Week 3 Uh defense Where Are You?

Day 5 8–16–23

I was in the middle of conducting a 7–8 training session. Today has been difficult so far. It is like the minions with these boys. At times, they bounce around like crazy, lol. I was smiling in dismay and somewhat annoyed throughout this practice. It was not fun, and we still have 27 minutes to go in this one.

A few minutes later, something surprising happened, and man, it gave me a much-needed boost to see this out. I saw Leo coming towards the side of the field. I was surprised and confused as he asked me if I needed any help with this practice. I had tons of questions roaming in my head when he asked this question: “Why was he here so early?” “Is he lost or something?” “Did he misread the schedule?” But at the same time, I was so happy. Leo and I have formed a bond these first few days, and we get along well. He is a fantastic person to be around, and I am blessed to have had the chance to coach him so far. It has been a great experience. He has had this knack this season to show up super early, and he does not only show up early, he shows up ready to play. This man is a soccer fanatic; I love it, man, I love it!! I replied no, I should be good to his question, and then I followed up, asking, “What are you doing here so early?” As expected, he replied. “I checked the schedule and thought it was at 6 pm.” It’s a good thing he messed up, lol. I have some good company here; it will get me through this session. I then told him this would be our first practice with everybody attending. It is a perfect opportunity for us to go into our first game with some momentum and rhythm and get everybody on the same page with what we are trying to accomplish this season. Leo replied, “Oh really?” he is excited to get working with Chris. This is the first time they will work up front together since I confirmed they will be upfront. These two will be lethal this season. I am excited to see it all unfold today and throughout this season. I talked with Leo for a few more minutes, then switched my attention back to my minions, ahem, I mean 7–8 boys. Thanks once again for cheering me up, Leo. My practice with them finished well, Surprisingly. The Leo effect is real, you all. I may need to tell him to show up to every practice. He got me through this one.

After finishing up with my 7–8 boys, I headed over to my 11–12 practice. I need to address a couple of things today, specifically Chris and Sebastian. We need them firing at their best to get our championship swagger back before the first game. I have the trophy with me today. My speech today will get my boys locked in and ready to go this weekend. When I arrived at the field, worry started to trickle over my face. There was no Chris, no Sebastian or Beard. Not ideal at all. Fingers crossed, they arrive a few minutes late. It would suck if they were a no-show today. I went over to move the small goals out of the way and started to prepare the scene for today’s practice. As I was doing this, I saw Beard and Sebastian arrive. Oh, thank you, lord, for cheering me up; seeing them show up felt good. Beard saw me and came over to help me with the goals. As we were moving the goals, he told me he had finished all his paperwork to become an assistant coach. Yay, we have locked up our core for this season. Ahem, excuse me, championship core for this season. He has been fantastic in his short time with us so far. I also told him everything going on with the team and everything we would do today. I like to keep everybody within the team in touch and engaged. I may also get some important insight related to the subject or a suggestion I could use. This is why I am excited about this appointment. I sometimes miss out on things. I value people’s perspectives and insights a lot. I love it when people are involved. As we were finishing up moving the goals, I saw Charles arrive. He missed the last two practices. I hope everything is good with him. I am happy to see him again; we missed his energy and enthusiasm here.

We have now finished moving the goals, and it is time to start practicing. We are going with the same format as Saturday: I gather the outfield players to do a possession drill so Beard can have some time with George. I will tell the team they only have three touches max to set the tone for this week. This heavily emphasizes communication and constant effort to get in a passing lane for your mate. Today should be much quicker and is an excellent way to unite the team. We did stretches before this drill, and I gave the boys a water break. During the water break, I walked up to Sebastian, who was shooting the ball with his mates, and told him that “the situation between you and Chris will be brought up to him. I acknowledge your frustrations; I am not too pleased with what he is doing out there either, but try and let some things slide, and don’t make your frustrations too transparent. I need you to be the person you were last Saturday, the one who brought good energy and lifted everyone along with your play on both sides of the ball. We need this version of you, Sebastian. You being like this makes us a better team.” This talk cheered him up a ton. He acknowledged his frustrations and complimented Chris’s crazy rainbow flick over a player during last week’s drill. That was a clean rainbow flick, man. It turns out it’s just another day in the office for him; he was all cool and collected. The only thing he was missing was putting on the sunglasses after he made the move. Only in my dreams do I pull off a move like that. That was some serious ginga right there. It was good to sympathize with Sebastian. Our team needs his positive energy and good play in midfield. He is such a great guy, and seeing him frustrated was upsetting. I am glad he is doing great today and is back to being the person we are accustomed to. On the other hand, I am confident that Chris will buy into what we are trying to accomplish here. He is a great kid with a confident personality. I just need to find a way to get him to share the ball and his aura with the entire team. He is alienated away from us at the minute. We need his leadership skills; they will make him a better player and improve the team as a whole.

The teams were picked, and Deja vu struck, lol. As I was picking up the pennies on the side, the villain, ahem, I mean Chris, arrived through the same entrance, the same side. The only difference was the shirt he was wearing and the excuse. I am happy to see him and the fact he could put in some work with us today. I put him on the opposite team from Leo, and we were ready to get underway. I let Leo and Chris position the teams, but I swooped in and ensured a balanced number of players in the middle and wide areas. I like people voicing their opinions and trying to execute them as long as everybody is on the same page. I encourage people to have a voice in my team. I also added my gloss onto it to ensure we are working toward the philosophy I’m trying to build. When I do that, I compliment the original idea and explain why I am making those changes. I don’t want it to seem I am doing it out of spite, and I want to celebrate them for voicing their opinions. Unless completely wrong, I try to balance what the team wants and what I want. Before we got started, I told the team while clapping to do “three touches only; I want to see positional discipline, communication, and constant movement to get in a passing lane, I want quick play, quick play, understood boys!!!” They replied “yes, coach!!” and then started to play. I was heavily involved in this one to keep the energy up and ensure the kids were engaged. I constantly communicated and celebrated lol if someone did something good, encouraged people to communicate, and made sure people were in the right spots and in passing lanes. Pretty much every little detail about football. I risk losing my voice or getting tired a little quicker, but I will keep this energy up throughout this season.

