C9 Coach Casey

Casey walked into the school stadium. He had to meet the junior team. They were students from the Mill Middle School. They were students from the sixth to the eighth grade.

He walked and saw they were already on the training ground, getting ready.

“Good afternoon, everyone”. Casey said.

“Good afternoon coach”. They echoed.

Casey exhaled. He had a long speech to deliver but he had to start from somewhere. He paused for a moment and all eyes were fixed on him.

“My name is Casey ‘Manuel and I will be your new coach.” He said and they gave him a round of applaud.

“I have come to realize that we’ve gotten three trophies over the years. It’s time to make it the fourth”. He said with confidence.

“Yes”. The team chorused happily.

“We are currently on third place with only two points below the team on top for now- Denise College. We still have six matches left before the season runs out”.

“Let’s do less talking and more training”. He said but they laughed.

“Our next match is against Mc Higgins Middle school and they are at the bottom.” One of the players said.

“Do you really think that’s it? A team’s current position does not determine the next match. Now get to that pitch and do some training”. Casey bellowed out.

They all walked to their training positions and resumed action. However, he wasn’t satisfied back with their performance.

“Come on don’t be sluggish. We have a league title to claim.” He said, bending slightly and clapping repeatedly.

“Levi, go faster. You are the captain. Show example”. He shouted.

It was 4:30pm. That was the end of the day’s training. Some of the players left while others left to change their clothes. Casey sat down and he could see someone approaching him from where he sat with the corner of his eye. It appeared that the person was coming from behind..

He turned back and he saw it was Cody.

“Hi, how was your training today?” Casey asked cheerfully.

“It was great although it was stressful. How is your team?”

“Well, being a coach here is not that bad”. He replied.

“Well, I was made a striker and now the team has four forwards”. Cody informed him.

“Carl’s also a striker, isn’t it?” Casey asked, rolling his eyeballs.

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going, the tough gets going”. Cody patted his shoulders.

“Okay, I will see the effort you put at becoming the team’s best striker”. Casey said in a bid to encourage him.

“That reminds me, I keep seeing those visions”. Cody changed the topic

“Those visions will be the death of you. Do you really those petals to survive?”

“I don’t even know. This time around, the same old man showed me something else”.

“And what is that?”

“The man said friendship is essential and that echoed into my ears several times. I even got headache from it”.

“Since the first time you’ve been having visions, it’s been incessant.”

“It’s like I’m the seer of this generation”.

“There is more to it than it meets the eye.”

“Yes. Most likely. ”

“It’s not probably. It’s surely.”

No one talked as they travelled in the bus. Silence had filled the bus to an extent that even a pin drop or a droplet of water could be heard. What they had met was different from their expectations.

Casey was the most affected by the turn of events. His first match as a coach had ended in a goalless draw. The crux of the matter was that the match was against a team in relegation.

His players were also pained by their performance but they dared not voice it out. As they alighted out of the bus, Casey gathered them together and they made a short prayer. After that, he gave them a piece of his mind.

“What the heck happened there? You just made us four points below Dames College. You are making this harder for us”. He yelled out in a shriek. He stopped to see if they were getting the message he was passing.

“You all thought you could beat them and now thanks to you, they made it out of relegation. The problem was that you took them with levity and they were smart enough to use it to their own advantage”. He halted with an exhale.

“We are sorry, coach”. They chorused out.

“No, don’t be sorry, you can still make the league title. There are five matches left”.

“Our next match is against the team currently in second place and we still have to play Dames College. We are doomed.” Levi, the team captain said.

“Who says so? We are going to play those matches and win them. Winners never quit and quitters never win”. He paused and gazed at them one by one.

“Are you ready to claim it?”

“Yes”. They chorused.

“Let’s meet here tomorrow”. He said and left. He walked towards the senior team’s training ground. He watched from afar and saw that Cody was doing well. However, there was another player on the team that made lots of mistakes and got mocked.

It was soon the end of the training for the day. Cody walked up to him.

“Hi bro, did the junior team win that match?”

“No, it was a draw. We still have hopes of lifting that cup. Well, I can see you are doing well here. Cool reflexes”. Casey complemented with a smile.

“Thanks. Even Carl was dazed”.

“What’s with the guy you were all mocking?”

“That’s Oliver. He’s the fourth striker but the worst in the team”. Cody replied.

“I’m sure that guy will be feeling bad now”. Casey said with sincere pity.

“It’s the same here. I just couldn’t take it but I had no choice”. Cody said and looked back.

“I think Mr. Hudson has gotten word about the draw.” Cody said, turning back to him.

“What makes you say that?” Casey asked.

“Cos he’s behind you”. Casey turned back and reflected it was true.

“G… Good afternoon, sir”. Casey mumbled. He was afraid of what he would say.

“I heard about the match”.

“I’m sorry sir. We couldn’t grab a win”.

Mr. Hudson chuckled loudly.

“That was the best I’ve ever seen. Keep it up”. Mr. Hudson said and left.

“You felt scared, didn’t you?” Cody asked.

“What a relief!” Casey said, exhaling in relief.