Rio／Lino

Coach Takao is a genius at bringing out kids’ “motivation switch” and their “I want to get better!” spirit through the way he talks to them! As a parent, the difference between teaching and coaching really struck me — it was honestly eye-opening. A coach who can do this is truly rare. He’s always upbeat and gives everything his all — a coach we trust completely!!

Finn

Thanks to Coach Takao’s motto of “let’s enjoy soccer together,” there are always smiles all around. Watched over by a coach he loves, my son plays freely and has grown in confidence, becoming more and more passionate about soccer. I feel the lessons build not just technical skill but also kindness and a positive attitude alongside teammates. The online lesson we joined recently was so engaging that the kids stayed focused the whole way through. He’s a wonderful coach who cares deeply about every single child, and as a parent I find that truly reassuring and am so grateful. We look forward to continuing with him.

Riku/Rui

Coach Takao was our sons’ very first coach, and through him they learned not just the joy of soccer but also the discipline of sticking with something and the value of teamwork. That beginner’s spirit became their driving force, and even now, at 19 and 16, they’re still playing soccer in the NPL. He supported them through periods when continuing felt hard, and in recent years has taught us, as coaches ourselves now, how to broaden our perspective and how to communicate with and watch over children. We are truly grateful for everything he has taught us through soccer.

My son loves Coach Takao so much that the first future dream he ever shared at elementary school was “to become Coach Takao when I grow up!” (Not “be like” him — actually become him! Ha!) He’s been learning soccer from Coach Takao since his Konomi Kindergarten days. Coach Takao’s passionate yet fun coaching — one that strengthens both mind, body, and soccer skills — is why my son fell in love with the game. Beyond just practice, he’s had wonderful experiences competing in various tournaments and matches, full of smiles, tears, and moments that moved us. It’s thanks to Coach Takao that he’s now able to play soccer at a high level and have fun doing it, both in the NPL pathway program and at his sports high school’s soccer academy. We look forward to continuing with him.

Coach Takao’s training skillfully draws out children’s “I want to do this” motivation, and before you know it they’re completely absorbed and having fun. I think that’s what makes his training so enjoyable. He uses a wide range of coaching techniques to bring out the best in each child’s ability, and I truly believe he’s an outstanding coach. This isn’t coaching just anyone can do — it’s something only Coach Takao can deliver.

The Family of Kai

Our son Kai started playing soccer in October 2020, when he was 3 years and 11 months old. It didn’t come naturally to him at first, and in 2021 illness and acute asthma kept him away for long stretches. It wasn’t until 2022 that he was able to properly return to training 3–4 times a week.
During that unsteady time, what we still remember most clearly is how Coach Takao always welcomed him warmly, and his words: “never give up.” Those words still live on in Kai’s heart today.
Coach Takao isn’t just a wonderful coach — he’s a wonderful teacher and role model. His soccer coaching is technically excellent, but what’s even more special is that he teaches teamwork, kindness, passion, the courage to challenge yourself, and the importance of discipline. And above all, it’s all done with so much fun.
The time and heart Coach Takao invests in each individual child runs truly deep, and you can feel how much he genuinely cares about their growth. His care goes beyond soccer and shows up in the many events he organizes — all prepared entirely on his own time — which are incredibly special for the children and their families.
Among them, the indoor rock climbing event stands out as a particularly memorable one for our family. That day, Kai overcame his fear of heights. Encouraged by his coach and teammates, he grew more confident by the hour and, in the end, made it all the way to the top — the result of a “never give up” mindset.
Through the gift of soccer, Coach Takao has connected so many people, especially within Sydney’s Japanese community — not just the children (teammates) themselves, but wonderful connections between families too.
We are truly grateful to Coach Takao, and he will always hold a special place in our family.

Coach Takao is always watching each child closely, which is why the goals he sets for each of them keep evolving along with their growth. I think that’s because he understands children’s development as an ongoing process. He’s a coach who flexibly adapts his teaching to each stage of growth and keeps pushing children forward.

Toko/Tsuzumi

My son wasn’t good at expressing his feelings. But Coach Takao’s positive words and attitude have gradually changed him. I’ve even seen him call out “Pass!” to teammates during play. He’s doing things that couldn’t happen just through play with his parents — a real professional at work! In the past, kids of all ages used to play baseball and soccer together freely in the park, but today it’s genuinely hard to find that kind of natural cross-generational interaction. So we’re truly grateful that, in the spirit of PFC’s philosophy of learning through an extension of play, our son gets to enjoy soccer while interacting with kids of different ages.

