collaboration with organisations such as the Saitama Disabled Football Network Conference, and allowed participants to deepen their understanding towards disabilities and realise the various diversities that exists within football.

MYNAVI SENDAI LADIES’s commitment to 3 WE ACTIONS

On 30th October, MYNAVI SENDAI LADIES held a Women Empowerment “Fureai” Day in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture, organising 3 WE ACTION events, with the aim to share their passion of football, and promote an inclusive future where each person can individually shine in society.

The day started with a talk show at a local shopping mall where Ms. Yaeko Sakurai, the Deputy Mayor of Rifu Town, was invited to speak with the club players and staff about the town's commitment to football and the promotion of women's activities. She explained saying, "Women's perspectives are very important when deciding on policies and the future of the town. I want to create a town where women can shine and play an active role in society”. The players in turns also spoke about the role they have as professional players to inspire women, also commenting on the WE LEAGUE Credo which was established in 2021.
The talk show was followed the "Exercising at Home" event, in which club players and staff together demonstrated various exercises that are easy to do at home. The hall was filled with much excitement as approximately 35 children took part in trying the exercises themselves.

The third and final "Soccer Experience" event, took place at the town's multi-purpose sports ground, where 87 children had the chance to experience a football session ran by the players themselves. The session was designed to suit the needs of all the children, allowing them to enjoy the session, regardless of age or previous football experience. It was a great opportunity for the children to get to know the players and enjoy football.

SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA REGINA striving towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

In October, SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA REGINA declared their commitment to realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, on their WE ACTION DAY on 7th November, the club chose to hold events under the themes of "Life on land", "Good health and well-being", "Gender equality" and "Sustainable cities and communities", which are among the 17 goals of the SDGs.

The WE ACTION DAY started with a clean-up activity within the hometown city of Hiroshima in collaboration with Green Bird, a non-profit organization that organizes various city clean-ups around the country. Approximately 35 participants spent about one hour cleaning up the streets in the city centre, allowing for opportunities to think more carefully about environmental issues within their community.

The second event was a visual impairment football event. Wearing eye masks, the players were coached by A-pfeil Hiroshima (football organisation for the disabled), and played for the first time relying only on their senses of hearing and touch. It was a wonderful experience for the local people to be able to interact with the players and share in the learning to together trust and support one another.

The third event was a publicity campaign held at a large shopping centre in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima City, primarily focusing on helping mothers who are seeking to find jobs. Players were seen actively handing out flyers and informing the public about information on where women can seek careers advice and find new employment. At another shopping mall, an event was also held to support the application for the ‘My Number system’.

A special joint training session organised by NIPPON TV TOKYO VERDY BELEZA for 25 football girls

On 13th November 2021, NIPPON TV TOKYO VERDY BELEZA held a joint training session with football girls from their home town, in Kita Ward, Tokyo. In conjunction with the Tokyo Kita Ward Football Association, a total of 25 girls who play in various high schools and junior high schools football teams, were invited to participate in the event. During the session, Head Coach, Mr. Nagata, was seen giving advice to the girls, on how to pass the ball, and put pressure on the opponent. The girls were thrilled to have the chance to train alongside professional players and were eager to learn as much as they can from them. The session also included a mini tournament, in which the players were seen instructing and encouraging the girls to take their positions during the game. A special surprise awaited the girls after the session, as they were all presented with official team jerseys. The girls were so happy, as they smiled for the final group photo together.

In addition, the club also spent time at their local Jujo Ginza shopping street, visiting each shop and handing out leaflets about their upcoming fixtures together with a hand sanitizing gel to use at the shops. On reflection, WE LEAGUE player, Ms. Kinoshita said that, “WE ACTION DAY has made me realise how many people are supporting us! I want to do my best to give the local people a good game in our upcoming fixtures".

Boccia tournament & football classes with AC NAGANO PARCEIRO LADIES

AC NAGANO PARCEIRO LADIES held a boccia tournament in their home town of Nagano City, and two football classes in Suwa City and Miyata Village on 20th November 2021. The events were primarily led by WE LEAGUE players who grew up in these areas, and provided an opportunity for the club to connect with children in the local community, and together learn about social inclusion.

The boccia tournament was held at a local high school, with the cooperation of Nagano City, the Nagano City Sports Association for the Disabled, and the Nagano Prefecture Boccia Association. Boccia, which is also a Paralympic sport, was originally invented in Europe for people with severe cerebral palsy and other similar disabilities. The appeal of boccia is that everyone can have fun and compete together, regardless of their ability, age or gender. It was a precious experience for the local people and the players to be able to spend time with one another through a game of boccia.

The club also organized two football school at a sports stadium near Suwa Lake, with over 100 elementary and junior high school students from the Suwa Youth Football Federation participating in the event, as well as a football school in Miyata village, which was primarily designed for parents and children. The children were thrilled to be able to meet their favourite players and play football with them.

CHIFURE AS ELFEN SAITAMA meets children from local children’s homes

On 5th December 2021, CHIFURE AS ELFEN SAITAMA invited 25 elementary school children from two local children’s homes in Kumagaya City to have fun together through a range of activities, and encourage the children to have hopes and dreams.

The day kicked off with the "Elfen Show," in which the WE LEAGUE players showed off their football skills and talents, which excited the children and made the crowd go wild. This was followed by a couple of games, such tail-tag, hand-holding game, beanbag toss and ball fetch. These activities were designed by the players themselves, ensuring that everyone could take part and equally enjoy the games. It was lovely to watch the children, who were initially nervous, start to relax as they held hands with the players who welcomed them with big smiles. After the fun games, the team captain, Ms. Yamamoto hosted a talk show on the topic of "what you currently enjoy”. The talk show started off with Ms. Yamamoto sharing her own difficulties that she faced in the past playing football, what her thought process was, and what she did to overcome them. She concluded by emphasising the importance to always try your best, making sure you enjoy what you are doing. After the talk show, the children were split into groups to reflect on what they personally enjoy, and share their dreams with one another. They then presented their dreams (which included becoming an astronaut, an illustrator, as well as a football player) to everyone, further talking about how they hope to achieve them. The day ended with an autograph-signing time by all the players, and the kids expressed how much fun they had throughout the day, showing their gratification with a smile on their faces.

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