Fitness test

The day dawned crisp and clear.

As promised, Mr. Christophe Benard picked the two boys from their new apartment at leeds student village at 8:55 AM. Adam and Marcus had long been ready and were waiting for the scout in the parking lot. They'd dressed in heavy clothing to shield themselves from the morning coldness. They were eager to commence their first day as academy players in England.

"How was your night," Mr. Christophe Benard asked as the Toyota Carib they were in pulled out of the parking lot, heading into the main road. The aged scout was on the steering while the two boys sat in the back, admiring the sceneries.

"Quite good," Marcus was the first to reply.

"Same here. The night couldn't have been better." Adam also responded. His new comfy bed, with silk duvets and cotton bed sheets, was like a heaven on earth to him. He'd entered a deep slumber right after eating a self-cooked delicious dinner the previous evening. The heater in the room guaranteed that the cold outside never affected his sleep. He already liked his new life.

"I'm happy to hear that." Mr. Christophe Benard smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. "We'll first head to the NTNU Sports Department where you'll undergo a medical. Your move to Newcastle United F.C won't be finalized unless you pass the medical tests there." He added solemnly.

"But we're academy players," Marcus contested, frowning. "And we've already gone through mandatory check-ups in New york. You remember?"

"The academy coaches need to know that you're a worthwhile investment. Of course, I trust that the two of you are fit since I was with you in New York." Mr. Christophe Benard paused as he rounded a round-about before entering another wider street, with denser traffic. Adam noticed that there wasn't any traffic jam on the roads of Newcastle. Many people were on their bikes in a side lane, probably riding to work

Mr. Christophe Benard continued his explanation after entering the straight section of the road.

"We'll be trying to give the academy as much information as possible because, in the end, they've to decide whether they want to train you or not. The results of the medical will also help them design a better training plan for you once you enter the academy."

"But what happens if we fail?" Marcus asked.

"No worries," Mr. Christophe Benard smiled. "You'll still be allowed to spend six months at the academy before being sent back to America. But I have confidence in you. You won't fail."

They spent the rest of the minutes of their car ride in silence. The two boys seemed to be worried about the medicals while Mr. Christophe Benard was busy navigating the road. A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the gigantic building housing the sports department. It was roughly six to eight stories high, by Adam's estimation.

"This here is St. Macols University Hospital complex," Mr. Christophe Benard said as they exited their ride. "The offices of NTNU's Sports Department are in the building. You'll undergo your medical there."

**** ****

An hour later, Adam sat on an exercise bike in a well-equipped room, similar to a gym. He frowned at the medical specialist. The doctor had taken him through hell as an excuse for a warm-up. Every five minutes, the resistance of the bike increased, putting more strain on his limbs. He was already in agony even before the real medical commenced.

'I wonder how Marcus is doing'.He mused.

He'd been separated from Mr. Christophe Benard and Marcus right after meeting with the medic who was to conduct his medical. The middle-aged doctor had introduced himself as Dr. Kaiden Bryan before leading him to the gym. There, he'd requested Adam to warm-up on the bike until he said otherwise. Adam did not complain but carried out the exercise as instructed. However, it was already close to an hour, yet the doctor wasn't putting a stop to his warm-up. Adam was frustrated.

"Okay, that's enough," the Doctor said Adam couldn't tell from his poker face whether he was impressed or not. He hopped off the bike and waited for his instructions.

"Next, we shall carry out the Biodex assessment, which is a test designed to test the strength between your muscle groups," the doctor explained.

After a quick warm-up, Adam was strapped into a white chair and instructed to extend his leg by kicking out before pulling it back to the starting position. Dr requested him to repeat the exercise five times, then again with more resistance for each leg. Pulling the elastic strap, especially with his left leg, tired him out until he was panting like a Labrador running in the sun.

Later, the doctor instructed Adam to run on a treadmill at varying speeds while breathing into a mask to determine his aerobic capabilities. Adam had great endurance that enabled him to go through all the required exercises without a hitch. His C+ stamina wasn't only for show.

Throughout the day, he underwent several tests, most of which seemed to be senseless to him. The doctor put him through bone scans, blood and urine tests, plus several other medical check-ups that were alien to Adam. He spent six hours with the doctor and was only permitted to leave a few minutes after three in the afternoon. He couldn't tell whether he had passed the medical after the doctor finished with the tests. The doctor didn't smile even once during the whole session

'I don't think so. This was just an academy medical. They don't need us to play matches right away. So, as long as we don't have any latent injuries, we shall pass.' Adam thought

**** ****

My Friend, Christophe You managed to acquire a perfect specimens on your trip." the doctor laughed. He was all smiles and had done away with the poker face he had presented to Adam

Both Christophe Benard and Coach Neil Redfearn didn't reply but just waited for the doctor to continue.

"The boys are is very fit for there age. It's like the have been through professional training over the past three months. there skeletal range of movement is simply excellent. I checked there joints and pelvic muscles and noticed that they were in great shape. I can boldly hypothesize that they have good lower-body mobility and perfect body coordination."

"I will test the boys myself in a real match next week. I can only determine if they qualified for the scholarship then."

"But there are no under-16 matches this month," Mr Christophe Benard argued.

"There's an under-19 friendly game with west ham on Tuesday next week. I'm adding them to the line-up." Coach red smiled at the scout.

"Are you serious? there only fifteen."

"If they are as good as you them out to be, there isn't a need to worry. As they say, a diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure. Do they have high game intelligence? Let's see if your boys are diamond or a waste when he is under pressure during the game." The coach stated nonchalantly

My decision is final. they will train with the boys on Friday and Monday before taking part in the game on Tuesday. I don't need him to do much in the game. they just has to perform above average."