Doing this yielded great results and helped us make a good session. The team with Leo, James, Mason, and Quincy was world-class. Their discipline and communication ensured that they knew where everybody was at all times, which resulted in quick, confident soccer. I was really impressed with Quincy and Mason. They both know how to play soccer. You don’t need to babysit them. They know how to position, have discipline, make some really solid decisions, and communicate a ton, especially Quincy lol; this dude was yelling for that ball; I love it!! Mason has a quieter voice and communicates a little less, but with some heavy encouragement, his confidence grew, which led to more engagement and activity. He is more imposing and has a little more composure and talent than Quincy, but it is close, really close. I am happy just to have more solid options at my disposal. This team is a little bit more loaded than I thought. Mason may have a case to start on Saturday. He is a little too good to leave on the bench, especially after Collin’s performance in the middle of the park. Collin is a great player, but the middle is just not his position. He is a little shy and not active enough. His decision-making also suggested he feels a little uncomfortable. It seems his best position is either striker or wing. His dribbling, decision-making, and hunger for goals suit that position well. He reminds me of a Jack Grealish or a Bukayo Saka. As of now, I’m thinking either Chase or Collin will come and sit with me. We would be a more balanced team with Mason in the starting lineup. It would also allow me to bring a potential game-changer off the bench. It is always better to bring on an attacker than a midfielder. Now, let’s get into how Sebastian, Chris, and the other team got along. The level of this team was not as good, but there were some positive developments. Chris played much quicker today and consistently looked to move the ball. There were times that he reverted to his usual ways of hogging the ball, which got Sebastian mumbling a bit and me putting my hand on my forehead. You are way too talented to be doing this, Chris. Other than that, we are trending in the right direction with him, and I am happy with his performance. Charles lacked a little discipline and kept running all over the place and bunching up with other players. He is a little out of rhythm because of all his missed practices, so I will give him a pass. I love the running and energy he displayed; it just needs to be a bit more calculated. He is a potential game-changer once I get him playing a little more calculated and in the game’s flow. The drill is now complete, and I was happy with the progress I saw. There was a lot more togetherness and effort displayed from both sides. It was nice to watch and has me looking forward to our big offense vs. defense drill coming up next.

I sent the players to go and get a water break and rest up a bit so I could set up the drill. During this period, Sebastian came up to me and asked for the game plan for Saturday. I was initially confused about what he meant, but then I realized he was asking about the starting lineup. He saw where he was going to play and said I am better at outside mid than in the middle. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to our personnel and the formation we are running. He is our best midfielder; other than James or Leo, I could not switch him out of there. I told him how his qualities would help our midfield and that his role would win us many soccer matches and make us a better team. You have to make the person feel valued, man. This goes to everybody on the roster. He replied saying, “Oh,” in an enthusiastic tone. He also acknowledged why he played there by saying, “Makes sense. I like the role you have given me. This is so great. Thank you, coach.” I knew this was not going to be an issue. Sebastian is such a mature guy, but I just wanted to put it in here, lol. This is how you get people to buy into roles: be honest with them, carve out a role for them, and make them feel valued and respected. It will increase players’ confidence, knowing they are contributing, and help them settle in a little easier. My conversation with Sebastian followed with kids bugging me about the starting lineup and what we were doing next. Hey, they did not ask if we could scrimmage. Lol it is about dang time. That is music to any coach’s ears. Scrimmage requests make me go bananas. I will give you guys your scrimmage; we just need to get through some things first, and then we will have fun. It is part of the business. I can only start ten players. Sorry, boys, but keep at it and stay ready. Your numbers will be called upon, and your contributions will be needed. Championships are won 11 through 17, not 1 through 10. These guys make the starters better players through their hard work and cheerleading while lessening their load with their contributions on the field.

I situated and put everybody in their positions, and we were about to get underway. Before we got started, I told the team, “I want people staying in their zones and in a passing lane; I want to see three-touch football and people communicating and trusting each other. If this is not right, I will stop the drill, and we will do it again. Is that understood, boys!!!” The boys replied “yes, coach,” and we got underway!!!

Here are my observations from watching these boys play. It started terribly. Chris was up to his shenanigans again, slow, just slow. My players and I had to remind Chris where he was supposed to be constantly; he kept leaving his zone and not letting the game come to him. Man, once I get him playing with his guys, look out, league, I mean it. I am starting to see why he was passed up in the first round; even with the abudance of talent he has some ego problems. This situation reminds me of Jamie Tartt in Ted Lasso; he was a total nightmare for Lasso for a few seasons, then turned into a player people looked up to. I am hoping for that same outcome with him, but based on that story, it will take some time and a lot of perseverance in my principles. I will find a way to get to him eventually, but unfortunately, it is not now, and I will have to roll with it and get other people to buy into it through encouragement and giving them perspective. There were subtle hints of frustration displayed by everyone. It was slow, disconnected, and sloppy. There were times I was shell-shocked and looking for answers. Watching this made me sick and had me thinking I lost this group before the first game. This moment pretty much summed up how my team and I were feeling. The ball went out for a throwin, and the wingback picked up the ball and was ready to execute a throwin. Leo brought up something that I hadn’t thought about. Since the wingback was taking the throw, that left no options down wide since I told the strikers and midfielders to stay in the half-spaces. I am forcing my wingback to make a long and difficult throw and a risky one. Losing the ball in wide areas is better than in the center. It is a safe and significant option to have. I have no clue how I missed this detail. I was somewhat confused when he brought it up; it took me a second to realize what was happening. Once I acknowledged it, I told the team, “Sorry for my mistake; we are going to be making an exception; strikers are only allowed down the line on throw-ins.” This was the first time I displayed confusion to my team, and I felt horrible. But this sick feeling ignited a spark, an energy I had not felt so far. It got me to say, “boys, we are such a good team. I know we are much better than this. Let’s give this our best shot. I need some energy from you all. Come on!!! Man, on your feet and ready for the ball, communicate. Let’s speed this up.” The boys responded by saying, “Come on guys, let’s pick this up; we have a game on Saturday. We can’t be coming out like this, or we will get destroyed!!” The boys felt this one, but the play still hadn’t picked up, and the ball kept going out for throw-ins. The defense was solid from top to bottom, and we weren’t feeling inspired. It was just one of those days, and it got me thinking this will be a long season. It made me marvel even more at the top managers. This stuff is not easy; it is draining and hard to manage people. I was on the brink of calling it and scrimmaging a little earlier than usual, but something amazing happened, and it was by far the best thing I have seen this season.

