The Coach Factor

『DEFEAT』

"No way..." Jennifer just sat there, staring at her screen. Why? How? They were so much better than the enemy during the first match, what changed? How come they lagged behind the whole match this time?

"Oh, it's over? Finally." Alex open his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms. Grrrrr! Jennifer wanted to rip that scum apart! But, she gave up on it. After all, Alex's prediction came true - they lost the match. They came so close to making a comeback, but they fell short.

"Cap, you need to pull yourself together." Albert said.

"Yeah, I know." Jennifer muttered. "Just let me mope a little I'm also a human, ya know?"

"No can do." Albert shook his head. "You're the mood maker of this team, that's literally the only reason you've been picked as the captain."

"Rude." Jennifer's lips curved into a thin smile. Yeah, yeah, that's right. Keeping the team psyched was her job. No matter how grim the situation got, she's the only one who wasn't allowed to look down. Sigh.

"Okay, guys!" Jennifer clapped once. "They got us good this time, I won't lie. But, we almost 4v5'd their asses even though they had Overlord Buff, so these suckers got nothing on us! They're just a bunch of baby greenhorns! Keep coming at them with everything you got and they'll give in!"

"Yeah, we were so close!"

"Next time for sure!"

"Good to see you still got the spirit." A man's voice mixed into the team's cries.

"Oh, Coach?" Jennifer blinked. "The heck you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I came to whip you into shape." Coach scanned each player in order with his hawk eyes. "Seriously, what are you doing? Losing to a makeshift team like that, is that how I trained you?"

"Don't worry, we totally got this!" Jennifer insisted.

"Yes, very convincing after going 0-2. If this were a best of three, you'd be eliminated right now."

"Geh. W-We're working on it!"

"'Working on it'?" Coach lifted his chin. "All I saw was you playing the exact same lineup as the first game."

"Well, we thought we gonna win." Jennifer said. "You watched the first match? We totally dominated that one!"

"And, you lost." Coach slapped them with the harsh truth. "It seems you don't even understand the reason you lost. Can anybody tell me why you lost the first match?"

"Yeah, sure!" Jennifer nodded. "They got super lucky and made a few good plays near the end-"

"Anybody?"

"Geh." Jennifer made a face. Coach scanned the other players, ignoring Jennifer's input. Nobody volunteered to give their two cents.

"Alright then, I'll pick." Coach said. "Alex, what do you think?"

"Huh? Well..." Alex sighed. "Their game plan changed during the end game. Like, they've been playing defense since mid game, right? But then, they suddenly went full offense. That caught us off guard."

"That's all true, but you're only stating facts." Coach said. "Go deeper. Why and how do you think that switch happened?"

"Heck if I knew." Alex shrugged. "I bet their shot-caller flipped a switch. Either that, or they changed the shot-caller altogether."

"Good, that's most likely the case." Coach nodded. "They made some very interesting plays there, starting with the Lancer's suicide attack on Jennifer. They went on the offensive despite being behind and it paid off."

Coach went over some scenarios from the first match, showing how the Leopards faced an entirely different beast during the end game. None of the enemy's achievements were "lucky plays", they were all methodically calculated. He made sure to beat that fact into them, so they stop making excuses and wake up.

"Frankly, some of these plays were too impressive for middle schoolers." Coach admitted. "Their team doesn't have a coach as far as I know, so such a high level of play is unexpected from a makeshift second string. I sent a few of our boys to tail them during this break, to see if they're exchanging information with any outsiders."

"What, you think they're cheating?" Jennifer asked.

"One of their players from the first string has a pro player in the family, so you can never be too sure. Then again, their sudden transformation occurred during the first game and persisted all the way into the second game, so it's most likely their own hard work."

Coaches, let alone outsiders, weren't allowed on stage during an ongoing match. In addition, players' cell phones were confiscated. Lastly, the PCs on stage connected to a private server, so one of these kids had to be some kind of hacker to use it for external communication. Frankly, it was unlikely.

[But, if they really got such a talented shot-caller, why would he be stuck in the second string? ]The coach, Rodriguez, wondered. [Actually, I have a good guess. Even if there's really such a sharp shot-caller on the second string, there's an even more amazing kid on the first string.]

