The whistle pierced the morning air before my boots even touched the grass.
"Move! Warm-up starts now!" Coach Daniels barked.
I jogged out with the rest of the academy boys, the dew glistening on the field like scattered diamonds. The pitch felt colder than usual. Or maybe it was just my nerves. Today wasn't a match… but somehow it felt even more important.
Today was the academy's Tactical Evaluation Day.
A day that separated "players" from "prospects."
I breathed in deeply, trying to steady the fluttering in my chest. But the System interface flickered softly in front of me like a heartbeat monitor, reminding me I wasn't imagining the tension.
> SYSTEM NOTE:
Performance bonus opportunity detected.
Playing with optimal decisions will increase Tactical Mastery.
No pressure at all.
Coach Daniels paced in front of us, hands behind his back. "Today isn't about speed. It isn't about strength. It isn't even about goals." He stopped, eyes locking with mine for a second before sliding away.
"It's about intelligence. Decision-making. Football IQ."
He motioned to Assistant Coach Bayo, who rolled out several small mannequins and cones across the pitch, forming tight channels and angles.
"Your drills today will simulate real match situations. You will be judged on—"
"Awareness."
"Positioning."
"Transition speed."
"Team coordination."
Four words. All heavy enough to crush a player without touching them.
I shook out my arms and legs.
Relax, Joseph. You've trained. You're prepared. You belong here.
But the real truth tugged at me quietly: I still felt like a nobody trying to become somebody.
And days like this threatened to expose that.
"Group A — attacking transition drill!" Coach Daniels announced.
My group.
I stepped forward with seven others, including Kelechi — the creative midfielder who'd been treating me like both rival and friend lately. The guy was ridiculously talented, and he knew it.
He leaned toward me as we jogged into position. "Pressure's high today, Oyas."
"On everyone," I said.
"Hmm." He smirked. "On some more than others."
I didn't respond — but the System did.
> EMOTIONAL STATE DETECTED: Competitive tension
Passive Buff Activated: Focus +3 (temporary)
Yeah. I'd need it.
---
The Drill Begins
Assistant Coach Bayo blew the whistle, tossing a fast pass toward the center.
"Transition! Go!"
Kelechi received it instantly, turning sharply and firing the ball into my path.
I controlled it with one touch — light but firm — and sprinted forward between mannequins simulating defenders.
Behind me, I heard the other players spreading out, calling for passes, filling lanes.
The air buzzed with energy.
A cone to my left represented a pressing defender.
I acted without thinking — one quick feint, shoulder drop, acceleration burst.
> SYSTEM:
Skill Execution: Dribble – Basic Success.
Bonus XP +12
But ahead of me was the hardest part:
the decision zone.
Three small nets. Three options.
Three different tactical meanings.
Left net = through ball.
Right net = switch of play.
Middle net = continue the run yourself.
I scanned the positioning of my teammates — fast — and fired the ball toward the left net. It zipped neatly in.
"Good!" Bayo shouted. "Again!"
Repeated pressure. Rapid decisions. Mental fatigue.
This drill wasn't about physical strain — it was a battle of the mind.
Over and over we ran it.
Kelechi began showcasing his monster passing range.
I countered with sharp movement and precise one-touch play.
We pushed each other.
Matched each other.
Raised the level together without speaking.
At one point he muttered, "Nice run," after threading me a tight ball.
At another, I caught him smiling when I executed a near-perfect switch that impressed even Coach Daniels.
The rivalry was… evolving.
---
The Breakdown Phase
But no matter how strong you start, drills like this cut you open eventually.
By the sixth round, sweat stung my eyes. My breathing got heavier. My legs felt like they were threatening to betray me.
In front of me, the System flickered again.
> WARNING:
Mental stamina dropping.
Decision accuracy risk detected.
Not now. Not in front of the coaches.
Not on a day that mattered.
I inhaled sharply.
Reset.
Focus.
But when the next ball arrived, my timing was off by a fraction.
My first touch bounced a little farther than intended.
Kelechi instantly pounced, stealing the ball and flicking it past a cone with unnecessary flair.
Coach Daniels' voice came hard and fast:
"Oyas! Focus! You're drifting!"
The words hit harder than a kick to the shin.