Our players were starting to get loud. This was the most awaken I had seen them all day, and it resulted in an amazing possession finishing off with a goal. I was ecstatic after this possession, saying, “Boys, that is what I am talking about; that was fantastic. Keep it up, wow!!” A few smiles popped up after I said this, and they never looked back. There was goal after goal after goal, and the ball bounced everywhere, and people stayed in their zones and trusted each other. It was almost as if I was watching 09 Barcelona. The flow was beautiful to watch, and it got me cheering like a madman, lol. My favorite moments were when Sebastian displayed relief, saying, “Feels so good touching this ball,” Chris receiving it in his zone, could you believe that, then unleashing a venomous strike into the top corner for one of the craziest goals I have seen from a 12-year-old in a minute, and George’s crazy acrobatic save from Chris’s powerful strike which prompted me to jump around like a Kangaroo and yell while beating my chest “YES GEORGE!! YES GEORGE!! that is my freaking goalkeeper man come on!!!” and Sebastian saying “We have the best fowards and an insane goalkeeper we are going to trounce the Pumpernickles on Saturday.” It had me smiling ear to ear, knowing that my perseverance paid off and the boys loved what good soccer is. This is a potentially life-changing experience for them. Good soccer changes you not only in this business but in life. If you do not know how to work with others, you will not succeed. The strongest people in the world, such as Micheal Jordan, Lionel Messi, and Lebron James, did not succeed on their own. Jordan needed Scottie, Messi had Iniesta, Xavi, and Busquests, and Lebron needed to go to Miami to start winning. It is impossible to take on the world yourself. Let others help you. It will make you a better person and the world around you a better place.

Anyway, back to the drill, let’s talk about the defense. I mean, what were they supposed to do lol. As Beard said, “Tip your hat off to them and move on to the next play.” Good football is hard to stop. They were composed even in the difficult moments and performed well for most of the drill. I am proud of them, and I am happy they got to face some good pressure today. It tested their character and togetherness as a backline. They should take a good lesson from this. It will not always be comfortable, especially in the playoffs, so knowing how to face adversity and understanding it will come will be key and help them settle in during those moments. Jason came up to me when he switched out and asked, “Be honest with me. How could I improve? I do not get offended that easily.”Man I started to marvel at Jason once he asked this question even more at the fact he walked over to me. I freaking love this kid I do not come across people like this especially at this age. This kid has energy, is bright, and is a freaking competitor; he cares about everything he does and genuinely wants to become the best person he can be. A teacher’s pet is one of the many wonderful people I have met on this team so far. I responded saying “keep it up Jason you have got off to a great start so far. Today was a little difficult because the attackers had it going, but I loved that you still competed and stayed with it. You play with a lot of heart. You are fantastic.” He replied, “Thank you,” with a smile across his face. He deserves every one of my words. I love how he goes on about things.

The drill was over, and this group’s energy and togetherness were through the roof. You would think we have won a championship if you saw everything unfolding right now. George was on the sideline getting a hug and a playful knuckle rub from his mother, who had a huge smile on her face. It is everything I dreamed of, man. I am glad I reached this environment this early and hope to sustain this for the rest of the season. Quick shoutout to George, man, and Beard. I walked by to put away extra pennies during the possession drill, and man, they were enjoying themselves. George had a smile on his face and was really going at it, and Beard does no half-measures and talks to George alot during drills and outside of it. He actually wants to be here, and it is heavily benefiting George. He gets the training and prep he deserves while hanging out with people outside his family who actually want him around. That smile with his mother spoke a million words; he has found his environment, and it has led to him enjoying the work he is putting in and wanting to improve even more. I gave the boys a small break before saying that Leo and Chris are team captains for our scrimmage. I do this to even out the teams. Since each team was missing a player, Beard and I joined in. Beard played in goal, and I played center back alongside Manu.My energy and passion was high throughout the practice and did not stop here. I was constantly making sure everybody was engaged and talking, making sure people were in the right spots to succeed, and encouraging everybody. Again, trying to keep the energy high and making sure everybody is locked in. But this time, it felt different. I was smiling a little more than I have previously, which led to adding a little fun to it. I started to a few more jokes and even troll people a little more than before. I know these kids through engaging in conversation with them and being around them for a bit. They are jokesters, too, and are laid back, so I found it appropriate to start doing it a little more. I want to show the team that I have this side to me, and I want to instill a fun atmosphere. Fun builds morale, which leads to belief and a better perspective on life. It also helps the kids enjoy what they are doing a little more, making it more likely they will stick with me and each other. There needs to be a balance of fun and competition in this team, and it starts with me.

My actions led to successful results, and the vibes continued. The football was good, and the place was filled with smiles. Mason was superb once again; shout out to not only his performance today but for wearing Man City’s clean new jersey with De Bruyne on the back. De Bruyne is my favorite player, and the light blue is so nice, man. I might need to cop one for myself. He has to start on Saturday, and I made it known to him during the scrimmage. He is one of the shy ones, so he replied, “ Oh, “ in a low tone, but I know he is brimming inside. He is a good player and has been professional so far. This selection dilemma is going to give me sleepless nights lol. I will have to change someone’s role at the last minute. It will be very interesting dealing with that when the time comes. I know this irks people and hurts. During this scrimmage, some funny things happened. There was a moment when I tripped Sebastian accidentally, and I said, “Play on, lol, he is diving,” and Sebastian got up saying, “Hey!!! That is foul!” while laughing. He constantly brought it up and joked with me about it throughout the game; he took it pretty well. Sorry for tripping you, Sebastian, but that was a dive, lol. And my favorite is scoring the winning goal of the scrimmage right at the end. Our team had a corner kick, and Chris opted to take it. I’m like, okay, I was going to put it on a plate with a cherry on top for you, but I don’t mind scoring goals, and you have great technique, so I went to the edge of the area, preparing to run onto whatever ball he puts in. As he was preparing to take it, I said to watch how it is done, boys.” This is going top corner, and this was met with laughs and the kids saying go guard, coach, don’t let him score. Chris takes the corner, and the ball is perfect in the air going towards the penalty circle. I time my run to perfection and it became a race between me and Beard to who would get connection to the ball first. Luckily, I followed the ball well, and I got my volley off before he could get a touch on it. It went into the bottom corner, and it sealed the game. Chris and my team were ecstatic after I scored that, and I did the put them to sleep celebration, lol. I gave the other team the win because I promised that if I scored, our team would lose the game, so we lost.

Everybody won today, and the celebrations from both teams at the end showed that. Today was a wonderful experience, and it gives us some energy and momentum going into Saturday. Beard came to me before leaving and said he let me score that goal, lol!!! while congratulating me. You almost got there, Beard, but Youth beats Father Time today. As I was collecting my things, Jason came up to me and asked the same question as earlier, but he said this time, “Be really honest.” Yeah, guys, this kid wants this. He really, really wants this. Can I have 12 more players like this, please? I responded by saying “I meant what I said earlier. I love the place our defense is. We will assess after the game on Saturday and make adjustments if we need to, but other than that, keep it up and rest up for Saturday. You will do great.” Jason replied, “Thank you, coach, I appreciate that,” and ran over to his parents and hugged them with a grin. He is such an awesome kid. My defense should be all right this season. It is great that someone enjoys it and wants to improve it so much. We need this energy on this end of the field, and it should set a good example for the defense and the rest of the team.