Sena

My son has been coached by Coach Takao since he was 4 years old. Thanks to the coach, he made it onto the Northern Suburbs representative team, the Northern Tigers, and is now a U-13 player. We’re deeply grateful. Four of his childhood friends, who were also coached by him from a young age, play on the same team, having grown up together on the field. This is a result that speaks to the strength of Coach Takao’s coaching. What comes first, above all, is his warm, loving approach that puts the students first — the children can feel it — and it’s from this that fine players grow. We believe he is a coach who will be remembered for generations among Japanese-background soccer players raised in Sydney. — M.C

Deen

He joined a soccer team at age 3 but never quite fit in and had to give it up. He wanted to play but couldn’t find a place to do it. Then PFC was founded and he joined right away. He looks forward to seeing Coach Takao every week, and it’s such a joy to watch him get better and better at soccer.

He wasn’t a strong runner, but it was wonderful how the coaching found what he could do and built him up through praise. Being taught that soccer starts in everyday life too — like polishing his own shoes — really helped us see our son grow.

Joe

In 2021, not long after moving to Sydney, a friend’s mother told us about Mate FC, and my son joined at age 5 — his very first soccer lesson ever. From the first meeting, Coach Takao welcomed us with warmth and brightness. What stood out was how he always found creative ways to keep training positive and fun for the kids, and thanks to that my son settled in quickly and started attending every week. Early on he was invited to play in matches with older groups, and after a few games where he barely touched the ball, his competitive streak kicked in — he said he wanted to quit every other activity and focus only on soccer, and he ended up training almost every day on the Unlimited plan. According to him, if he arrived early he’d get extra practice time with Coach Takao, so he wanted to get there as fast as possible straight from school. Loving soccer and wanting to see Coach Takao, his soccer-filled life began. Coach Takao doesn’t just welcome the children warmly — he welcomes the parents too, which makes us want to talk with him as well. Neither my son nor I have ever heard a single negative word about Coach Takao from anyone — that’s how outstanding both his coaching ability and his character are. Thanks to him, my son is now in an academy program, but he has never forgotten where it all started with Coach Takao, and the footwork Coach Takao trained into him is still praised at the academy today. My son’s “love” for the game is a weapon stronger than anything else, and as a parent I feel every day that it’s thanks to Coach Takao that he’s this immersed in soccer. Winning the National Cup and being selected for the European tour squad — trace it back, and it all started with Coach Takao. Beyond soccer, he’s also won cross country every year and competed at the state championship. Being trained to run after practice was, I think, the very first step toward that too. Coaching with fun and genuine love, all-round — that’s Coach Takao’s unique style. He’s now training six days a week with the academy and the training ground is far, so it’s hard to make it to PFC these days, but we always want to join during the holidays. As his very first coach in his soccer life, we’re nothing but grateful, and we want to treasure this connection forever.

Ryan/Jake

My younger son is a bit strong-willed and finds group activities difficult, and since he doesn’t always express his own feelings clearly, it’s hard even for us as parents to lift his spirits. But Coach Takao knows just how to connect with him and bring out his motivation. Even though he loves soccer, he used to be reluctant to join in — but now he says “I want to play Coach Takao’s soccer” and comes every time with a smile. Even when he gets down or starts crying because something isn’t going well, the coach is always patient and gentle with him. It’s hard to find an activity he can enjoy like this, so we’re truly grateful.

Mason

My son first took a lesson with Coach Takao six years ago, when he was just 8 years old. I still clearly remember how, through fun training that felt like an extension of play, his motivation was drawn out so naturally. He now plays for a local club, but we still occasionally ask for private lessons. The reason his passion for soccer has never faded is that Coach Takao lit that spark when he was young — and Coach Takao’s presence is still at the heart of it all for my son.

Noah/Sera

Coach Takao is our eldest son’s very first soccer coach. He met Coach Takao when he was still small and knew nothing at all about soccer or its rules, and learned everything about the game from him, starting from zero. Coach Takao always gave him plenty of positive words and patiently, carefully taught him even the things he couldn’t do — and thanks to that he grew to love soccer more and more, and even now that he’s older he continues to work hard at it. He’s part of a different local club now, but joins Coach Takao’s beach training whenever he has time. Every session is packed with different content designed to make sure the kids enjoy training. For any child starting soccer for the first time, or any child already playing, we think Coach Takao’s training — firm at its core but full of warmth that brings out everyone’s smile — is well worth experiencing at least once. We’ll always be cheering Coach Takao on.

