Chapter 35 – The Space Between
The academy entered its final term of the year with renewed urgency.
Summer whispered through the trees. The grass grew faster. The training schedules tightened. Evaluations loomed. Opportunities multiplied—but so did expectations.
A sense of measurement hung in the air.
You could feel it between drills.
In the length of a coach's silence.
In the glances toward the training cameras.
Even in the way players moved—sharper, faster, more calculated.
Jota felt it too.
But he'd learned not to fear it.
Instead, he studied it.
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One morning, Coach Nuno called for small group sessions—three players per coach. Rotating stations. Focused correction.
Jota's first rotation was finishing drills with Coach Sofia.
"You won't always be midfield," she said, tossing a ball his way. "Adaptability is currency."
He nodded.
Ball came. Chest touch. Drop. Volley.
Slightly wide.
Again.
Again.