Before heading out, I went over to Mason and told him “I will start you on Saturday. Be prepared, okay bud, well done today.” He replied, “Thank you, coach,” in a quiet tone, but knowing introverts and more shy people, he is so happy he got the recognition he deserved. I will keep encouraging him to have a voice in this team and be more expansive; he has some serious potential to be a stabilizing force we need in midfield. He plays the right way, has good technique, and has tons of composure. He looks settled every time I see him play today. He will have a big role this season and be a staple of my starting 10.

I am now on my way, and wow, today felt good. I will rest easy knowing that some things are falling into place and we built some good momentum going into our first game. I am so excited to see how our first game will unravel. Championship Season loading…….. See you all at Saturday’s game.

Day 6 1st Game!!!!! vs The Pumpernickles 8–19–23

Oh no Oh no no no no Oh no. I messed up man I messed up bad. Of course, it has to be this way, lol. I always miss something. Why do I always do this? Here is the story: I have been trying to figure out rotations for the last several days since everybody has to play at least 20 minutes out of the 60. It was a stressful process because I had already decided that Sebastian, Chris, James, and Leo would play the whole game, and I had 16 players, but I managed to figure it out. I will give each player other than them 5-minute spurts, and if they are playing well, I will push it to 10 minutes. With this plan, I will always have my good players on to stabilize every unit I put out there and ensure we are always competitive. I was so happy once Timmy’s mom confirmed that his son would not be showing up today. It made the rotation for today even simpler. I felt like I was in dreamland; I was stressing so much about the last few days, and it cleared up on the day of the game. I was so happy, and I thought I could enjoy the game, but this next moment shook me a bit, and it was something based on something my dad had told me a few days back.

My dad told me that there was this app that tracks rotations and playing time for each player. It’s a super useful app, and it should help me keep track of people’s minutes. There is absolutely no way Beard or I are going to keep track of it. You could never go wrong with making your life easier, so I thought, let’s install it and use it for this season. I installed the app and started scouring around it and wow it is a super cool app. You could create your own formation once you fill the whole roster in, and it has the most common formations used based on the number of players you have. Out of curiousity I clicked some of the most common 9 player formations, and I found a 1–3–2–3 formation I really liked. This formation is the well-known 4–3–3 formation with 11 players. I have watched Guardiola’s teams on TV for years, and I played winger in this formation during my playing days. It is my favorite formation and one I am super familiar with. I considered using this one for my team, but I felt we needed a little more defense from top to front, so I eventually decided to use the one I came up with.

While analyzing it and filling out the roster to see how I would lineup if I used this formation, I realized something was off. My current formation has one more player than the one I am analyzing. Confused and somewhat panicked, I went on the internet and searched a random 11 v 11 starting lineup for a reference. Looking at the lineups, I realized what my mistake was. I realized that the goalkeeper is also included in the count: eight outfield players and a goalkeeper, not nine players outfield and a goalkeeper. When I realized this, I put my hands over my face in absolute horror and said to myself “you stupid melon.” How did I get distracted so badly and not catch on to this? I ran five practices running something that we are not even going to use brutal, just brutal. I went to my dad downstairs and told him about this, and he started to troll me not only because of this but because I was so confident about the game. He started saying, “O jogo é jogado no falado” (the game is played, not talked about), and a piece of commentary from Galvao Bueno, “Es dramatic eu situation do team,” and it got me burst out laughing. It helped me settle down and accept the situation as well. It is not as bad as it looks. Man, laughter and talking things through really relaxes you. It helped me accept the situation, and In a way, this whole thing was a blessing in disguise. I know, I know my team is probably not going to be comfortable today with the new shape on defense and offense, and I am going to have to remove a player, but I lowkey wanted this. I am incredibly familiar with the 3–2–3, which is my favorite formation, so it should not be difficult to explain to the players their options and the shape on offense and defense. I also disciplined these players so much that they know how to position and stay in their zones and let the game come to them, along with always being in a position to receive a pass. These factors are the most important thing to learning a new formation. It sucks, and we wasted preseason pretty much, but we have great players and human beings overall, and we play some great stuff. I am confident this will be a smooth transition and that we will get the job done today against The Pumpernickles. I will reveal the starters towards game time and how we play. Now it is time to go to my 7–8 game.

I arrived at the field and crossed paths with the league director. I told him about my comical error, and he showed some sympathy, saying, “The directions were not so clear on the site, but yeah, it is eight players and a goalkeeper,” lol. He was being nice about it; he is probably calling me a donut in his head or wondering how in the world I messed up such a simple rule. We talked for a few minutes, and then we walked our separate ways. I love how he is always smiling and his passion for his job. He has such good energy and has created an awesome and positive environment in this league. He is the one who helped me settle in and gave me a head coaching job. He is a great guy with whom I will try to build a good bond with. If I bond with him, he will let my mishaps, such as parental complaints or breaking rules, slide lol. Before you go, wow, you are a jerk, or wow, you are taking advantage of people. I am joking. I am completely against breaking the rules and berating children one hundred percent, BUT. Alright, no more jokes. It’s time to move on. While waiting for the 7–8 game to begin, I looked at the field we usually practice on and saw a kid with blond hair in a green shirt juggling a ball with an Argentinian jersey who looked oddly familiar. He looks a lot like Chris. Convinced it was him, I walked over there, and funnily enough, it was him. This is an opportunity to discuss his striker role in this new formation and give him his jersey. I described him as Ronaldo phenomenon in my first journal entry, and he is playing the striker position, so I found it appropriate to give him the number nine jersey. It had to be done. Tactics talk was a smooth process; he is talented and understands the game, so it took less than 30 seconds to explain my new tactics. It helped me settle in and feel confident about later interactions. I also told him about my blunder this morning, and he responded by saying “I always thought it was eight outfield and one in goal.” You had three weeks to stop me, Chris lol; why did you not tell me or notice what I was doing? To be fair, he was not here for some portions, and he did not expect me to make such an obvious error. I will forgive him if he bangs in a hat trick today and serves that number nine jersey right. After talking with him for a few minutes, he had to go, and I had to prepare my 7–8 boys for my first game as manager. See you all in a few hours.