The advice he gave to bring out my son’s strengths became a real source of motivation, giving him the conviction to push through training and matches. He’s a coach we truly trust.

Coach Takao has been coaching my son since he was 4 years old. He is genuinely an amazing soccer coach! He has a real gift for engaging kids and making soccer truly “fun.” Coach Takao always motivates the children — he really is one of a kind. Congratulations on founding PFC, and we’re wholeheartedly cheering on Coach Takao’s continued success.

James & Luke

While accompanying my older son to his soccer training, my younger son ended up starting soccer too. In the beginning, whenever a drill was difficult or didn’t go the way he wanted, he’d sometimes wander off or say “I don’t want to go to training.” But thanks to Coach Takao’s coaching, that stopped happening, and now he says on his own, “I want to go to training.” Beyond soccer skills, he’s also been taught how to handle equipment and the importance of tidying up afterward — we’re grateful he’s being supported to grow as a person too.

We met Coach Takao when my son was 5 or 6 years old. Through fun physical play as an extension of games, and through connecting with kids his own age, it became his first step toward learning rules and the foundations of teamwork in his own way. He even played in his first tournament with a futsal team the coach put together, experiencing the joy of winning with teammates and the disappointment of losing — a wonderful experience for both of us as parent and child. Even though it was a busy time for me as a parent, I look back on it as good time spent together at that age. Now, at 17, he’s still playing sports. I hope the physical foundation built through fun movement and running back then, and the importance of teamwork and giving your best effort to win, will keep serving him well in everything beyond sports too — studies, work, all of it.

My son started soccer with Coach Takao in 2019, at age 7. Ever since, he’s built up a love and passion for soccer, and even now he still says, “I want Coach Takao’s training!” Training with Coach Takao isn’t just fun — he’s also picked up the fundamentals of soccer and the resilience to push through in matches, and he now brings those to his own club team too. We’re truly grateful, and feel very lucky, to have met Coach Takao.

Koutaro

When our eldest daughter was studying abroad in Australia for a year, we planned a family trip to visit her with our son, and thought that since we were coming all the way to Sydney where we’d be staying, we wanted him to experience soccer there — that’s how our story with Coach Takao began. I happened to find Sol Rieffe Soccer School on Facebook, and not even knowing whether I’d get a reply in English, or whether it would make sense, I sent a message anyway with nothing to lose. A careful reply came back — in Japanese. He said we could join on the spot, even without a booking, and that if the schedule didn’t work out he could do a private lesson instead — I remember how happy my son and I were to hear that. Right up until the day itself, he patiently walked me — someone who didn’t even know how to use the trains — through everything, even how to buy an Opal card, all by DM, and met us at the station nearest our hotel on the day. As a mother with no experience traveling overseas, taking my son to a school abroad alone was nerve-wracking, but he was such a huge help. My son, who could barely even introduce himself, was swept up in all kinds of new stimulation, and before we knew it he was playing soccer in English — it amazed us. We were so glad we’d brought him. Even after we returned home, during the pandemic we got to connect over Zoom with other soccer players, and I’ve continued to follow the coach’s activities and his wonderful parenting on social media. The thing I care about most in raising my own children is “character” — and I don’t think there’s a coach more skilled at nurturing that than him. Both my son and I are truly grateful to this coach we respect and love so much, and we look forward to the day my son can play soccer with Coach Takao in Australia again.

Ryotaro/Kentaro

We love Coach Takao’s passionate gaze, his passionate words, and his passion for the children. The kids respond in kind and look forward to every lesson. Their own drive to get stronger and better keeps growing, and they work hard to bring it out in real matches.

Ren

My son struggles with new places and meeting new people, and there were many times he couldn’t join training and instead watched everyone from outside the court. Coach Takao never forced him into training and never scolded him, but he never just left him alone either — he waited for my son’s own timing. Matching that timing, he gradually showed him the joy of soccer and the happiness of doing something well, and now he’s grown to the point where he looks forward to training every week.
Thanks to Coach Takao’s positive words that draw out kids’ motivation, my son grows a little more every day!