発達の特性を見抜く

昔、EFAにずっと通ってくれていた少年がいました。練習中、なかなか集中できず、話していても目が合うことはほとんどなかった。

 

正直、その時は、

「サッカーが好きじゃないのかな」

「集中するのが苦手なのかな」

そんなふうに思っていました。

 

後から聞いて、その子には発達に関する特性があったと知りました。退会した理由はサッカー以外のことでしたが、一緒に活動していた時に、なぜ気づいてあげられなかったのか

今でも自分に腹が立ちます。自分も親になり、子どもの気持ちや、日々子どもと向き合っている親の気持ちが痛いほどわかるからこそ…なおさら。

 

指導者として、一人ひとりをもっとよく見られるように、色々な可能性と視点を持って観察できるように、これまでの経験則だけで判断しないように。

 

There was a boy who used to attend EFA for a long time.

During training, he often struggled to stay focused, and when I spoke to him, we rarely made eye contact.

 

To be honest, at the time I thought:

“Maybe he doesn’t really like football.”

“Maybe he’s just not good at concentrating.”

That’s how I saw it back then.

Later on, I learned that he had developmental characteristics.

 

The reason he eventually left was not related to football, but I still find myself asking why I couldn’t notice or understand more while he was with us.

Even now, I feel frustrated with myself about it.

Since becoming a parent myself,

 

I’ve come to understand children’s feelings much more deeply,

and also the feelings of parents who face their children every single day.

 

That’s why I sometimes think

maybe there was more I could have done. When I think about it, it still hurts.

But I don’t want this experience to end as regret. As EFA, and as a coach, I want to keep growing so that I can see and understand each child better.