12:15 pm. We started the game well, but rotations started to get chaotic, and our game dropped as the match went on, leading to a loss in my first game in charge. There was a point where I was just looking at my subs the whole time, not watching the game itself. This minute’s system sucks, and I will look to hire an assistant and sub a little less than I did today. If you are looking to coach 8 year olds GET AN ASSISTANT COACH. You could draw your own conclusions as to why I said this. I feel it is pretty self-explanatory. Anyway, it is all water under the bridge. Now, it’s time to move on to the build-up to the game. I started to make my way over to the field where the 11–12s were because I was looking to watch some of the early games. A few minutes into watching the game, James arrived and walked towards me with his parents. Wow, he arrived pretty early. It’s always a good sign when a player comes early; it tells me he is eager to play and ready to go today. As I did to Chris, I greeted him and handed him his jersey, and explained his role and position. It went smoothly, as expected. James is such an awesome kid. The one thing I learned about James so far is that he is a winner, and that is the only thing on his mind. He does not care about his role or position. He just wants to be out there with his mates and win championships. He is a coach’s dream with his versatility, pitch-perfect attitude towards competition, and humble nature. While explaining his role, I gave him his deserved flowers, calling him the best defender in the league while describing how much his quality at the back will help us win games. He replied, saying, “Really, thank you,” with a huge smile. He does not need it; he knows how skilled he is and how he impacts winning, but it is a great feeling for a more introverted person to get acknowledged. I want my team to be themselves and be content with who they are at all times. It will give us the much-needed energy to achieve not only our goal as a team but also ensure they are achieving their own goals and living life to the fullest.

During my conversation with him, Leo’s mother spotted me and told me that Leo’s sister was having a game right now and that they would be bringing the tent for our bench right after their game finished. It got me saying, “Oh really,” and jumping a bit. I love being around Leo. I told James “I would be right back,” and I was going to find Leo real quick,and I was on my way. I went all the way down to the gate, saying to myself where is this bozo I could not find him, but on my way back, on saw him playing on one of the side fields. I called him out, and he ran over to me. He seemed to be in a good mood today. We hung out and talked for about an hour, messed around, and I learned something fascinating during this time. When I was handing him his jersey, he asked, “Do you have jersey number twenty-five? this is my jersey number at my club. I have a special connection with this number, and I love it; it is the best number ever.” I looked at him while smiling and said let me tell you something Leo I also wore number twenty-five when I played at the club and developed a special connection with that number.” On top of this I revealed the tactics to him and said he is playing winger and he replied saying, “oh yes I love winger; that is where I play at the club level.” Guess what I also play winger at the club level. Funny coincidence. During my first six sessions with him and analyzing everything he does, I learned he is much more than just another player I coach. He is a clone of me. His values, IQ and the way he approaches soccer are identical to mine; he has this heavy analysis mindset and gets stressed out and nervous from time to time, just like I do; our trolling and jokes come across nicely, and our quirks and dialogue are nearly identical, we both value our reputations a lot, and we are both friendly and shy with our structured auras. Everything flows with this guy. He is one of the few people in my life with whom I bond well or find some sort of compatibility. My dad is one, and the other is Logan, who played on my school and club team. We were good friends for over three years, and we lost contact ever since he left my school. He was a huge advocate for me. He helped me settle in when I joined his club team; the rest is history. All I have to say is I would not be doing soccer today without this guy. He saved me and is crucial to the success that I have had in recent years. What makes meeting Leo even better is how everything lined up. I got so lucky. There was only one head coaching vacancy open, which, funnily enough, was the worst team in the league, and on draft night, I was given the number one overall pick. It was funny when I picked him. All the coaches rolled their eyes and said, “Of course he picks him,” lol. It felt awesome getting that over them, and it shows I have a treasured possession. I love my team. They are awesome, and I have gotten along well with them, but they are not Leo. I am genuinely happy around this kid, and I cannot wait to see what this season has in store for us and to develop our partnership even further.

While Leo and I were chatting away and doing keepy-ups, Chris and James arrived on the scene. I checked Chris’s jersey to see if he, by any chance, has number twenty-five just to ensure Leo nobody had it, lol. He was so disappointed to settle with fifteen, but it was the closest number to twenty-five, so we settled with that. For the next thirty minutes, we hung out and goofed off. We did keepy ups together and just had a good time. Chris has some crazy good rainbow flicks. It is quite incredible how skilled this man is at this age. We then found the field Leo was at before he saw me was open, so we headed over there to take some shots and really warm up. After a few minutes, George arrived, all pumped up and positive as usual. The mother and his brother were also all smiles and excited for today; this is just a wonderful group of people. They give such good energy to this group, even if they are just on the sideline. We then took some shots with George in goal, and man class is permanent. I was getting ready to take a free kick, and before I shot it, I took off my coaching tag and said “watch this. It’s going top bins.” I shot it, and as I envisioned before, it curved and dipped beautifully into the top corner. Wow is the right word to describe it; Chris, that is your freaking head coach right there. De Bruyne would have been proud of that one I showed some serious tekkers there. A few minutes later, players started to flow in like crazy. Everybody but Sebastian, Charles, and Pluto are present. I am a little surprised that Sebastian is not here yet, but luckily, there are still about forty-five minutes until the game, so he should be able to settle in and get a sniff of the tactics. I explained the tactics and roles to each person individually and what would unravel in this formation. I want everyone on the same page and comfortable stepping onto the pitch. I loved it when I walked up to Chase and Quincy and said that, “Unfortunately, I am going to have to drop you from the starting nine because of my blunder. It hurts me that I have to do this, but stay ready; you guys will be the first names off the bench and play some crucial minutes for us today,” and they gracefully accepted their fate to come off the bench. It sent a positive message to the team, cheered me up, and filled me with confidence. Having these boys respect me, and sacrifice for the greater good will make it easier to make decisions and ensure I always send something efficient out. I advise any player to respect the coach no matter what; they have a plan, know what they are doing, and work your tail off to show the coach you deserve to start or play a bigger role. This will push the starters to keep the standards high and potentially raise your team’s ceiling, and you will also become a better player. Sacrificing is key to winning in team sports. If your team does not have players that set the right example, your team is doomed and will lose lots of games. I also loved that when I told Mason he would be starting, he followed up by asking tons of questions to ensure he is playing his role in midfield correctly. Quincy and Collin also did the same thing, and again, it put a smile on my face because these kids trust and respect me. A happier leader is the key to the team’s prosperity, happiness, and good morale.

We scrimmaged on the small field with the intention of having a bit of fun, getting into the zone, and waiting to see if those three would show up before getting onto our mini offense vs. defense drill. Unfortunately, they did not show up, so we went ahead and started the drill. Like I said earlier, I just want the players to get a feel for the formation and feel comfortable with the patterns on the pitch. Since Sebastian was not here yet, I gave Quincy a run in midfield. His skillset suits the role pretty well, so I am intrigued about how he will do. Like the end of Thursday, the energy and football was great. The decision-making, as expected, could be a little better, but it is a new formation. We will perfect it with more reps, and it will feel like an afterthought. Quincy needs a little work on off-ball stuff, such as making sure he is in a passing lane consistently and there for his mates, but his communication, energy, and technique make him a great option. I got Quincy and Collin as a package when I picked them since they were siblings, and man, what a freaking steal. They are just incredibly good players, and since they are siblings, they have this synergy between them on and off the field, which is incredibly useful. It helps them feel comfortable and emotionally supported in this group because they have each other. This is excellent for their well-being, and they should always be in good spirits. I worked with Mason a lot during this drill; he is a fantastic player, but he is quiet. I kept encouraging him to talk and communicate, even saying Mason, I can’t hear you multiple times, lol, and it worked. He got louder and louder as it went on, and it turned into a fantastic showing for him. I just need to get him talking consistently and keep Quincy engaged in the game as much as possible. Calling Quincy out during the drill, saying where is Collin’s option?, and encouraging him has worked out so far. Nobody stops us if these two become positive contributors this season, so it is important to keep up with them and ensure they play elite soccer.