In the last two matches between the first strings, Rodriguez saw plenty high level shot-calling from StormBlitz. The kid in charge was undoubtedly Howard, nickname Aegis. His older sister made her professional debut soon after finishing high school, so he must had grown up next to Classmancers from a tender age.

The kid sure put the Leopards through hell. With him in charge, StormBlitz had an impenetrable defense. Outwitting or punishing StormBlitz's players was almost impossible, despite the high caliber of the Leopards' first string. Rodriguez trained the kids over the past three years, so he attested to their skill. Yet, Aegis shut down most of their attacks.

From what Rodriguez could tell, most of StormBlitz's first string wasn't anything special. Athena could be praised for her unorthodox playstyle and Frown had an oppressive late game, but that's about it. Yet, under Aegis's command, all the gears of that team worked together in perfect union, building an unbreakable line of defense.

The Leopards held the upper hand most of the time, but they were forced to slowly crawl toward victory. As the players themselves put it, fighting against Aegis felt like "bashing their heads against a wall until it breaks". They somehow won both games so far, but they were mentally exhausted after each round.

With such a brilliant shot-caller leading the first string, it wasn't entirely impossible that another talented shot-caller ended up in the second string. Either way, this level of challenge was just right for the kids. They'll definitely learn something new from today's scrimmage.

"Your opponents were tougher than you expected," Rodriguez said. "But, it doesn't end there. In term of skill, you're stronger as a whole. You proved as much during the first match. Then, what's the real reason you lost?"

Nobody volunteered to guess, so Rodriguez continued. "First, you had some bad matchups. Jennifer, you're struggling against the duo in Bot, correct?"

"Huh? Not at all!" Jennifer puffed her chest. "These scrubs got nothing on me!"

"You say that, yet you failed to score any kills during the laning phase. Their Carry is about as skilled as you, so you find it hard to outplay him. And, their Support gave you trouble by CC-ing you with the worst timing."

"Geh." Jennifer hung her head.

"And Alex, you're also struggling against your lane opponent, correct?" Rodriguez said.

"Yeah, I guess." Alex shrugged. "That guy isn't greedy enough, so I can't punish him much. He's such a drag."

"Alright, these bad matchups are one thing we'll have to fix." Rodriguez said. "Moving on, another big factor for your defeat is that the enemy figured you out."

"Figured out?" Jennifer tilted her head.

"They studied how you play and used the appropriate counters."

"Well, we also adapted to them, haven't we?"

"Yes, but they adapted to you first and you forgot to adapt to them in return. After all, you picked almost the exact same lineup for the second game, somehow expecting to win."

"Geh." Jennifer averted her eyes.

Rodriguez went over a couple examples from the match, pointing out moments where StormBlitz brilliantly struck the team's weakest points. Many of the scenarios involved Jennifer and Alex, whom StormBlitz targeted more frequently and for a good reason.

The enemy learned Jennifer was a combo player, so they stayed out of her combo's reach. This forced her to be aggressive if she wanted to score any kills, and more aggressively she played - the easier it was to punish her. On top of that, the moment she finished her combo - they focused on her, knowing she wasn't much of a threat without her combo.

Similarly, they focused Alex in the right moments. They recognized Alex as a threat in team fights, so they always tried picking him off before a team fight started. For example, one time they went hard on the offensive to pressure the Leopards, forcing Alex to play his cards right away. Right after he did, they suddenly switched to defending to throw the Leopards off. Amidst the confusion, Alex was pulled by the Druid and killed.

"Yeah, that!" Jennifer exclaimed. "They kill him before every team fight, he can't even dodge basic stuff! This guy has zero motivation to play, he doesn't even come to practice. What's he even doing on the team? Sub him, Coach! There are a bunch of guys who'd gladly take his place!"

"Hmph, do what you want." Alex shrugged and averted his eyes, but he threw a glance at the coach. Despite how he talked and acted, he didn't want to be replaced due to underperforming. He was a difficult kid, Rodriguez knew that.

During his first year, Alex displayed great talent and motivation. Everybody believed he'll become a first string player sooner than later, including Alex himself. However, Rodriguez always prioritized seniors for the first string, since they were the most experienced, polished, and reliable. Rodriguez already spent two years training these kids, so he knew exactly what to expect from them. On top of that, it was their last year of middle school, so he wanted them to gain some competitive experience before tackling high school's competitive scene.

