The sun was slowly setting, casting a golden hue over the Polo Stadium field. The young players, still catching their breath from practice, had gathered around Coach Bayo.
"Alright, boys," said the coach, clapping his hands to get their attention. "Next week, we begin a series of important matches. But before that, it's crucial that you understand how these tournaments are structured. Seniors, it's your turn."
Hamza, one of the most experienced players, stepped forward.
"Alright, guys," he began. "We're going to compete in the Uswazi Hope tournament. This tournament is divided into two zones: North Buyenzi (from 1st to 15th Avenue) and South Buyenzi (from 16th to 26th Avenue). Each zone includes three teams, which makes a total of six teams overall."
He paused, giving the younger players a moment to absorb the information.
"Each team will play eight matches over the next two months, at the rate of one match per week. That means each team will face the other two teams in its zone four times — twice at home and twice away."
The young players nodded, some making mental notes.
"After these group matches, the first-place teams from each zone will qualify for the semi-finals. But that's not all. A draw will be held with the teams from Bwiza to determine the semi-final matchups."
A ripple of excitement ran through the group.
"The Uswazi Hope tournament will culminate in a final that will crown the winner. However, all semi-finalists and finalists will also qualify for the next tournament: Mjini Hope. This competition will bring together teams from several neighborhoods — Buyenzi, Bwiza, Kibenga, Kinindo, Kanyosha, Ngagara, Rohero, and Kamenge."
A respectful silence fell over the players as the scale of the event truly began to sink in.
"It's important to note that in the Uswazi Hope tournament, the teams finishing second in their zone won't proceed to the semi-finals, but instead to a 'small semi-final.' The best runner-up from the Buyenzi pools will face the best runner-up from the Bwiza pools. The winner of that match will also qualify for the Mjini Hope League tournament."
The young players exchanged glances, fully grasping the importance of every upcoming match.
Coach Bayo continued.
"This week, get plenty of rest. No training until Friday, when we'll have a tactical session. Saturday is full rest, and on Sunday, we give everything we've got on the field."
The players nodded, some exchanging determined looks. Tesuka, in particular, felt a rising excitement. This match would be another chance to prove his worth.
Night was falling gently over Buyenzi. Tesuka had just finished dinner and, as had become his routine ever since he got Ball, he locked himself in his room, pulled the curtains shut, and activated his Progress Interface.
He sat on the edge of the bed, grabbed Ball with one hand. A soft hum followed, and the holographic stats flickered to life above the ball.
> !!!
#Ball
Age: 6 years
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Overall Rating: B
Stamina (Rank C+): 19/20
Speed (Rank C): 8/20
Control (Rank C+): 20/20
Dribbling (Rank B-): 15/20
Vision (Rank B+): 14/20
Shooting (Rank C-): 4/20
Agility (Rank A+): 20/20
Mental (Rank A-): 1/20
Focus (Rank C+): 18/20
Long Pass (Rank C-): 2/20
Short Pass (Rank B-): 3/20
Skills:
Flick Over (Rank C)
Fake Shot (Rank B-)
Step Over (Rank D+)
Cut (Rank B)
Spin Move (Rank B+)
A heavy sigh escaped him.
— My overall rating went from B- to B… and only because of minor improvements in dribbling and shooting. Everything else is frozen.
A calm, almost mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
— You're overlooking something crucial. You have an edge: the ability to see your own stats. You can reinforce your current strengths and fix your most urgent weaknesses — with purpose.
He narrowed his eyes, listening intently.
— Reflex and control are nearly maxed. Focus is already high. But those are high-rank attributes. To improve them, you'd need specific match pressure — and U9 matches won't provide that. Set them aside for now.
Focus instead on the low-rank stats — the ones ready to level up.
Right now, you're barely using my support. You rely solely on your coach's training routines. But if you use your free time strategically — even slowly — you'll surpass any average player.
He stood up, pacing a few steps in the dim light of his room.
— So you're saying… I should design my own training? Tailored to what the stats show?
— Exactly. You know where you're weak. You know where you could become lethal. That gives you more strategy than any of them.
A small smile curved his lips.
He was only at the beginning of his rise — but now, he was starting to understand how to truly harness the tool in his hands.
Next day,The bell rang at 12:30 AM, and Tesuka burst out of the classroom, his bag already slung over one shoulder. The heat in Buyenzi was heavy but familiar. Without wasting a moment, he darted home, his mind replaying Ball's advice like a mantra: "You know where you're weak. You know where you're strong. Now, build yourself accordingly."
He arrived home, dumped his bag on the bed, and pulled out his notebook. On the cover, scribbled in red ink: PROJECT ASCENSION - PHASE 1. Beneath it, a hand-drawn schedule broken into four clear pillars: Stamina, Speed, Control, and Focus.
He takes a shower after lunch then rest.
when he wake up .
He changed into training gear, grabbed Ball, and headed to the small courtyard behind his house—a space just wide enough to simulate intensity.
---
4:00 PM – Stamina Circuit (Round 1)
He started with laps around the compound. Twenty circuits. No stopping. Just movement. The first ten were bearable. By lap twelve, the burn in his calves demanded surrender. But he pushed harder. After twenty laps, he dropped, panting.
