Capítulo 38: Coach?!
"Yesterday, you all were insufficient." Coach Michael Roughan was holding his tablet computer in hand, while pacing back and forth. "I want to address that in today's meeting."
Everyone's brows furrowed at the coach's statement.
Why is he not angry at all? What the fuck?
Is it just a smokescreen to divert our attention?
"First, I want to apologize for the lack of support from the sidelines. That was on me as the coach of this team." Michael Roughan put his hand holding the tablet behind his back.
The team still had not let their guard down regarding this! This had happened before!
"You might think that my more than a decade's worth of experience from coaching on high pressure situations would allow me to be unfazed and tilt-proof, but you are wrong." Michael Roughan sat on the hardwood floor with a little difficulty. His annoyed glare had disappeared, and a rather more pleasant gaze replaced it.
He's not angry at all?
Is this real?
Are we dreaming?
Is the world ending?
"Sometimes, I still enter such a state where my decisions get stuck in my throat, and a general sense of inability to adjust to the changing game state hits me."
Is the coach telling us his true feelings?
All of the upperclassmen had questioning looks in their eyes. The rookies had their doubts, but they took it better.
"On a normal day, I would berate all of you until you're either pleading for mercy or until the core of your being is turned into a burning carnage." He stopped for a moment to breathe a massive sigh. "Luckily for all of you, I woke up on the better side of the bed today. So, I'd rather be honest for once, and tell you what's going on in my mind after last night's loss."
One by one, the young men's eyes glowed in sheer delight, and surprise of what they were hearing from their iron willed coach.
"Thank you, coach!" Legend bowed from his sitting position. "I know that it's not just me, who's a little reluctant to believe you, but now we do."
His words summarized what most of them were feeling.
"We won't be facing a top team in more than a week, so we'll use the next two games to improve ourselves." Michael Roughan remained firm. "I don't want any of you to slack off, we have no time for that. I won't accept a halfhearted response from all of you, what I want is both commitment and results in the training, and acceptable results in the game. Understood?"
"Yes, coach!" Everyone said in unison.
Coach Roughan talked for more than an hour, rousing the spirits of his men, and reassuring them of brighter days ahead if they continued working hard. One of the most vital things he said was to carve that loss into your soul, and use it to fuel your future endeavors.
After all, for many of them, that defeat crushed the newfound confidence they gained from the UNC game into pieces.
In the end, right as Coach Michael Roughan said his last words of encouragement, he raised his hand in a fist.
"Pursue greatness! Never falter! Never doubt! Welcome change! Always take a step forward!"
He didn't wait for his players to reply nor react, and walked out of the facility, leaving his team to its own devices.
Tremaine had wanted to sleep even before 9 AM. He only had a couple of hours of sleep at most, and his stamina had already been exhausted for the day.
Damn that Sofia! She sapped me of all my energy! It's still morning and my body is already sore all over!
"You alright, Tre?" Deshaun had noticed his friend swaying like bamboo a lot earlier.
"Not really, I just wanna get some rest." Tre's smile was weak.
"You stayed overnight here, so you really should."
"I blame my current predicament on that annoying lady!" Tre mumbled underneath his breath.
Huh? A lady? Tremaine was here with someone the whole night? Am I hearing things?
Deshaun all of a sudden released his inner gossiper. His smile towards Tremaine became creepy.
Only he knows how bad Tremaine is with ladies, at least except for Emily. He was awkward around them and would lose his confidence and would stutter a lot.
So him being able to be with a lady is something that delights him.
"Bastard, I know what you're thinking!" Tremaine defended himself from the slander.
"Who's the lucky lady who stole my loveless, innocent friend's heart?"
"Fuck you!"
***
Earlier.
Hannah Roughan did her floor exercises while watching her two juniors duke it out for bragging rights, and to get free food.
Well, if she's being honest to herself, she didn't actually think it would come to this.
But since it's come to this, she would enjoy the spectacle between two young, hot headed point guards.
"Don't overdo it, you guys! It's still early!" Hannah might've said that in worry, but she's actually spurring the two on instead, like a proper adult should. "It's not like I'm gonna ask for a pricey meal!"
'Oh she surely would!'
'It does not matter, I don't have cash anyway!'
Hannah Roughan got her intended effect!
The two rookies aggressively put their bodies on the line just to stop the other, resulting in both of them battling as if their lives were on the chopping block.
They were like a berserk, female gladiator and an insane, male gladiator throwing it down in the thunderdome amidst the raucous, bloodthirsty screaming of the crowd in the stands.
However, the raucous, bloodthirsty crowd meant Hannah alone...
Tremaine is foolishly on his last legs.
He'd been up and rigorously practicing for all but an hour the entire night, therefore facing off against a fresher, and much more aggressive opponent is taking a toll on his weary body.
Add that to his still ongoing adjustment to his 17 year old body… it just makes it worse for him.
But he has to push through!
He was staring down the barrel of a 15-9 deficit, with the ball in his hands.
Sofia was challenging him by clapping, and by repeatedly suggesting he should rest if he's tired.
Of course, Tremaine knew that Sofia was doing this while ahead to further crush his morale.
Tremaine was dribbling casually outside the arc, and quickly put on an array of dribbling moves to lure her into attempting to steal the ball.
This was one of the biggest tendencies of the woman in front of him.
Sofia is a stout perimeter defender that would not bite on simple baits, and instead waits for an opportunity to attack the ball handler when making mistakes on dribble moves. She also is way more laterally agile than Tremaine— he suspects that even on full stamina, she's faster— making her a wonderful fit for defensive switches.
She's pretty much like a budget, female version of Ryan, with a better offensive game.
Tremaine can't waste any more of his depleted energy on doing these energy intensive dribble moves to bait her into stealing.
"Fuck it." Tremaine stopped and entered his shooting motion unexpectedly.
"No you don't!" Once Sofia flew past him in her attempt to block the shot, she saw Tremaine's mocking face underneath.
Sofia bit the random shot fake, affording Tremaine a clean shot from distance after she flew by.
No way he would miss a shot like that!
***
Extras:
"Are you insane? I'm not paying for that!" Tremaine was broke beyond belief.
"You lost. Pay up!" Sofia meanwhile, was like a thug. She grabbed Tremaine's card and gave it to the man on the counter looking at them with probing eyes. "He'll pay, sir."
Sofia strutted away and sat beside Hannah.
"Should I report her, sir?" The man working the counter was strikingly compassionate.
"No need… I lost a giant bet after all…" Tremaine had tears in the corner of his eyes.
Where are you sponsors? I need you now!
"It's 90 dollars, sir. Would you rather pay in cash or by card?"
"Just use that card, my wallet has a hole in it…"
At least, a sponsor could mean Deshaun Richardson.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Konkey_Dong
Konkey_Dong Welp USA won gold.
Onto the bronze medal match, Patty Mills is insane whenever he's with Australia damn... torched Slovenia.
Thanks y'all for reading!!! Releases might slow down in the next few days due to some more job interviews.
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