Tuesday, June 30th - Friday, July 3rd
The rest of the week passed in a blur of anticipation. Knowing Sarah would start Monday changed everything. I wasn't counting down the days until I burned out anymore. I was counting down the days until I had help.
Tuesday's training session felt lighter somehow. The players sensed something had shifted. Nya pulled me aside after the session.
"Gaffer, heard you hired an assistant coach."
Word traveled fast in academies. "Yeah. Sarah Martinez. She starts Monday."
"Good," he said simply. "You've been doing too much. We can see it."
That stung a bit, but he was right. "She's brilliant. You'll like her."
"Looking forward to it."
Wednesday, I spent hours with Marcus Reid planning Sarah's onboarding. What she needed to know, what systems to introduce her to, how to integrate her into the daily routine without disrupting the players' rhythm.
