"Okay, kid, we will start with wall passing," placed in front Winston was a cone, and five meters away were three black, small rebound board All these black boards were hundred centimeters and sixty centimeters. "I need you to pass at these rebounds without slowing down on your passing. And don't move from that cone." Winston struggled for what seemed like an hour; three rebounds were positioned in the left, center, and right areas, five meters away from each other. As the rebounds were being contested by the cone that Winston was positioned at, Dumi, with his arms folded, reiterated his request for the play to be repeated once Winston had passed the ball beyond the reach of the rebounders.
After a while he started getting used to it, now getting comfortable passing the ball to the rebounds. "Good, keep going, and I'll tell you when to stop." Said Dumi, continuing for another hour without losing his focus. Until Dumi stopped him. "Okay, your form is not bad, and you can adapt faster. When I was watching your match against Arlesey. Your passing and shooting need refining. And your form too, for now we will focus on ball control, speed, passing, and physical."
Placing three cones in a small triangle and place another cone five meters away. As Dumi instructed what Winston should do, he jogged toward the five-meter cones; this drill was to test Winston's ball control and turning control. The sequence of play begins with Dumi passing the ball from the five-meter cone, after which Winston is required to make a turn in a manner that avoids touching the three triangle cones.
It took Winston about twenty times until he started being comfortable with the speed at which the ball was passed. It is important to note that Dumi, while also shouting instructions at Winston, was simultaneously instructing him on the proper techniques for trapping the ball, and even though Winston struggled at times, Dumi showed him multiple methods, from using the inside of his foot to the outside, and how to control the ball by pressing it and then turning. After spending two to three hours on this drill. "Okay that enough we need to go to the basics." said Dumi who took another cones he placed them ten meters apart "alright listen up, I need you to tap the ball lightly from cone to cone, I will tell you when to stop." Dumi said, gesturing at the positioned cones.
Winston felt disappointed that he was performing a very basic drill; this drill is super fundamental, but it is very crucial for one to master ball control. It helps the player to be familiar with the ball between their feet. From a distance, Dumi observed Winston as he diligently carried out the drill for an extended period of approximately forty-five minutes.
Ding!
[Nethen Essence: 54%]
[Voltage Core: 54%]
[Dribbling]
Dribbling: 64
Agility: 45
Balance: 56 +1
Reactions: 55 +1
Ball Control: 67 +1
Composure: 46 +1
[Passing]
Passing: 56 +1
Vision: 41 +1
Crossing: 40
FK Acc.: 30
Short Pass: 45
Long Pass: 46 +1
Curve: 40
Dumi halted Winston as evening approached, saying they ought to carry on the following day. Winston felt like he hadn't broken a sweat—he pondered for a while until an image of today's ordeal flashed in his memory. If he loses the upcoming match, he will have to sit on the bench for three matches. He saw that Dumi looked expressionless. "Can we please continue to coach?"
With a grin on his face, Dumi patted Winston on the shoulder. "Now you are talking, we are pulling an all nighter, It's been long since I pulled an all nighter. Back then, coaches used to reprimand me for doing that. Good time."
"Okay, on to the next drill. Perform the same thing, but this time use your outer foot. Same as before, you will be attempting this drill for another twenty minutes." Dumi said, folding his arms, and as the night wore on, their training became rigorous. Dumi started with super fundamental drills to medium drills; he categories them into Ball Control, Dribbling, Shooting, and Physical. During the initial week, the emphasis was on ball control and dribbling, and the sleep schedule for that week was from five AM to ten AM. Well, Dumi was the only one who was sleeping.