Then came the second phase: 30-second high knees followed by 30-second squat holds. Ten rounds. Each time he bent his knees, the ache crept higher into his thighs. Sweat fell from his nose like rain.
He ended the stamina circuit with 100 jumping lunges, switching legs mid-air. After 76, his legs trembled uncontrollably. But Ball floated beside him, silent, observing.
He finished with a crawl to the water bottle and downed it like a man returning from the desert.
---
5:00 PM – Speed Module (Round 1)
He marked two cones with sticks: 10 meters apart. The drill: dash there and back 20 times. No rest. The air felt thick, dragging at his chest.
After the sprints came resistance work. Tesuka strapped a cord around his waist, tied the other end to a tree stump, and ran forward in explosive bursts. 5 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, 12 rounds. It mimicked being chased—a scenario Tesuka translated into escaping a tight marker on the field.
Ball occasionally beeped stats mid-set: "Acceleration spike: 2%. Respiration elevated. Core form slipping."
"Fix it," Tesuka grunted, correcting his posture, repeating the run. Again. Again.
The final exercise: lateral cone hops, 3 sets of 50, training both his agility and recovery speed. Each hop felt heavier than the last, but his focus sharpened.
6:00 PM – Control Drill (Round 1)
After a 15-minute water and breathing break, he returned with a tennis ball and a narrow plank.
"Let's refine the touch."
The drill was to control the ball on the plank for 60 seconds without letting it fall. It wasn't about flair. It was about micro-adjustments, subtle contacts, and stillness.
He failed the first seven attempts. The ball kept dropping.
On the eighth, it rolled off slower.
By the tenth, it stayed on.
Next: juggling inside a square drawn in chalk. If the ball left the square, restart.
First attempt: 12 juggles. Second: 27. Twentieth: 92.
The sun was now a fading orange disk. Lights in surrounding homes began to flicker on.
7:00 PM – Focus Immersion (Round 1)
Now came the stillness.
Tesuka placed Ball in front of him and sat cross-legged.
"Ten minutes. Eyes closed. Think only of the next move. Then visualize the worst mistake. Then the best recovery."
Ball counted seconds in silence.
Thoughts broke in: school drama, tomorrow's match, fatigue.
But Tesuka re-centered.
Again. And again. Until Ball said, "Ten minutes complete. Mental resilience: stable."
Last exercise: reaction training.
Ball projected rapid light flashes—red, green, blue. Each color meant a different motion: jump, squat, turn.
He failed at first, then began reacting like a machine.
8:00 PM – Recovery Routine
He stretched every muscle, then took an ice-cold shower. Ball hovered silently above his notebook.
Before bed, he logged the session.
> Day 1 Summary: Exhausted but whole. Weakness exposed. Will hammer it until it bends.
Then he slept.
Next day , As school let out, Tesuka, already brimming with determination, made a beeline for the abandoned training lot behind the community center. Yesterday's grueling routine still clung to his limbs like phantom weights, but today—today was about reinforcement, about pushing deeper, sharper, harder.
He tied his laces tighter, rolled his shoulders, and grasped Ball, who pulsed lightly in his hand like a heartbeat. No words were exchanged this time. There was no need. The plan was clear, and the fire in Tesuka's chest had found its rhythm.
Session 1: Stamina (Endurance Circuits – Phase 2)
Tesuka began with endurance, his breath syncing with the tempo of a pre-set pulse that Ball emitted. The lot had been redesigned with chalk and cones, creating a new circuit. This one was nastier, longer.
Warm-up (15 min): Instead of basic jogging, Tesuka sprinted in 60-second bursts, followed by 30 seconds of walking recovery. He repeated this for five full rounds.
Main Drill (25 min): He initiated the core circuit: 10 burpees, 20 squat jumps, a 300-meter run, 25 mountain climbers, 15 jumping lunges, 300-meter sprint. Three rounds, no rest in between. Sweat poured like rain.
Cooldown (10 min): Slow jogs with deep breathing and walking lunges, allowing his legs to cool down without collapsing.
By the end, his T-shirt clung to his back like a second skin, but Tesuka's breathing was stronger, more rhythmic. His body was learning to absorb pressure.
Session 2: Speed (Explosive Sprints and Acceleration)
After a short water break, he moved to sprint mechanics.
Sprint Ladder (15 min): He sprinted 10 meters, walked back, then 20 meters, 30, up to 60, then down again. Each distance had to be done under a specific time. He barely made the 60-meter mark on time but did not quit.
Band-Resistance Sprints (20 min): Using an elastic harness tied to a fixed post, he performed resisted sprints to build explosive power. His legs trembled but obeyed.
Start-and-Stop Drill (10 min): From a stationary squat, Tesuka launched himself forward on Ball's signal and stopped on a whistle. Sudden acceleration and abrupt halts. Reaction time and foot coordination combined.
Ball remained silent but recorded every millisecond.
Session 3: Control (Tight Space Ball Mastery)
Ball floated into position and transformed its outer shell into a slicker texture, harder to control.
