THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Rest
Right after leaving Coach Johansen's office, Zachary looked for a secluded spot next to the administration building. He opened the system interface after observing his surroundings. He has confirmed that there is no soul close because all the players are on the pitch through various drills. The elimination of two players from the team that morning seemed to have motivated all his teammates immeasurably.
"DING"
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GOat MISSION
NEW MISSION: Five-month Speed Training from Your Coach.
*Task 1: Complete the following two sets of speed exercises, three times a week, at a distance of 50 meters. High Knee, Butt Kick, Jump B, Bounds, One Leg Diagonal Limit, In and Out Leg Exercise (Click here to watch the instructional video).
*Task 2: Complete twenty sets of sprints, cover a distance of 20 meters, three times a week.
*Task 3: Complete ten sets of Resistance-Band sprints, at a distance of 20 meters, three times a week.
*Task 4: Complete four rounds of half a dozen Hatha-Yoga poses, daily, for a week (Click here to watch the instructional video).
*Task 5: Complete four rounds of half-dozen Hip-Flexor exercises, daily, for a week (Click here to watch the instructional video).
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* Gift:
->600 Juju-points
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*Punishment if the mission is still not completed after the specified time.
->1200 Juju-points subtracted from user.
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*description: When you live for a dream, hard work is not an option. This is a must.
****
Zachary noticed that the mission of the system was an exact copy of the training plan designed for him by Coach Johansen. He can now make sure that the trainers can start the mission of the system if they give him a task. It was like fishing for quests from NPCs in a video game.
However, he felt overwhelmed after taking a look at the practice. According to his estimation, he would need a minimum of two hours to complete the training every day. He will be busier than usual for the next few months.
She does not need to watch instructional videos for most exercises other than Hip-Flexor exercises. He clicked on the video to understand his routine. A black silhouette appeared at the interface of the translucent system through various poses stretching his legs.
For Zachary, it was almost like watching a yoga video. The human shadow, on the screen, stretched its legs to different angles, some too blunt. He felt relaxed after watching the video because there was no exercise routine that he could not do at the time.
He just needs to readjust his schedule to fit in with Coach Johansen's training plan. With the physical conditioning potion from the system shop, he was confident he would complete the mission and earn six hundred Juju points.
"Zachary! What are you doing?" A voice broke his daydream. He wanted the system screen to close and glanced sideways. Paul Otterson stood to his left, his blue workout sweatshirt covered in sweat. "We're almost starting a tactical training session. Will you not attend?" The Swede asked, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his sleeves.
Zachary gave her a gentle smile. "I was perusing through the training plan that Coach Johansen designed for me. But, now I can join you for training."
"Coaches design personalized training plans for you?" paul exclaimed, putting his hand on Zachary's shoulder. "You're lucky. What's the training plan for?"
A few minutes later, the team performed passing, shooting, and tackling— exercises under the coach's supervision. The goal is for the academy players to improve their overall gameplay. The coaches try to recreate the most effective key passes in the defensive game. Feed is directed back to 18 on a repeated basis at an increased speed.
There are a dozen more coaches in the academy who help different players with personalized training. But, most only instruct students younger than 15. Johansen, Bjorn and other goalkeeping coaches are responsible for coaching Zachary and his under-17 team-mates.
In the evening, Coach Johansen took them through a tactical theory session, analyzing the last matches played in Europe's top leagues. They reviewed videos of Barcelona, unbeaten Arsenal and AC Milan playing against various teams.
The coach lays out technique, formation and outstanding performances in the game. He is persistent, highlighting the style of play that Zachary and his team-mates can learn. By the time he finished his studies, it was already 6 p.m
Zachary felt too tired to go through his new speed workout routine after the busy workouts of the day. He returned to his apartment with his flatmates and watched the Manchester United game. Afterwards, she had a light dinner and returned to her room for the night.
After locking the door and drawing the curtains, he called the system interface and chose GOAT-Skills-Simulator. Training in simulators had turned into a habit before going to bed a few weeks earlier.
The system's virtual program allows him to practice in two modes. He could learn the skill under the guidance of a 3D model of a great player like Beckham, or he could choose the option to practice on his own. Zachary chose the self-driving mode because he intended to try modifying Bend-it like Beckham Juju.
Over the next hour, he tried his best to increase the speed of his kicks in the simulator. He slightly deviated from Beckham's shooting posture to add to his arching free-kick power. The process was not as troublesome as he had imagined before.
He didn't hit the target that night. However, the shot gets stronger and curves closer to the post after every attempt. He felt his technique improve during the hours spent in the simulator.
However, he did not end his training after an hour had passed. He loaded up training packages for Bend-it like Beckham Juju and continued training in the simulator. Although he intends to modify Beckham's technique, he needs a starting point. Fully mastering Beckham's setpiece skills in cyberspace is a good start. Knowledge will be the guiding lantern to usher him through the darkness. He spent another two hours practicing the setpiece before sinking back into the bed sheets to sleep.
**** ****
The weeks went by blurred and the days became colder and shorter. Before Zachary knew it, September had arrived. His training kept him busy and made the passage of time almost invisible.
He had spent the previous weeks sticking to an exercise routine. He managed to incorporate a speed training routine into his schedule of three days each week. He underwent every training assigned to him by Coach Johansen without missing a single day. Step by step, he was on his way to complete the mission of the system.
However, her schoolwork becomes more demanding as the school period progresses. The high school lecturer gave him more assignments since he was in his final year.
Zachary would have trouble coping if not for the group discussions with Marta Romano, his classmate. After months of hanging out, Zachary has developed a strong friendship with the Italian girl. She doesn't make her feel as uncomfortable as other European girls. He helped her with some tasks. Its value remains above average due to its mentorship efforts.
He had no hope for anything other than friendship in their interactions. At the time, his only focus was football. He doesn't want any distractions. However, he kept bothering her to keep his promise (which he would rather forget) before every group discussion. It felt like he owed her money instead of a date.
He finally gave up and took her out to watch a movie at the beginning of the autumn holidays. Together, they watched Captain America—The First Avenger, which aired on Saturday via Prinsen Kinosenter.
Zachary have fun. She felt her fatigue melt away after taking time off from her training routine for fun.
This is the first time he has taken time out of his routine for anything other than football or academia since his arrival in Norway. He made mental notes to fit more relaxation time into his weekly schedule after the experience.
When they finished watching the movie, they took a bus to City Syd and had dinner together at a small restaurant there. Zachary was surprised by how expensive the food was. A simple pizza flavored in a restaurant costs 550 Norwegian Kroner, but he can buy it in a supermarket for just 20. Other main dishes range between 800 - 1000 Kroner.
"Do you want me to choose a dish?" Marta asked after realizing Zachary's doubts. His Italian accent weighed heavily on his words. He sat across from Zachary in a quiet restaurant.
"I hesitated because everything here was expensive" Zachary replied honestly.
There was no point in going on the air, pretending he could afford such a fee while he was still saving half of his allowance to help his grandmother settle in Lubumbashi. "Let's just have some pizza, please" he suggested.
Martha gave him a bright smile. "Pizza's fine with me. You forgot I'm Italian." His presence was so magnetic and sensual that it distracted him for a moment. However, after recalling the mission of the system, he mastered his will. He had to stay focused until he graduated from the academy.
After eating, they talked for an hour about happier things: food, gossip, academics, and goals. Zachary enjoyed a relaxing evening that day.