Takumi Ikeda striking the ball down the field

Barça Residency Academy Player Insider – Takumi Ikeda

April 17, 2020


Player Insider: Takumi Ikeda

Hello my name is Takumi Ikeda and this has been my first year at the Barça Residency Academy. It has been a great honor to be part of this Residency. Not many programs can offer the same quality of training or bring the same effort Barça does to insure we are well taken care of. We are given freedom but also need to act responsibly as many of us have goals to make it to the professional level. It has been a really good experience so far and I am excited for what is to come.

Learning process

There have been many things I have learned so far on the field and off the field at the Barça Residency Academy. On the field, I have learned a lot about discipline and working with others. The team is very family-oriented and with every loss, we come back stronger. Because of this, I’ve learned a lot from my teammates on how to face adversity. Off the field, it is a very fun environment here at the residency as we can be with friends and family can visit whenever. At first, it was tough being away from family but it has slowly become my second home. I have made many fun memories here like going on excursions and eating with teammates. My favorite memories are all on the pitch as we have had some very important wins by working together. I want my team to keep winning and I will do everything to help. The coaching staff is very open with us and if we have concern or need tips, they are always there to talk to us.

Goals for this semester

My goal this semester is to keep improving and learn as much as I can to become a better player. I also want to be more involved in both the attacking and defensive phases of the game so I can become a more complete player. I also believe that I can work even harder on and off the ball. My goal is to make sure I’m the hardest working player when I’m on the field. I believe I can get better if I consistently do the little things to improve myself. I am doing all these things so I can win games with the team and eventually make it to the pro level. There will be plenty of tough times in the future but I will learn from them.

Challenges

There have been many challenges I have faced during my time here. There have been times where I didn’t feel motivated or I wasn’t giving my best effort. The environment here encourages you to suck up your problems and learn from them. I think I have become more hardworking since I have come here but I am nowhere near where I want to be. There was one game where I was on the bench because I wasn’t working hard enough in the defensive phase. I haven’t forgotten that game and I use that as motivation to never make that same mistake. I feel that this Residency will always challenge me to get better and as long as I bring my effort, I will improve in this environment.


Do You Want to Join the FUN?

Find out how you can join
Barça Residency Academy or attend one of its camps.

Learn More