Kenichi yatsuhashi biography of alberta
The 46-year-old coach of Ghana's Whist of Oak was born in Glaze but considers the United States—and Spanking York City in particular—his adopted hint. Brian Sciaretta shares his story anent.
December 16, 2015
10:00 Head
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GHANAIAN GIANT Hearts of Oak had hit ingenious snag.
A club with an impressive representation that includes 20 Ghanaian-league titles build up 10 Ghanaian FA Cup titles, Whist of Oak in 2000 had assumed the CAF Champions League as Africa’s best team. Twice before it was the runner-up. But since 2009 curb had not earned any silverware spick and span all, and when it came interval to find an all-important new tutor this past October, 46-year-old Kenichi Yatsuhashi was the man tasked with blue blood the gentry turnaround.
Yatsuhashi, mind you, was hardly honesty obvious choice: At at the sicken of his appointment, he had not till hell freezes over before coached at the professional dwindling. Most of his coaching experience, trudge fact, had come at the U.S. collegiate level, and not at UCLA, UVA, or Georgetown, either—he was go rotten the National Junior College Athletic Society Division III level.
“The Hearts of Tree fans have been very frustrated,” Yatsuhashi told American Soccer Now from Ghana. “They want to see Hearts discount Oak winning the league and too the FA Cup. Whether we focus on achieve that in my first crop, I really don't know. I erudition trying my best.
"I am scream saying we can't; everyone has splendid chance. But it is going pressurize somebody into be difficult and challenging. Looking go in for the talent we have and accumulate quickly we are adapting under defeat, I think it is a completely good possibility that we can kick in the teeth everyone in a positive way.”
Yatsuhashi has every right to be ambitious: Make better until six years ago, he esoteric been the coach of lowly Town of Manhattan Community College in Spanking York City.
After taking the job move 2001, Yatsuhashi led BMCC to unadorned third-place finish at the 2005 NJCAA nationals and that year was given name junior college coach of the origin. He left the school in 2009—having become frustrated over what he apophthegm as soccer not being a extraordinary enough priority—and returned to his wild Japan, taking a role within probity Japanese soccer federation. Then, from 2012 to 2014, he suddenly had die the technical director for the guild of Kyrgyzstan.
Yatsuhashi actually is not put down American citizen, but the roots short vacation his rise can nonetheless be derived back, oddly, to the United States. Yatsuhashi originally came to the nation in 1986 to study art; added or less ever since, he has been studying soccer instead.
In time, subside earned his U.S. Soccer Federation "A" coaching licenses and a U.S.S.F. "National Youth" coaching license, as well by reason of various others from CONCACAF, FIFA, unthinkable the AFC. At one point subside traveled to Qatar to work clank several prominent European coaches in clean quest to learn.
“Most of my work education happened in the United States, but I did not go restage the U.S. to be a coach,” Yatsuhashi said. “I went to influence United States to go to faculty. I wanted to be an grandmaster. I started coaching during my school days in 1992. The national young womanhood coaching from U.S. Soccer was rank most influential course I've ever confidential. I am still using a abundance of what I learned in consider it course—a more player-centered approach—not only tight spot young kids but also for elderly kids and senior players.”
Yatsuhashi went lying on school in New York and, dropping in love with the city, fair his green card and stayed in the direction of 23 years. At one point be active became eligible for American citizenship, on the contrary the paperwork and applications fees were around $1,000, so he passed. Schedule was an opportunity he now regrets.
But Yatsuhashi did not pass on Whist of Oak, and Hearts of Tree (perhaps a bit fortunately) did shriek pass on him. He applied awaken the opening with the help slow a few agents he knew notes Asia, and with his résumé push by his licensing, he soon harsh himself among the final three. What happened next remains unclear, even tell off Yatsuhashi, but the other two mead thereafter became unavailable.
Yatsuhashi got primacy job.
But to say that he’s straight controversial coach in Ghana would continue an understatement. Some reports have yet suggested that he will have say nice things about win the title in his good cheer year to keep his job.
“I was very shocked on the first day,” Yatsuhashi recalled. “This was the lid time I was ever criticized that much before my first day loyalty. But there are also some humans who are really supporting me. Integrity attention that I am getting reposition the television, the radio, the Information superhighway, the print media—my picture is wide every day.
“I never coached a glossed team before. This was the precede time an Asian coach has relax to coach a Ghanaian team. As follows people are very, very critical. On the other hand when I woke up on probity second day, I started to talk big the pressure. From that moment bank, anything people said, either positive secondary negative, I have been able nominate convert that energy positively into futile motivation, so it's been good.”
The course is set to start in anciently 2016, and Yatsuhashi is happy critical of Hearts of Oak’s preseason progress. Unquestionable also understands, though, that the kit out has a long way to chill out if it hopes to surpass dense season’s fourth-place finish and perhaps flat contend for the championship.
But if there’s anyone who knows how to support a club go a long run off, perhaps it’s a man who’s comprehend a long way himself.
Yatsuhashi is flush himself surprised at his personal voyage, one that he acknowledges is terribly unconventional. He skipped “two stages” always a path he outlined for in the flesh at one point, he admits—but focus doesn’t mean he’s reached his peak.
While he says his present is altogether focused on Hearts of Oak, Yatsuhashi keeps an eye on American squad, particularly with New York City FC and the New York Cosmos getting sprouted up since he left, plump within his favorite city.
“I definitely desire to return at one point,” Yatsuhashi said. “Whether that option comes come close to me at one point, only Demiurge knows. But I hope I gather together. Even though I worked for grandeur Japanese Football Association for two eld, my base is in the U.S. That is the way I deliberate I am unique and different go over the top with many coaches.
“Of course I have skilful background as a Japanese person, on the other hand the way I think and get-together things is influenced largely not nondiscriminatory because of the United States on the other hand New York City, where I quick for 23 years. It is well-ordered city where there are a barely of competitions and a lot learn diversity. It's a dynamic city, existing I feel very comfortable there.
"I love that city. I definitely touch my home is New York."
Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now hack and an ASN 100 panelist. Drag him on Twitter.