Because of all that, Alex wasn't picked for the first string as a freshman. And, neither as a junior. Nevertheless, Rodriguez had high hopes for him and put him on the second string as a junior, to nurture him as much as possible before his third year. Sadly, that intention didn't reach Alex.

He lost all motivation after not making it to the first string, He started lazing around, skipping practice, bickering with teammates and performing poorly. He became but a shadow of his former promising self.

In this regard, Jennifer's evaluation of him was correct, for a change. Alex wasn't motivated to play on the second string and there were plenty of kids who'd gladly take his place. They'll probably perform better too, since they were good kids who didn't skip practice.

Nevertheless, Rodriguez wanted to keep Alex in the game. Maybe, just maybe, it'd spark something. If there's any chance Alex could regain his former motivation, it was worth taking a risk and keeping him in the game.

"Alex stays in." Rodriguez announced.

"Wha? But why!?" Jennifer cried out. "He screws everything for us!"

"True, he messed up multiple times in both games. His lack of practice is showing itself." Rodriguez shot a criticizing glare at Alex. "But, you can't deny he's at least useful in team fights, correct?"

"What team fights? The ones where he doesn't drop dead before they start? As if that ever happens."

"True, true. The enemy have a tendency to eliminate him before a team fight begins, but that just goes to show how wary they're of him. They know he'll mess up their plans if he contributes to the team fight, that's why they eliminate him first. That should be proof enough he's a great asset for the team."

"But, he messes up simple plays! Just look how many times he failed to dodge telegraphed attacks! He's been lazing too much and lost his touch."

"Perhaps. But, nobody here is without faults, you all had your fair share of misplays. I'd go over them in more detail, but the break won't last enough." Rodriguez softened his tone. "You all made mistakes and will keep making mistakes, and that's alright. What's important is to learn from them and better yourselves for next game. And, if you see somebody repeat a mistake, point it out instead of dissing them for it, understood?"

"Roger..." Jennifer twisted her lips, but nodded nonetheless. Good girl.

"Now, switch it up."

BAM!

Rodriguez produced a booming sound with a single clap.

"Oh!" Jennifer exclaimed. Here it was! The ultimate clapping technique, only available to true clap-fu masters! She practiced her clapping for years to get to that legendary level, but she's still just a scrub compared to Rodriguez's level.

The thundering loudness shook the whole team. First, there was surprise and bewilderment. Then, they were replaced with focus and sharpness. Everybody, even Alex, now paid attention to Rodriguez.

"Frankly," Rodriguez said. "I didn't expect you run into such tough opponents today, which is why I wasn't strict about your mixup training. But, I always tell you to practice a secondary role," He pierced each player with his hawk eyes. "So, I hope you've been working hard on that even without my supervision."

"Of course!" Jennifer gave a thumb up. "I'm always ready to go as Mid!"

"That's a good girl." Rodriguez nodded. Jennifer was perhaps somewhat of a dummy, but a motivated and diligent one, the polar opposite of Alex. "What about the rest? How confident are you in your secondary roles?"

"Um..."

"Well..."

Cody and Joey averted their eyes, it seemed they didn't practice much. Unfortunate, but not surprising. There were many kids who latched onto one role, sometimes one class, and wanted to play only that. Rodriguez didn't expect them to play against such a strong team, so he wasn't strict enough about their mixup training. Regrettable.

"I've been playing Carry at least once a day," Albert said. "So, I should be good to go."

"Oh, how promising." Rodriguez nodded repeatedly. What a good and obedient kid, it brought a smile on Rodriguez's face. Albert wasn't a particularly outstanding player, but he practiced whatever he was told without complaining. If he keeps this up, he'll definitely become a great player one day.

"I play Mid or Support whenever I feel like it," Alex shrugged. "So, I can play either, really."

"That's good to know." Rodriguez had mixed feelings about this information. But, as long as it was with Warlock, perhaps Alex could really play both roles equally. That is, equally poorly.