The drill is now complete, and the plan now is to just chill out until the start of the game, which is twenty-five minutes away. A few minutes later, Sebastian, Charles, and Pluto finally arrived. It’s kind of funny they all arrived at the same time. I believe this comes down to them being really good friends. One of their parents probably took all three of them simultaneously. Sebastian was in awe of his new role and loved the jersey number six that I gave him. He replied, saying “aye, guys, number six is not bad. Lots of great players wear number six.” I responded by saying that “Xavi wears the number six,” which led to a small conversation about Xavi and Iniesta’s jersey numbers on Barcelona and Spain. It is very easy to mix these two, lol. Xavi wears eight for Spain and six for Barcelona, and Iniesta wears eight for Barca and six for Spain. I spent a few minutes correcting and trolling him on this fact. He took a bit to put it all together, but eventually, he got it down. I then went on about their legacies and what they accomplished, and he responded by saying, “Hey, they are world champions. I am wearing an iconic number.” I responded by saying, “Hey, maybe one day you will be a world champion.” I said that, half joking because we will be champs this season. We’re gonna get you one, Sebastian. I have no doubt in my mind that we will get it done this season. I loved that the group was all in one space, talking to one another and enjoying themselves. The vibes around here are great, and I am having much fun interacting with them all. Sebastian is really into this motivation stuff and has lots of passion. In the huddle, he kept trying to rile everyone, saying, “Guys, what are we going to do today!!!” and the team would reply, “Win!!!” and it got me laughing. But at the same time, I was in awe. Having someone who infuses so much energy into a group is such a blessing. It is contagious, and it gets others out of their shell. He and Jason are the Draymond Green’s of this team; there is no team without these two. They love to talk and are super cool people. Quincy called me out, saying that I was in it for only the winning, which got Beard to say “I hope he is in it for both, but I don’t think that is necessarily true.” Oh, Quincy, if I was in this thing for the winning, I would already have been kicked out, lol. I am a soccer savant, but at this level, you have to let some things slide and work themselves out. So far, I got these boys playing good stuff without digging deep or getting too emotional, which is a huge plus while showing off my fun side. So far, so good with this group. That is a preposterous take, Quincy.

After I gave the team a mini pep talk, I announced my first-ever starting lineup as head coach. Man, it is surreal saying that, and I will remember a moment for a really long time.

Two wingers will hug the touchline to stretch the pitch and open up the space for the midfielders in the half-spaces, and the striker will stretch the pitch vertically and, at times, drop into the midfield to get an extra player in possession. The center center back plays center defensive mid in possession. We should have five attackers going at them every single time, so I expect a lot of looks at goal. I told Leo and Chris that this formation is my style, and they loved it. The football in this formation is beautiful, and I cannot wait to see it all unravel in the game.

There are now fifteen minutes until my first game as manager starts. All that is left is for the game to finish, to set my things down, and have Beard warm up the boys. The pressure increased significantly when my dad and my little brother arrived lol. We are all a bunch of jokesters and love to poke fun, so if I lose this game, I will hear it lmao. That is going to be my mini-speech before my players step onto the field. I really don’t want to lose this game lmao. I really appreciate them bringing me water. I have been out here in the scorching hot sun for the last two hours with no fluids. I was extremely thirsty, so drinking that water made me feel refreshed and mentally back on track. It’s a great touch from my little brother coming out here to show me some love. I watched almost all his soccer games last year and enjoyed every one, so for him to repay the favor and come out and support me meant the world to me. While waiting for the game to end, some players on the team we will be playing today walked over to our team to converse with us. One of them, Brunson, is big friends with Sebastian and Pluto. They were trash-talking and cracking jokes. It was a joy to watch. There is something in it for both teams, especially for Pluto and Sebastian. Once Brunson confirmed that he would be playing goalie to start, they started saying, “If one of us scores on you, I will bug you at school all week long.” This matchup should give Sebastian and Pluto an extra spark. They have several friends on that team. Bragging rights are at stake for both teams, so today should be an absolute barnburner. The game finally finished, and there were ten minutes to go until kickoff, so we went onto the field and started warming up. During this interval, I stood in the middle of the field, watching both teams warming up, and started to soak in this feeling. Knowing how introverted I am and the fact I have a little autism, I never envisioned myself doing this, let alone even exploring this idea in the first place. But these last two years have been an absolute adventure.

I last participated in an organized soccer match on November 1st 2021. My senior year of high school had no soccer because our season was called off due to having very few players. It was the right decision, but it really sucked. I was looking forward to building on my all-state, all-region, and all-conference season and finishing my school era with a bang. I do not count my college showcase event or my brief semi-professional soccer experience last year. I only participated in the practices because I could not travel much and had to go to Brazil then. I love soccer to death, so this two-year hiatus really hit me. I played pickup games and went to the field a lot of times on my own to stay sharp and connected to the game, and I stayed watching a ton of premier league soccer, but it was not the same. There were many times, especially last year, when I felt like I wasted my entire life and I felt like a zombie. There was nothing about me, and the feeling of not working toward something and not competing got me depressed. My confidence was shattered to the point that I did not want to find any more soccer-related opportunities. There was many awful memories during this period, including that time I cried because of my awful performance towards the end of my college showcase, getting bullied by kids three-four years older than me at my semi-professional practices, Crying because my friends’ ACT scores were better than mine, and all those school days where I would go to school do some work and come home and do nothing every single day, and the worst of them all crying on a bench near the park proud of my dad that his new article was a major hit and thinking my dad sees me as a complete loser. Yeah, I was at an all-time low during many parts of 2022, and I was a dead man walking. Things started to turn around when the dust settled in October 2022. I accepted this is my reality right now, and I have to make use of what I got. I did this all for a reason, and deep down, I know these experiences have some value. It made me embrace the journey, feel grateful for everything I accomplished, and look back in the past to reflect on my lessons and experiences and try to find some meaning to it. After a few months of collecting the lessons and experiences and making sense of them, my confidence slowly started to build up, and I became much happier, resulting in some really good moments. I met an amazing teacher who really enjoyed my company and accepted me for who I was. She had a daughter with whom I quickly bonded and started dating. We enjoyed each other a ton, and her appreciation and respect for me increased my confidence even further. I suddenly started to feel valued and inspired, and it got me to start writing and sharing my treasured perspectives on the game I love. I have now published two articles and became a better soccer player and a better person from it. Now, I am a coach looking to inspire other kids, pass my wisdom down to them, and show them what makes soccer so special. I broke up with her three weeks ago, and we will probably never see each other again, but she saved my life and got me back on track. She made me fall in love with soccer even more than I had previously, and she got me to become more extroverted and find leadership skills, which is a side I never knew I had. I started to realize that I am a leader and that my actions and thoughts greatly impact people. I am forever grateful for her and wish her the best. She was an awesome person and man and had a great family. Funnily enough, I signed up to be a coach on July 15th, and the breakup happened on August 1st, four days before the season started. It was perfect timing; it showed that my soccer journey was never over; it was just getting started. This is the greatest I have ever felt, and I hope this rejuvenation lifts us to a special season and is the start of a special journey in my life.

