#005

This time, we would like to introduce the soccer team "Velos Kronos Tono" in Tonomachi, which is aiming to join the J-League.
Currently based in Tonomachi, Koyu District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Velos is a member of the Kyushu Soccer League and is working hard to join the J-League.
In this post, I'd like to talk about the details of Velos, its history, its work, and one player I've worked with.

◆ Details of Velos
Their hometown is Tonomachi, and their home stadium is Tonomachi Fujimi Park Track and Field Stadium, and they practice for the Marker every day. The club's color is green onions, and the management corporation is "J.FC Miyazaki Co., Ltd.", which was founded in 2014.

◆ History of Velos
In 2019, J.FC MIYAZAKI (the original team of Velos) and the Tsuno Sports Commission, a general incorporated association in Tsunomachi, signed an agreement on two vocational education projects, and the following year, the hometown was moved from Miyazaki City to Tsunomachi, and the club color became the current onion. The following year, the club's name was changed to "Velos Kronos Tono" and the team logo and emblem were renewed. Thereare has a short history as Velos, but the truth is that it has a much longer history. This time, I will break it short.
By the way, the origin of Velos Kronos Tono is a combination of the Greek word "Velos" for "arrow" and the Greek god of agriculture "Kronos" named after the Yaken waterfall in Tonomachi.

◆ Recent Velos
I started working for the Tonomachi Tourism Association in April last year, and from there I learned about Velos and started supporting them because I sometimes worked with them.
In fact, there are many athletes at Velos who are professional soccer players and office workers. The source of this is the "Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers". The Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers are a system that contributes to regional revitalization by moving from urban areas to depopulated areas and disadvantaged areas and conducting community revitalization activities.
Velos has adopted this system, which means that you can concentrate on football in the morning and work in your own place in the afternoon.
The places of work are farmers, companies and organizations in Tonomachi, and are said to be digital teams and agricultural teams. Last year, there was only one player who came to this tourism association as a volunteer.
There is also a lot of attention on the underage generation of Velos.
As part of the Traditional Japanese straw raincoat initiative of the Tsuno Sports Academy, we are conducting a unique project involving the local community to nurture young people from childhood to adolescence through sports, life, education, vocational education, and local education. As a good member of society before being an athlete, the development of human resources who can be a role model for the local community and lead the community may be unique to this town.

In the first place, if you think about what it would be like to be a professional athlete, it's not very good, but I can't convince myself to work as a professional at the same time, and why would I be like this?

Thereare that question I asked the players.

◆ The story of a player who came to the tourism association as a volunteer
"Certainly, I think there are quite a few players who have doubts about farming and using a computer even though they are professionals. Some players are dissatisfied with the team's approach and policy. But it's a feature that few other teams have, and it's a valuable experience for those of us who haven't experienced society in the first place. It's rewarding, and my daily way of thinking has changed. The thing I feel most when I join this tourism association is that I am at an age where I can be called a veteran, so I have to be a role model for the team, and the results I have done here will also be a Gari connection with local residents. At this age, when I think about where to retire, I think there are people who go out into the world and people who are involved in soccer teams. When it comes to going out into the world in such a situation, it can be said that the career so far has not been effective at all. That's why joining Velos gave me an opportunity to think about what to do after retirement, and it also gave me an opportunity to think about myself when I went out into the world. All I want to say is that this experience will be a great asset in life. Because of that experience, or because I was in Velos, there will definitely be things in the future that I will feel. It may be something that young players don't understand right now, but if you work hard where you are, you will be recognized by your teammates, coaches, staff, and more specifically, local residents. I think it will be supported not only by myself but also by the team. It's a small town, so if we work together and help each other, we will become a team that is rooted in the community, and I think we will be able to aim higher."
He said. This person has now moved to Kanagawa Prefecture and is working as a secretary to a member of Congress. This is also surprising, isn't it? But I think it's definitely the result of what he's been building up for himself.
Next, I will talk about what I felt during the last year of working with him.
When I joined the Tourism Association in April 2024, he had been dispatched as the Tourism Association's first volunteer about two months earlier. That was my first impression. However, the men quickly became friends with each other and acted together more often. In the summer Festival, I carried the Mikoshi with the team under the scorching sun. I also went on a business trip to Saroma Town, Hokkaido, a friendly city, and Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture, a sister city, and was in charge of grilling charcoal chicken at local Events. When I think about it now, I feel like I was a working person.
The one that we worked together the most was the Industrial Festival, which is one of the famous festivals in Tonomachi.
Stalls and Kitchen Car were arranged, venue previews were conducted, and new challenges were also taken on with him. I might have seen him more as a respected senior at work than as a footballer. I think that's why I didn't feel like a footballer at work.
Then, at the end of 2024, I retired from football, quit the volunteers, and became a secretary to a member of Congress.
Professional athletes are basically involved in sports after retirement. For example, there are managers, coaches, sports directors, team management, and so on. After retirement, he became a secretary, let alone a member of Congress! And I was surprised. No wonder, it was also a news article on the Internet.
It was a valuable experience for me, as I was able to work with such a person from my first year as a member of society.

The reason I write this is because I believe that the efforts of Velos Kronos are meaningful. I think this initiative will have a big impact on footballers' careers after retirement. There are also players who came to Velos and fell in love with Tonomachi and live there after retirement. I am convinced that by not only supporting the team, but also cooperating with local residents, both Tonomachi and Velos will develop.

This year, they have won 5 league matches and lost 1 in the league, defeated J3 Gainare Tottori in the Emperor's Cup, and will face J1 Nagoya Grampus in the second round on 11 June. I want you to cause a giant killing.
We will continue to pay attention to the trends of Velos Kronos Tono!