"Alright, so here's what we do." Rodriguez explained. "As I already said, the enemy figured you out and you have some unfavorable lane matchups. So, next game: Jennifer is Mid, Albert is Carry and Alex is Support. This will throw off your opponents and will deal with the unfavorable matchups, two birds with one stone."

"Oh! That's cool!" Jennifer jumped like an excited puppy. "We gonna win the next one! I'm feeling it!"

"Just don't forget what it means to switch to your secondary role." Rodriguez warned. "Make sure you switch seats like I taught you. Alex must sit between Jennifer and Albert as the Support."

"But, then we'll have to login again..." Alex sighed. "Can't we just keep the same sits? It doesn't really matter where we sit"

"No, you sit like I taught you." Rodriguez insisted. "As a Support, you must be constantly in touch with the Carry and the Mid Laner, since that's where you'll be rotating the most during early game. I know it sounds like nagging, but it's the little things that matter. Or what, you think you're such pros that you can communicate telepathically?"

"Exactly," Jennifer glared at Alex. "Just shut up and do what Coach says."

"Whatever..." Alex sighed.

"Good." Rodriguez nodded. "Now, onto other things to keep in mind. Jennifer, switching from Carry to Mid means you no longer have anybody to support you on lane. Make sure you don't overextend."

"Roger!" Jennifer saluted.

"Albert, don't forget you're a squishy when you're a Carry. You can't be in the enemy's face the way you like as Support."

"Of course."

"And Alex, I'm sure you want to go for a hybrid build as always, but make sure you prioritize defensive items during the early game."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"That's about wraps it up." Rodriguez checked his watch. "I don't want you to hate me for taking your break, so let's end it here."

"If you got more important stuff to say, you better tells us!" Jennifer said. "We don't wanna lose to these guys again, so any tips will help. Right, guys?"

"Yeah, we don't care about the break."

"We just wanna win, yo!"

"Sigh, what a drag..."

The whole team was on the same page, save for one lazy kid. They burned with the desire to win the next match, no matter what. Such determination! It brought a tear to Rodriguez's eye. This unyielding attitude was the most important thing for competitive players, he was so happy the kids adopted it.

"Heh, you're really something." Rodriguez smiled softly. With Jennifer in charge, the thirst for battle and victory infected the whole team like a virus. Despite her many shortcomings, nominating Jennifer as the captain was the correct decision.

"Then, let's see." Rodriguez continued. "First, Jennifer. You're a dummy, so better keep playing like one."

"H-Huh?"

"Remember how you cloaked Blink in the last game? You tried to 'outsmart' the enemy by waiting for the 'right moment', correct?"

"Yeah, I was gonna shock these scrubs to another dimension."

"Too bad, turned out they were expecting it."

"Y-Yeah, they seemed kinda prepared..." Jennifer averted her eyes.

"In the end, you didn't fool anybody and only wasted other good opportunities to use Blink. What's worse, you were preoccupied with thinking when you should reveal your Blink, which distracted you and dragged down your overall performance. Just focus on your usual combo plays and don't think too hard, that's when you're at your best."

"Roger!" Jennifer saluted.

"Alex, you need to get your act together." Rodriguez said. "I know this isn't the first string and it's just a scrimmage, but don't underestimate today's importance. Your opponents are about as good as the average middle school team, so I'm going to treat today's results seriously. If you perform well today, you may still have a chance to get into first string."

"Ah!" Alex's drowsy eyes flashed for a moment. "Sure, I'll see what I can do." There was uncharacteristic weight behind these words, the kind Rodriguez hadn't heard from Alex in a long time. Good.

"The same applies to everybody here." Rodriguez turned to each member in order. "Depending on your performance today, you may earn yourselves a lot of points toward entering the first string. There's still time until the regionals, so anything can happen."

"Hell yeah! We gonna do it!" Jennifer's pumped a fist, her blazing fighting spirit overwhelmed everybody around her. The whole team was psyched after hearing these words. They were like starving dogs and the coach just waved a bone in front of them. They had been training in the club for over two years now, so of course they all burned with desire to enter the first string. Turning said desire into strength would help them triumph over their opponents.

"Next, Cody..." Rodriguez continued giving pointers to each individual player, polishing them as much as possible before the next game. With everybody's fighting spirits burning strong, they headed into the next game with relentless thirst for victory.