THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Fighting With Emotion

Zachary was devastated to hear that he would not be part of the squad heading to Sweden the following day. Although he has given everything he has in training, the coach does not even consider him a bench candidate.

His mood was at an all-time low.

He left the pitch as soon as Coach Johansen released them from training. He did not even take part in small talk with his other new teammates. He could not guarantee he would be able to control his raging emotions while hanging out with them.

He returned to the dressing room and immediately took a shower to calm himself down. But even cold water does not provide an ounce of relief. He still feels angry. He was furious at the coach for not considering it even after performing better than most people during training that day.

He dressed in silence and walked out of the dressing room before his team-mates returned from the pitch. He did not want to face them while still in an unstable state of mind. He was afraid he would fight or, worse, fight with some of them if he lingered. So, he did his best to avoid the worst possible situation and started walking towards the stadium exit.

He knew that the right thing to do was to calm down and control his emotions, but his mind would not listen to him. All he had to do was think about how he was not selected for the squad and then, his emotions would spiral out of control once again. He has a sense of what is happening to him. He had experienced the same state of mind on several occasions during his previous life. It usually came to him when he had a major setback. He would lose control of his emotions and attack everyone around him.

In his previous life, while at TP Mazembe, he even had a fight with one of the assistant coaches after failing to enter the starting line-up. So, she was well aware she had anger management issues. He thought he had overcome his psychological problems after returning to the past. But it seems like he was wrong all along.

"Why is this happening to me again?" Zachary muttered to himself, speeding his pace through the stadium tunnel. Previous life psychologists have confirmed that the trigger for her angry episodes was the death of her grandmother. But in his new life, he is alive and well. So, what is the root of the problem? He pondered, trying his best to get the negative thoughts out of his mind.

After walking through the tunnel to the stadium exit for a few minutes, he, to some extent, regained control of his emotions. But he knew that it was not enough to keep himself in control while interacting with others. He can still make a mistake and hit someone if they say the wrong sentence. So, he sped up his pace until he almost did a full sprint as the exit appeared in front of him.

But to his horror, Coach Johansen was waiting beside the entrance. The coach was leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest, seemingly anticipating his arrival.

[Why is he here? Shouldn't he be in his office finalizing the game plan for tomorrow?] Zachary wondered, slowing down his pace and facing the coach.

Zachary's emotions are threatened to spiral out of control once again after he comes face to face with the man who has left him out of the squad. But she forced herself to take a deep breath, clenched her fists, and somehow managed to calm herself down before she could do or say anything she would regret. Meanwhile, Coach Johansen watched him silently without saying a word.

"Coach," Zachary recited, trying his best to keep his tone at least neutral.

Coach Johansen looked at him for a moment before saying, "Let's talk in my office." He then led the way back to the tunnel.

A few minutes later, Zachary sat on a chair beside Coach Johansen's desk. He secretly observes a gangling red-bearded coach cleaning up a five-by-seven card, where he draws a game plan, from his desk. He then sat down in his chair and went back to observing Zachary in silence.

The silence that lasted for the next few seconds was terrifying.

"So, why did you leave the field earlier today?" Coach Johansen finally asked.

"Coach, I—" Zachary couldn't seem to find the right words to explain himself.

"Is it because you're disappointed not to be in the squad for tomorrow?" Coach checking, his tone is flat.

Zachary doesn't like the coach's facial expressions. He could sense that the coach would pass on bad news or harsh judgments to him.

"Coach," Zachary recited, his emotions overpowering him. "Obviously, I played better than most players during training. You also have to see that I am a better player than most midfielders. So, why was I abandoned?" He could not help but voice his doubts.

He had worked tirelessly since graduating from the academy. He has undergone daily physical training to keep himself fit — and even attended Rosenborg training sessions before signing a contract. He has done all that in hopes of quickly earning a place in Rosenborg's starting squad.

Zachary knew that if he did not get clarity, his mood would deteriorate over the next few days. What would happen next was that he fell into an episode of rage once again. So, he defied all excuses and decided to question the coach about his squad selection.

However, Coach Johansen's reaction surprised him. Instead of being angry, he smiled gently. What's up with that? He wonders. Does his fate not being part of the squad sound like a joke to the coach?

Zachary clenched his fists as he felt a threatening rage stirring within him. But he mastered himself and counted down from ten to zero, over and over, trying to calm his fragile emotions. He could barely resist punching Coach Johansen in the face after it turned into a grin.

"Zach, you know I'm on your side" the coach said after a while, still smiling. "I understand your desire to join the squad as soon as possible. I totally get it. But you have to stay patient while building your fitness in the meantime. You should have heard the saying that haste makes nothing! Aren't you?"

Zachary nodded in agreement. "Am I excluded from the squad related to my so-called growth acceleration problem?"

"Yes" replied Coach Johansen. "You've been playing under me for about two years. So, I'd like to use you right away if there's no particular problem."

"But coach," Zachary recited, frowning. “I've already told you that I have complete mastery over my body. I have been doing exercises, including yoga, to improve my body control and coordination over the past few months. I know that I will be able to play as usual, no, better than usual, if you give me a chance. That's all I ask."

Coach Johansen raised his hand. "Zach, I've been thinking about this a lot. I can't get you into the squad until you've overcome your growth spurt. That means getting permission from the medical department. If they say that you're clear to play on the professional stage, I'll start considering you for the squad soon."

"After all," continued the coach, shaking his head. "You should use this time to adapt to the professional stage. My advice to you is to keep practicing to improve yourself while waiting for your chance. Try to adapt to the club by interacting with other players."

"Remember that I'm on your side" he added, words came out of his mouth slowly but surely. "I want you to perform well as soon as you join the first team. But you have to stay patient and humble in the meantime. Don't start questioning the decisions of the coaching staff, as you did just now. If a coach, other than me, had been in this seat, you wouldn't have gotten off so easily. Are we clear?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied indifferently. Although he still wanted to participate in the game the next day, there was nothing he could do to make it happen. The coaches have decided that his growth spurt is a problem. Perhaps, they even thought that his body control ability had decreased over the past year due to his increasing height. So, they will not give him a place in the starting line-up anytime soon.

However, Zachary believes none of his attributes and skills have declined over the past few months. He can see it in the system interface. His balance-and-coordination and control of his body were all at the A+ rank. If the growth spurt affects it, that statistic will drop to a lower level. So, he did not worry in the slightest that he would get injured while playing in the official game. But, he still needs to convince the coaches to allow him to show that he is really fit. And he can only do that in official matches.

"Have you successfully hired a professional fitness trainer?" Coach Johansen asked, ripping him off from contemplation.

"No, yet" Zachary replied, shaking his head.

"Why not?" He asked, frowning. "Your genes have promised to help you find it! What's going on?"

"It's only been two days" Zachary replied, not wanting to reveal that he had banned Emily from giving him a fitness trainer.

"Forget it." Coach Johansen sighed.

"Why not work with Coach Bjorn Peters? He is your coach at the academy. So, you should know him."

“If it is him, the club will be able to easily supervise your training,” he added. "And if your claim is that you're really fit, you'll get a chance to convince those responsible for medicals sooner than expected. What say?" He locked eyes with Zachary.

"It's okay for me" Zachary replied with a smile. Bjorn is a relaxed man who cares about his students. So, Zachary is confident that he will do his best to help him get into Rosenborg's starting line-up. There was no reason for him to refuse.

"Good," Coach Johansen said with a smile. "I'll tell Coach Peters tonight. You can join and start training your fitness with him tomorrow. Worked hard during this period. I'm expecting big things from you. So, don't disappoint me."