Close Touch Maze (20 min): Cones were spread in tight, uneven patterns. Tesuka had to dribble through without letting Ball stray more than five centimeters from his foot. Every wide touch meant push-ups.
Wall Reflex Touches (15 min): One-touch rebounds off a wall. Left foot, then right. After 50 touches, he increased to volleys. Mistakes punished with plank holds.
Body Control Flow (15 min): Controlling Ball while simultaneously navigating low hurdles, turning under bars, hopping on one foot—all while keeping the ball glued to him.
Sweat streamed down his temples, but the ball was becoming a limb.
Session 4: Focus (Concentration Under Pressure)
The sun was dipping lower now. The world around Tesuka became louder—barking dogs, distant shouts, motorcycles buzzing past—but he forced his mind inward.
Countdown Drills (20 min): Ball displayed a random countdown on a floating screen. Tesuka had to complete three complex dribbles—step-over, cut, spin move—before the timer hit zero. Mistakes meant mental penalty drills: multiplication under fatigue, strategic puzzle footwork.
Shadow Targets (15 min): Ball projected shadow silhouettes that mimicked defenders. While real defense simulations were forbidden, these phantom markers demanded precise foot placement and angle shifting, testing his decision-making in motion.
Breath Sync (10 min): With eyes closed, Tesuka performed dribbles to a metronome beat. One misstep meant reset. Focus was everything.
Session 5: Skill Enhancement (Flick Over & Step Over Drills)
Now came the delicate surgery of skill refinement.
Flick Over Drill (20 min): Standing in front of a low bar, Tesuka had to flick Ball over it with minimal space, chase, and catch it before it bounced twice. Over and over. Feet bruised, shins screaming.
Step Over Repetition (20 min): 50 left-foot step overs, 50 right. Then alternated at high speed. Added challenge: a flashing light randomly switched colors to signal which foot to use. He missed often, but never twice in a row.
Combined Flow (15 min): Flick over, control on landing, sprint, then three step overs. The combo sequence was punishing. But as fatigue grew, so did fluidity.
Evening: Post-Training Status Display
Back home, after a barely-there dinner and an ice bath improvised with cold bottles, Tesuka sat on his bed.
Then slept.
Day 3 — Thursday
It was almost an exact repeat of the day before. The movements were familiar, his muscles a bit more sore, but his mindset stayed solid. Tesuka went through the same routines, correcting small flaws, sharpening each move. Flick Over and Step Over were executed better than during the first attempt. Nothing new, but each gesture was smoother, more natural.
Day 4 — Friday
This time, he wasn't training alone. After school, he joined the other U9 players at the Polo field. The coach had scheduled a group session to strengthen team cohesion. Tesuka took part in triangle passing drills, ball control circuits, and small-sided games. He made sure to quietly integrate what he'd been practicing alone. During a possession exercise, he managed a clean combo: control, Step Over, and a short pass—simple, but effective.
The coach noticed his improved technique and gave a small nod of approval. Tesuka stayed humble, keeping his long hours of solo work to himself.
Day 5 — Saturday
The morning rose lazily over Buyenzi. The sky was clear, and the weather was pleasant. That Saturday, Tesuka knew he shouldn't push himself too hard. The match against Saint Augustin the next day was bound to be demanding.
After a nutritious breakfast and a calm morning, he headed alone to the dirt pitch near his house. No sprints. No intervals. Just a targeted muscle wake-up session.
He began with light laps around the field, arms slightly spread to balance his breathing. Then he shifted to soft ball control drills: alternating feet, slaloming between makeshift cones made of plastic bottles. Next came his signature moves: Flick Over, practiced slowly and repeatedly to etch the motion into his muscle memory.
Step Over, on the other hand, was practiced while standing still. Just the leg motions around the ball, hips loosened. He focused on balance and the deceptive movement without intensity. Less sweat. More precision.
Finally, he sat under the shade of a small tree by the edge of the field,and ...
Ball, display the progression.
> !!!
#Ball
Age: 6 years
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Overall Rating: B
Stamina (Rank C+=>B-): 19/20 => 5/20
Speed (Rank C=> C+): 8/20 => 20/20
Control (Rank C+=>B-): 20/20=>4/20
Dribbling (Rank B-): 15/20
Vision (Rank B+): 14/20
Shooting (Rank C-): 4/20
Agility (Rank A+): 20/20
Mental (Rank A-): 1/20
Focus (Rank C+=> B-): 18/20 => 6/20
Long Pass (Rank C-): 2/20
Short Pass (Rank B-): 3/20
Skills:
Flick Over (Rank C=>C+)
Fake Shot (Rank B-)
Step Over (Rank D+=>C+)
Cut (Rank B)
Spin Move (Rank B+)
He stared at the glowing stats in silence for a few seconds. It was real. What he had accomplished in just a few days went beyond what regular group training could ever offer. He was tapping into something most kids his age couldn't even imagine.
And still, this was only the beginning.
He closed the interface,and stood up.
Tomorrow, he would play against Saint Augustin. Only one word echoed in his mind:
Prove.
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