The game was now three minutes away, and I walked over to the sideline where Leo’s parents were setting the tent and called in the players to give them a last-minute pep talk and give them a little break. A minute later, I sent them out onto the field, and we were about to get underway. I had a moment with Beard saying, “Man, it feels different being on this sideline, and he replied, “Yeah, it is absolutely amazing, I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish this season.” It is so different, and a dream come true. I watch so much premier league, and I see the Guardiola’s, the Artetas’s, the Tuchels, and back then Tele Santana in the Brazillian league, and I said to myself, I want to do this as well, and I see myself doing this. My personality is big on doing things correctly, doing heavy analysis, and teaching others, and I love structure. I have a lot of confidence in what I do and am passionate about, so I feel this is the right journey for me.

The ball was now on the center circle; the referee gestured at both keepers to check if they were ready to go, and once they both gave a thumbs up, the referee put the whistle to his mouth. The whistle sounds, and the game is UNDERWAY. Man, hearing that sound again made me smile. Life gave me a second chance, and the beautiful game is back in front of my very eyes. I will remember and cherish this moment for the rest of my life and never take this game for granted again. AMEN.

Now look, I will not go over the entire game because it would take an eternity to go over it. So, I will review what I took from the game and what we need to implement and improve on. My welcome-back party was not so welcome, but man, what a game it was. We lost 9–5 in an instant classic on opening day. Fourteen goals!!! it does not get any better than that on a scorching hot Saturday afternoon. I am glad the fans got an absolute treat to watch; it was end-to-end from both teams all game. We were 4–1 down at halftime and managed to get it to 5–7 at one point in the second half, but we showed some inexperience and showcased some bad habits, which I will get into a little later. Here is what really went well for us. As expected through all our preparation, our offense was sensational, led by Leo and Chris’s strong link up throughout the entire game. We scored the first goal of the game through a brilliant sequence built where Chris received the ball in the middle after some nice build-up play. He then drives at the defenders, and the one to the left comes out to meet him, so he puts it into Collin, who did a brilliant job of keeping his discipline out wide, and his first-time finish toward the near post ended up in the back of the net. It was a brilliant team goal, and seeing my team scoring goals like this early on is extremely encouraging. We went on to dominate most of the game, and we were constantly in their half but missed numerous chances. We hit the post six times, Chris missed a penalty, and we had a situation where Beard and I was convinced that the ball went over the line, but the ref thought otherwise. I had my hands on my head saying, “That is a goal” while pacing up and down the sideline, just like the managers I watch on TV, lol. Beard and I laughed about the moment; afterward, our reactions were absolutely gold. Sebastian told me after the game that the ball did not go over the line, so unfortunately, our reactions were unjustified lol. I will still include it because it is a moral victory. The more, the better lol. I loved the team’s attitude and mentality going into the second half. I told them, “It’s the first game, don’t worry about the score or the result at the end, worry about playing the right way, executing the game plan, and keeping that confidence and belief in what we do. If we do these things and keep our energy and spirits high, things will work itself out. To already be playing the football we are playing at this stage in our development is a massive accomplishment; boys, we are way ahead of schedule. What you do is not easy, so keep fighting; things will pick up.” They responded by saying, “We can make a special comeback, guys. We are still in this. We are going to win this game five to four.”

They were feeling energized, and our second half showed. We got the game within two goals, and then we conceded off the kickoff because of a bonehead mistake by the referee. The subbing was an absolute mess today; it was typical first-game stuff. The ref forgot to count how many players were on the field when both teams did subs. We were down a player who happened to be a center back, and I was trying to get him on. They did not let me bring on my player, and they played a through ball down that side and created a goal-scoring opportunity which they, unfortunately, capitalized on. Other than that, we played a wonderful second half, and I loved the character we displayed. It was not easy to keep playing when we were 4–1 down the way we did, and we were nearly rewarded for it. This second half is a confidence booster for us, and we will look to carry this momentum into the next game.

Now, let’s talk about the mistakes and adjustments we will make to become champions this season. Besides James, who was immense today and gave everything, our defense was shaky today. George made two horrible errors, including one where he was trying to gather a soft shot, and the ball went under his legs for a goal. Manu and Jason really struggled to deal with balls in their penalty area. They got four goals out of those errors. I could make a funny fails compilation video based on some of the things I saw from them today. It was a shaky game for them, but they will bounce back. They will be comfortable as the season goes on. As Chris said after the game, “It is the first game of the season we will be fine.” Our defensive shape was not perfect today, but that was expected since we switched formations right before the game. It will probably take a practice or two to master the positioning on both sides of the ball, but I am fine with that. I will accept that as our downfall, especially in a regular-season game. But what I will not accept is these freaking standards. Not getting back on defense when we lose the ball from the front is completely unacceptable and will win us no games. Chris was the only one who played on both sides of the ball today. He was all over the field today, which is super encouraging to see. I did not know he had that in him. He showcased his love for the game and was willing to do anything to win this game. He was our best player today, and I have no doubt in my mind he will bury his next penalty. It happens, Chris. We are all here for you. Other than that, our players were walking in transition rather than sprinting back to get in shape, which made it difficult for them to break through. They had so many situations on the counterattack where they had three vs. five, and they punished us on almost every single one. It does not help that they have this one insane kid I will get into later and solid players on every one of these attacks. If they sucked, we might have gotten away with being shocking in this aspect of the game. Our lack of effort from the front put too much pressure on the defense. There is only so much James could do, but people have got to help. I feel that and the poor positioning on defense is why they struggled so much. Pressure of this magnitude gets people nervous and panicked. This mistake cost us five or six goals today and surprised me. I thought my team would know how important it is to hustle and get back on defense, but apparently not.

