The Japanese American Football Association (JAFA) will begin its search for players to represent Japan at the 2009 International Federation of American Football Junior World Championship this weekend in Kanto and Kansai.
The 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship will feature the world's best high school-aged (19 and under) national teams from four continents at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, from June 27 to July 5.
Japan will represent the Asian continent and will compete with Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States this summer. The eight-nation field will be complete when one country from qualifiers featuring the Bahamas, Panama and Mexico advances in February and either Australia or New Zealand will qualify from Oceania.
On Saturday, Jan. 10, tryouts for players in the eastern regions of Japan will gather in Kanto, then as Japan celebrates the Coming of Age Holiday on Monday, Jan. 12, a second selection process will be held to the west in Kansai.
A total of 341 players aged 19 and under from 44 colleges and 28 high schools across Japan will compete for a place on the 45-man Team Japan roster. Full details of the Japanese coaching staff will be released in the coming weeks.
A second tryout is scheduled for the end of February, and in early March, the players selected will take part in a training camp. Team Japan will prepare for its visit to the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship with a challenge game against a touring U.S. all-star team in Kawasaki in March.
Team Stars and Stripes, a 45-man squad comprised of U.S. high school seniors, will be in opposition at Kawasaki Stadium on Saturday, March 21, in the annual Global Challenge Bowl. In 2008, Team Japan triumphed 24-14 over the visiting American team in the event organized by Texas-based Global Football Inc.
A final training camp will be held in Japan in June before the team departs for Canton to take on the world.