The planning changes
But as soon as he entered, the mood shifted. The room fell silent, and all eyes were on him, knowing what was coming next.
Kay cleared his throat, smiled, and began his last speech with the team.
Kay cleared his throat and smiled warmly at his team. "It's been an honor to work with all of you, this has been one of the most rewarding experiences till now."
He paused, looking at each player in turn. "I want to thank each of you by name. Dragan, you were incredible today. Antony, Riley, Ben you gave everything on the field. Desmond, your strength in the midfield kept us in the game. Anouar, your vision is unmatched. To every one of you, you made this team what it is."
The players listened intently, some nodding, some with their arms crossed, but all of them focused on Kay's words.
"I hope, that I've left a good memory with this team. I know that some of you lost your place in the starting lineup when I arrived. For that, I ask for your understanding. I had to make tough decisions, and I hope you know it was never personal."
"I believe in every one of you, whether you were on the field or the bench, each of you has a role in this team's future. And this team has a bright future. Never doubt that."
With that, Kay felt the weight of his words settles over the room. The players were quiet, but he could see in their eyes that they understood his words.
After Kay finished his farewell speech to the team, he paused for a moment, then ended with, "Goodbye, and I truly hope we meet again in the future."
The room was quiet for a second, until Dragan, always the one to lighten the mood, raised his hand with a playful grin. "Do you hope to meet us as an ally or an opponent?"
Kay chuckled and shook his head. "Who knows?" he replied, leaving the room laughing, but the unspoken truth lingered. It was the end of his time with Starlight FC.
After the end of this day and after all the players returned to their houses, Kay gathered his things.
His journey with the team had come to a close, and there was no more to be done. The next day, he made his way to the administration office, where he signed the final papers to formally end his role.
He shook a few hands, exchanged some polite farewell, and then quietly left the administration for the last time.
Later that evening, Kay returned home. The house was calm, and as he sat down, the weight of the last month slowly lifted from his shoulders.
The constant planning, training, and tension of the matches had consumed him. Now, for the first time in what felt like ages, he had nothing to prepare for, just the quiet of home.
At the end of the month, the school gave them a well-deserved two-day break to rest and recover.
Kay took the opportunity to spend time with his parents, something he hadn't been able to do recently with his busy schedule.
They had noticed how focused and consumed he had been with the team, and they were glad to have him back, even if just for a short while.
Those two days passed in a blur of conversations, meals shared, and moments of quiet togetherness.
After the short break, Kay returned to school, refreshed but also carrying the experiences of the past month with him.
As he entered the familiar halls, he was greeted by the sight of his classmates, some of whom he hadn't seen in a while.
It felt strange being back in the classroom, away from the pitch, but Kay knew that the lessons he had learned during his time with Starlight FC would stay with him. The school had been his foundation, but the field had been his test.
As the student managers made their way into the classroom, Kay greeted his classmates.
It had been a while since they'd all gathered like this, after a month of intense fieldwork and managing their respective teams, everyone seemed to have their own stories to share.
Kay noticed that Ben, usually one of the first to arrive, was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged it off at first, thinking Ben might just be running late.
Soon, their instructor, Hamilton, walked in, commanding the room's attention. He greeted them all with a proud smile, "Good to see you all back in class after such an eventful month. I've heard some great things about your work out there."
Kay nodded along with the rest of the class, still glancing toward the door, half-expecting Ben to walk in at any moment.
Hamilton cleared his throat and continued, "Before we dive into today's session, I have two important announcements to make."
The room quieted down as Hamilton's tone grew more serious.
"First, I need to inform you all that our classmate Ben has decided to quit the program. After facing some tough challenges during his practical month, he felt it was best to step away."
The words hung in the air for a moment. Ben had always been behind the others, but Kay had never expected that he would quit; it seemed the pressure this time had been too much for him to resist.
Hamilton gave the class a moment before moving on to the next point.
"Now, onto the second announcement, which affects all of you directly. As you're aware, the next chapters in your formation were supposed to focus on three areas: physical training, goalkeeping, and sports psychology. Each chapter was to come with its own dedicated month for practical work, making it a six-month stretch."
The class nodded, familiar with the original plan.
"However, there's been a change. The six-month schedule will now be condensed into just three months. Instead of spending a month on each topic, we will cover all three chapters over the next two months of classes. Then, you'll have one final practical month to apply everything you've learned."
Kay raised an eyebrow at this. Condensing six months into three? That was a significant shift, and it would mean less time to fully grasp each subject.
Some of his classmates murmured to each other, clearly concerned about how intense things were about to get.
Hamilton addressed the unspoken worry in the room, "I know this is a big adjustment, but the school feels this will prepare you better for the fast-paced world of professional football. Also, these three areas don't need all this time to seize, and you could apply all of this in just one practical month if you manage your time correctly."
Kay leaned back in his seat, thinking about how this would impact his preparation. He had always been methodical, taking time to analyze and plan.
Now, with the reduced schedule, he would have to find ways to absorb the material more quickly, especially in areas like psychology, which could make or break a manager's effectiveness.
Hamilton wrapped up, "I trust you all to rise to the challenge. This next phase will be demanding, but I'm confident that each of you is capable of handling it."
As the students were still processing the news, Gil raised his hand and asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Does this mean the program's duration will change from one year to nine months?"
Hamilton, who had been expecting this question, smiled and nodded.
"I'm glad you asked that, Gil," he said, addressing the whole class. "The program's overall duration will remain the same: one full year. The difference is that these three months of condensed learning will be..."
See you in the next chapter...
- - - - Author's note - - - - -
Hey everyone!
Kay's time with Starlight FC has come to an end, marking the start of a new chapter in his coaching career.
The coaching program has also undergone some changes. Do you think these changes will be beneficial or detrimental for the manager students? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!