For a second, I froze — embarrassed, frustrated.
Kelechi jogged back to position, whispering, "Welcome to the academy, boy."
My jaw clenched.
The pressure was getting to me — and the System wasn't helping.
> Adaptive Suggestion:
Calm breathing recommended to restore clarity.
Yeah? Well, recommended or not, I needed to fix this.
Now.
---
Finding My Rhythm Again
When the whistle blew again, I let everything else fade out.
No coaches.
No rivals.
No noise.
Just the ball…
my breath…
and the game I loved.
The next pass came in.
I cushioned it effortlessly.
Turned smoothly.
And split the mannequins with a sharp dribble.
Kelechi was open behind me.
But I saw an option the coaches probably didn't expect — a risky, narrow lane straight ahead.
The safe choice?
Pass.
The expected choice?
Pass.
But the right choice?
I trusted my instincts and fired the ball through that tight space into the central mini-net.
Clean.
Precise.
Bold.
Coach Daniels paused, eyeing the path of the ball.
"Hmph," he muttered. "Creative. I like that."
Kelechi glanced at me with raised eyebrows.
"Okay," he said softly. "Now you're playing."
I felt myself breathe again.
---
Defensive Transition
The Hardest Part.
Attacking drills?
Fine.
Defending transitions?
Nightmare.
I wasn't a natural defender.
And the academy didn't care — if you couldn't press, recover the ball, win duels, or track runs…
you didn't play.
Coach Daniels clapped sharply. "Switch! Defensive structure drill!"
My stomach tightened.
I wiped sweat from my forehead.
Here we go.
We formed a compact shape — two midfielders, two forwards, and the backline mannequins representing defenders.
Our job:
react instantly when the opposing group attacked.
The ball was played.
The attackers surged forward.
I sprinted to press the ball carrier but mistimed the angle and left a gap.
"Too slow, Oyas!" Daniels snapped. "Do it again!"
We reset.
Ball played.
I sprinted — faster this time — closing the angle.
Kelechi covered behind me as the second presser.
"Better!" the assistant coach yelled.
Again.
Again.
Again.
By the eighth repetition, my lungs were on fire.
But every time I pushed through the pain, something inside me hardened, strengthened, sharpened.
By the twelfth rep, I started anticipating the attackers' patterns.
Two touches → inside cut.
Wide runner → decoy.
Near-side overlap → main threat.
And suddenly… the drill slowed down.
Not literally, but in my mind.
I saw the plays before they happened.
And the System finally rewarded me.
> SYSTEM UPDATE:
New Micro-Skill Unlocked:
"Predictive Read – Level 1"
Effect: Slight boost to anticipating opponent movement during transitions.
My heart fluttered.
Not from exhaustion — but excitement.
That skill could change everything.
---
Coach's Assessment
When the whistle blew to end the drill, everyone bent over, hands on their knees, gasping for air.
Even Kelechi looked drained.
Coach Daniels addressed us, eyes inspecting each face carefully.
"Most of you did well," he said. "Some of you improved. One or two of you surprised me."
His gaze lingered on me.
I swallowed.
Then he nodded once.
Not a smile.
Not praise.
But acknowledgment.
And in this academy?
That single nod felt like a trophy.
---
After Training
A quiet moment.
As the others headed toward the changing rooms, I walked slowly across the field, letting the breeze cool my skin.
This place…
this academy…
this dream…
It was all bigger than me.
And yet, I felt like I could grow big enough to fill it one day.
Maybe bigger.
My legs trembled with fatigue, but inside my chest, something burned bright and stubborn — hope.
The kind of hope that didn't fade even when things got hard.
The kind of hope that made a boy from Benin City believe he could someday…
wear the Arsenal crest.
My dream team.
My future.
Someday.
As I reached the halfway line, the System chimed softly again.
> SYSTEM:
Tactical Evaluation Summary Complete.
You performed above expectation.
+1 Overall Rating Increase
+12 Tactical Mastery XP
A smile tugged at my lips.
Today was brutal.
But today was progress.
And progress…
was everything.
I jogged toward the exit, determination solid as steel inside me.
Tomorrow would be even harder.
But tomorrow…
I'd be ready.