Masakazu Washida

1.1. Birth and Background

Masakazu Washida was born on November 15, 1978, in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Standing at 72 in ^{(183 cm)} and weighing 170 lb ^{(77 kg)}, he is right-footed. Although he began his youth career as a midfielder, he later converted to a defender upon turning professional.

1.2. Youth Education and Amateur Clubs

Washida's early football development began with the Maruyama Soccer Sports Youth Team, where he played from 1985 to 1991 while attending Fukui Municipal Maruyama Elementary School. He then continued his youth football journey at Fukui Municipal Daito Junior High School from 1991 to 1994. From 1994 to 1997, he attended Fukui Prefectural Maruoka High School, a period that further shaped his skills before his professional debut.

2.1. Club Career Overview

After graduating from high school, Washida joined J1 League club JEF United Ichihara in 1997. He remained with the club until 1998 but did not make any official appearances during this initial spell.

In 1999, he moved to Montedio Yamagata, a club newly promoted to the J2 League. He quickly established himself, playing numerous matches as a center-back and becoming a regular player from the 2001 season. His first tenure with Montedio Yamagata lasted until 2003.

Washida returned to JEF United Ichihara in 2004, but again found limited opportunities, making no league appearances. In 2005, he moved to J2 League club Kyoto Purple Sanga. Although the club won the J2 League championship in 2005 and was promoted to J1 for the 2006 season, Washida did not make many appearances during his two seasons there.

In 2007, he rejoined Montedio Yamagata for a second spell, where he once again played many matches. The following year, 2008, he moved to Japan Football League (JFL) club Tochigi SC. At Tochigi SC, he became a regular player, contributing significantly to the club's promotion to the J2 League at the end of the 2008 season. Koichi Hashiratani, then manager of Tochigi SC, notably described Washida as one of the "backbone players" of the team.

In 2009, Washida transferred to another JFL club, FC Ryukyu. He played many matches in 2009 but did not feature in any games in 2010. In June 2010, he made his final move as a player to Prefectural Leagues club SC Sagamihara, where he played for the remainder of the season before retiring from professional football at the end of 2010.

2.2. Club Statistics

3.1. Retirement from Playing

Masakazu Washida officially retired from his professional playing career at the end of the 2010 season, following his brief stint with SC Sagamihara.

3.2. Coaching and Management Career

After his retirement from playing, Washida transitioned into coaching and management roles, primarily with SC Sagamihara. His career progression at the club demonstrates a continuous commitment to football development and administration:

• In 2011, he started as a Youth Development Coach for SC Sagamihara.
• In 2012, he took on the dual role of U-14 Manager and First Team Assistant Coach.
• In 2013, he became the U-15 Manager and First Team Head Coach.
• From 2015 to 2019, he served as a First Team Coach.
• In 2020, he was appointed Team Strengthening Director.
• From September to December 2021, he returned to a coaching role as a First Team Coach.
• In 2022, he served as Strengthening Director.
• Since 2023, he has held the position of Football Operations Strengthening Manager.

3.3. Other Activities and Appearances

Beyond his professional playing and coaching careers, Washida has participated in various football-related events. On March 11, 2012, he took part in the "3.11 Yusuke Dreams Memorial Game," an event organized by former Tochigi SC player Yusuke Sato, who served as a Tochigi SC Dream Ambassador. Washida played as a member of the "Yusuke Dreams" team at the Tochigi Prefectural Green Stadium, making a return to the pitch in a significant charity match.