THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Coach Johansen I's Advice

"Where are you going to take the bag?" Nicki quickly halts Zachary's actions once the coach exits the room. "Evening will resume as soon as you finish talking to the coach. Don't tell me that you're going on your way home right now. Really true?" He investigated, raising an eyebrow.

"I was thinking of hailing a taxi" Zachary replied. "The one hour I was supposed to spend on dinner was almost done. So, I'm thinking of leaving soon."

"You can't leave," three or four of his teammates' voices echoed together when they heard his statement.

"Have you forgotten that you didn't get the chance to be properly initiated in the Kid Troll family?" Mikael whispered after approaching him. "Tonight is the night. You can't miss it. It'll be fun."

"Oh, okay," Zachary finally agreed, succumbing to peer pressure. He couldn't just dismiss all the invitations from his team-mates. It might ruin their impression of him to some extent. So, she decided to brace herself, attend their initiation, whatever it was, for about an hour, before returning home—to her apartment.

"Good," Nicki said, patting her on the shoulder. "First go and listen to the coach. We'll wait for you here."

"OK," said Zachary, putting his bag— next to his seat. "I'll be back in a minute" he added. He then stepped away from his teammates and walked towards the balcony.

"You take your time" commented Coach Johansen as soon as he arrived. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes" Zachary replied, sighing. "I was detained by the others for a while."

"Oh," said Coach Johansen, leaning his head to observe Zachary. "Is something wrong? Do you need help?"

"No," said Zachary, shaking his head. "What do you want to talk about?"

Coach Johansen stepped closer towards the balcony railing and began observing the streets below. Zachary followed his gaze and realized that they were almost empty, with very infrequent traffic, as it was already eleven o'clock at night.

"You're going back to your home country, DR Congo?" Coach Johansen broke the silence after a while.

"Yes" Zachary replied, his gaze still fixed on the street below.

"When?"

"Most likely, the day after."

Coach Johansen turned to his side to observe him once again. "I looked at the FIFA international schedule this week and noticed that your country is scheduled to play some World Cup qualifying matches this month. Are you planning to participate? That's if you're called up for international duty, which I'm sure you'll do. ."

"If I am called, I will play, of course" Zachary replied. "But I highly doubt the coaches have noticed me because Tippeligaen is not so popular in Africa."

"Sure, go ahead," Zachary replied as he nodded. Of course, he would not refuse to listen to the advice of his coach.

"You know that you've just experienced your growth spurt" Coach Johansen began. "You might think that you've adjusted to your new physique because you've been playing well for over a month at a professional level. But thinking like that would be your fault."

Coach Johansen started stroking his red beard as he continued. “You should understand that the more competitive the matches you play in a short time, the more muscles you wear out. Damage to these muscles or even bones will build up if you do not rest for a long time. And it will lead to certain parts.Your body, especially your joints, gets weaker over time. That's what causes chronic injuries that end careers."

"I think you must have heard the story of the great player Marco van Basten who ended his career at the age of twenty-eight years— due to repeated injuries. If he took the time to rest when he was still at the peak of his career, perhaps he could avoid it. Are we together, Zachary?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied with a wry smile. Of course, he already knows where the coach is going with his advice.

"So, Zachary," continued the coach, patting him on the shoulder. "You're only eighteen. You are at the stage where you will most likely experience the most growth throughout your career. So, my belief is that you should use this time to properly practice your skills and improve them as much as possible through personalized training. First of all you can relax on international assignments until you are twenty, or better, twenty-two. By then, you should have turned into a machine that can handle international and club duties in a season. That's if we follow your current growth rate. Are we together, Zachary?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied. "But what should I say when my country coach comes knocking on my door?"

"The answer is simple, Zachary," said Coach Johansen, half-smiling. "You've just experienced a growth spurt, and you're at very high risk for easy injury. The club doctor has recommended that you stay rested one to two weeks after following a very intensive game continuously for about a month. . You will not be able to participate in the qualification. That is the truth and also a good reason to keep you away from international duty for some time."

Zachary could only smile wryly once again hearing her. He is not so patriotic that he wants to play for his country at all costs. Patriotism is almost extinct in countries like DR Congo. It's just that he really enjoys playing football and wants to play as many competitive matches as possible. The thought of pitting his skills against a new opponent made his blood boil and made him excited. Within the deepest limits of his mind, he was hoping to play a few games when he returned home.

"You look sad after hearing my suggestion," Coach Johansen investigated after noticing Zachary's reaction. "Do you really want to take part in the qualification? Remember: when you return to Trondheim after the break, there will be Tippeligaen, the Norwegian Cup, and then Europa League qualification. Think about this carefully. Are you sure you can do it? play all these games without breaking down?"

"Well, I think I can" Zachary replied in a soft voice. "But, perhaps, my efficiency on the field will go down."

"Then, let me tell you this," Coach Johansen chimed in, quickly. "If you play all those games, you will most likely fail before the end of the season. And we don't want that. I don't want that. Please consider my advice. Okay?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied as he nodded. "I'll try to consider it."

"Then, good," said the coach with a smile. "You can go back to your other teammates. If you can, try and relax with them for the day. It's a great way to relax after a busy month. Remember, there is no alcohol. It would be better if you avoided it ."

"Yes, coach."

"OK, go," he said, driving her away with a hand gesture. "I wish you a safe journey back home."

"Thank you, coach," Zachary said with a smile.