Winston still had trouble sleeping, and he told no one, instead, he would do those training around his room until ten am. Of course, the system was updating him, and he wasn't checking the core as frequently as he used to. He didn't want to be distracted, the only thing on his mind was the upcoming match. His route came as no surprise to the hotel staff and groundkeepers. He was the first person to enter—he even startled Dumi when he saw him warming up in the morning — and he was the last one to leave. Even Dumi found Winston's determination astonishing; upon seeing him at the hotel each morning, he noted Winston's lack of exhaustion post-training. The consistency of Winston's morning routine, which Dumi observed daily from a distance, was so predictable that Winston's remarkable determination became even bewildering to Dumi. It is possible that he harbored the suspicion that Winston was engaged in some sort of activity, such as self-administering illicit drugs. However, upon conducting an examination of the Winston's water bottle, Dumi discovered that its efficacy was not attributable to any inherent quality or material, but rather to an unwavering and absolute determination.
During the last day of the first week, Dumi called Winston for a break, while Annalise brought them lunch from the hotel. And the lunch was a light one: some sunny side up eggs with garlic, tomato chutney, and some slices of bread, and orange juice. "Are you nervous about the upcoming match with that kid?"
Winston with food in his mouth, "a little, I mean the striker coach has been training him one on one for the longest, so now I wanted to catch up to him and I don't want to sit on the bench ever again."
"Oh, I see, that kid does have talent, but he still relies on his brute force and he is hard-headed. I guess those two are meant for each other."
"Don't let the match weigh on you. Trust your abilities, refine your strengths and weaknesses, and don't lose yourself to something you love."
"Thank you, coach… um, can I ask you something?" said Winston.
"Shot."
"Why did you retire mid season, You were at the peak of your career?"
"I was wondering when you would ask me that."
"You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to."
"It's alright kid, my baby girl was sick," pausing before continuing,
"in the middle of the season, Lise started getting sick out of nowhere, and gradually became serious to a point she was bedridden. Doctors couldn't find what was wrong with her, some doctors even said I should prepare for the worst. That was the moment I chose to announce my retirement. It's just me and my baby girl. And somehow her body started recovering after a few months."
"..."
I miss football, but naturally, cherishing loved ones is important. Annalise is important to me in life. And don't forget to check up on your loved ones, kid, from time to time."
"Anyway, let's get back to training."
"Okay."
Ding!
[Nethen Essence: 56%]
[Voltage Core: 56%]
[Dribbling]
Dribbling: 66
Agility: 50
Balance: 60
Reactions: 60
Ball Control: 70
Composure: 55
[Passing]
Passing: 60
Vision: 46
Crossing: 48
FK Acc.: 44
Short Pass: 60
Long Pass: 50
Curve: 50
The weekend's demanding training left Winston astonished at Dumi's impactful coaching. For some, his training seemed foundational, yet Winston considered it new, with all his solitary practice focusing on shooting. Winston didn't break down his training like Dumi.
Dumi divided the training into sections, each with its own subsection, like Ball Control, which had low, mid, and high tiers. The first two days he focused on low. Basic drills. And the next two days were a mix of medium and high tiers. And on the weekends, Dumi drills him in grueling training without using cone training equipment. But he will use mannequins, for instead he will put those mannequins in different areas, and he passed the ball to Winston, who must maneuver across those mannequins. To some, these drills would have made them quit, thanks to the core system it keeps restoring his energy, so for him this drill Winston felt like it was made for him.
Ding!
[Nethen Essence: 57%]
[Voltage Core: 57%]
[Dribbling]
Dribbling: 70
Agility: 68
Balance: 69
Reactions: 68
Ball Control: 70
Composure: 65
[Passing]
Passing: 68
Vision: 60
Crossing: 61
FK Acc.: 60
Short Pass: 65
Long Pass: 60
Curve: 60
Finally, my skills have rapidly grown, thanks to Mr. Dumi's grueling training. This opportunity has helped me a lot. Three weeks left until the match. After this, I have to focus on the league championship. in order to get the opportunity to be signed by the senior club. I have to stand out among my peers.
I can't wait to see what these two Nethen Essence and Voltage Core will do. I can't wait until they reach a hundred percent. Maybe I will get a lot of points.
"Let's stop here for today, kid," said Dumi.