Based on this issue, I have decided to make personnel changes. The first change is based on James’s request toward the end of the game of wanting to move further forward. Man, I felt bad when I did not fulfill his request. He deserved it so much based on his efforts today. I was unsure of this change at first and told him to stay put, but I later learned it is such a smart move. I am going to be moving him to midfield and moving Mason into defense. Mason’s mobility and stamina are not the greatest, so I feel his big body, great positioning, surprisingly good defense, and skillset are better suited for defense. James, on the other hand, is the best two-way player in the league. His offense is as good as his defense, and he is in phenomenal shape. His speed, stamina, and sheer willpower will cover so much ground in midfield. His IQ and technique are slightly worse than Leo and Chris’s, so he will not be out of place in a further position and will develop some really good chemistry with them. Another change I will make is to insert Chase into the starting lineup. He is way too good to be on this bench, and while he did not do much, the potential was there to see. His energy, hustle, and solid offense will greatly add to our starting lineup. This move adds another two-way player to the lineup. While he was on the bench, he told Charles, “I love playing on both sides of the ball, and Charles replied, “Yes, me too.” That is incredibly encouraging to hear, and we needed that energy out there today. Big mistake not playing him more today.Those are the changes I will make ahead of the next game, along with doing some work on our defensive shape and applying grit to our team. One thing I am proud of is that I figured out my rotations. Charles is basically a downgrade, Chase. He needs some work technique-wise, but the heart and hustle he showed when he came on today was exactly what I needed from him. He was also constantly cheering on his teammates from the sidelines, which was honestly my favorite thing he did today. It infuses some energy into the team and brings life to everyone involved. It is so important to have a player like this in the team. He executed his role well today, and he will most likely, like Chase, see minutes on the wing and in midfield. Quincy and Raymond will see minutes in midfield and defense. Defense needs a little work from both of them, but they have the potential to play there. Raymond has a similar skillset to Quincy and Mason. This is the first time I really got a look at him. He has not shown up to many of the practices so far. He is a solid player, giving us another player who will put in a good shift when called upon. I did not see too much out of Pluto today, but his skillset best suits the wing. He has not shown up much so far, so I don’t have much on him. He has some speed but is not the most imposing player physically and not the most talented. He will need to show some heart to ensure his minutes are competitive. Besides that, he has lots of energy and is good friends with Sebastian and Jason. He is a cool guy, and people enjoy his company a lot.

Lastly, and this is by far the most important thing to do. If this scenario happens, we will never lose a game again. I am dead serious when I say this. I ended up forgetting the trophy at home. Yeah, that’s right, I forgot it. It is our symbol, and even though it was in my gym bag the whole time, it was the reason why our practice last time out was so successful. Its aura and meaning inspire us and give us the energy we need to get over the line and do something special. When you look at it, you start envision yourself lifting the trophy, jumping around with your mates, and cheering in absolute joy. That is exactly what I envisioned before accepting this role and something I am working towards. I don’t care how we do it or what path occurs; we will be champions this season. I learned over these last two years that my losses were just as good as my wins. You reflect on the game, take the lessons, acknowledge that you have just become a better person than yesterday, and go again. It is wonderful knowing that I will have a fresh perspective on everything that happened today come Tuesday and that me and my team have become better at our respective roles. Things will be flowing soon, but for that to happen, we will need to react like champs after every game.

Before we wrap this up, I want to go on about the head of the snake on their team named Jack. His passion and immense talent lifted his team and he banged in six yep that’s right SIX goals against us today. One of them was flat-out unfair and had me and Beard laughing while asking, “What are we supposed to do about that.” It was one of the most insane goals I have ever seen from a kid this age. I have played soccer for fifteen years and have not come close to scoring a goal like this. Their goalkeeper punted the ball deep into our half, and he anticipated that the ball would bounce over our defender and ran around him. We were still good; the ball was bouncing, and it was heading toward the sideline. But I learned real quick he is a psychopath. He opted not to settle the ball but instead made an insane Marco Van Bastern impression in 1988 and hit it on the volley into the top corner. I felt so sorry for George, man. There was no stopping that. You could only shake the guy’s hand and move on. Watching him play reminded me of a prime Roberto Carlos. He is insanely quick and has amazing technique; he is phenomenal at everything. Being short is a strength, man. If you somehow get close to the guy, he just goes underneath you, lol. He runs around like a madman the whole game, and no one can do a thing about it. The one thing that stood out to me is his passion and heart on this pitch. He is small, but you notice him on the pitch. He is loud as heck, man, and will do everything to make sure his team wins. This man literally came to the game with a eyeblack under both eyes lol. That right there pretty much sums up his approach to the game and why his performance was so dominant today. What a freaking menace. The most frustrating thing about letting him dominate us today is that I knew it was coming, and looking back at it, why did I not task James to follow him around or game plan for him? I met him two weeks earlier and watched the draft. I knew his strengths, how to slow him down, and how he does unicorn-like stuff. The problem and solution were right in my face, and I just let it fly right over my head. After the game, I talked with an opposing coach, and he sympathized with my pain. Jack played on his 9–10 team. I also like how he complimented our team spirit and effort to get back into the game. Having other coaches acknowledge your presence and feel good about something you did is a great feeling. I walked up to Jack afterward and said “Jack, what the heck, man” which prompted laughter from the parents around him. The dad replied, “You knew who you were up against, “ and I replied, “Yeah, I did, but it is not that simple”. I then went on about some of the crazy things he did throughout the game, prompting more laughter. After a few minutes of conversation, they had to go, and we were both on our way. Based on these first few moments, Jack is such an awesome kid, and I greatly respect him and how he approaches the game. But I will put this nicely he better hope he does not play us again.

Alright, that about does it. I am pretty exhausted; it has been a really long day. I am really proud of what my team accomplished today, and we are well ahead of schedule. It is disappointing that I pulled a Stevie Wonder these first few weeks and a little bit today. It hindered our preparation and displayed my little bit of inexperience as of right now. But based on my story and reputation, I always bounce back and come out of these moments as a better person. I am confident we will fix the mistakes we made today and start playing the championship soccer I know we are capable of. I will never let this happen to my players again, and I know my players will never let this happen again either and want to bounce back from this massacre. I will bring the Trophy on Tuesday and, if necessary, come up with a speech to situate my players and ensure they keep their faith and confidence in what we do. Our reactions will determine whether or not we become champions this season, so it is really important to give these boys perspective on what happened and keep their energy and spirits high. I am so grateful to be back in the competitive fray again. It feels so good to be working toward something again. We have just completed the first game of our championship season. See you all on Tuesday until then, peace.