Enemy Lines (completed)

14

Once back at the hotel I carry sonnett to the room re are using for recovery and let the ats and Dawn make the descion for what Emily should do for recovery after all the shit I put her though today.

I leave them to shower as I was sweating like a hog on a spite and I wasn't even playing. I shower and hang out with my kids before lunch.

We all met up in the meal room and eat Allie still is avoiding my gaze like the plague. Half-way through lunch Tobin comes up to me.

I start talking before she says anything just to set the tone. "If you've come to tell me how I should've been nicer to the two of them or how harsh that workout was please save your breathe."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that as you are the coach and you have set your limits now that the girls know what the punishment is I don't think they will be stepping out of line anytime soon. I actually came to speak to you about Sicarii. It's pretty smart that you made the workout or punishment as the victims died in silence and those girls body feel like they are dead and they had to do it in silence."

"You caught on. Hey before you leave I also want to congratulate you on ability to rely on your senses. It's different to just go off hearing rather then sight. Keep it up and you'll be a top contender." There was no doubt in my mind that she would be a starter but I needed her to think that she still had to prove herself. I don't care how good you are if you are not willing to work everyday as if it was your last then I will not let you ever see the field wearing the Stars and Stripes.

"Thanks coach." I nod as she heads off.

Lunch soon ends and I find my self back in my room to quickly change before my meeting with Allie. I grab my laptop and notebook as I throw on slacks, my uswnt polo and dress shoes. I walk to the conference and arrive literally seconds before Allie does.

I enter the room and sit done directing her into the seat infront of me. Allie is shitting bricks as I log into my laptop and open a new word document to freak her out. She needed a wake up call and I was going to give her it.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. When I tell you to do something you will complete it. But I do have some lenience as the first 15 times I attempted it I would walk out after the 40's. That was until my coach at the time gave me my wake up call. He sat me down as I'm doing to you and asked me why I kept showing up to practice. So Allie why do you keep showing up to practice?"

"It's my job." She states plainly.

I sigh praying she isn't going to say what I think she will. "Have you lost your love of the game?"

"I love the sport but I don't see the point in that workout!" She gets defensive to the point where she is raising her voice at me.

"I have spoken to you with respect and you will do the same. Yes I know respect is not given but earned but you also have to remember I am your boss. You want to raise your voice at me and I will bench you in a heart beat. This team will be built on respect not only for your coaches but your teammates and our opponents. On the field they are our enemy but at the end of the match I want everyone to shake the other teams hand and say good game no matter the outcome. Understood? Now please answer my previous question; have you lost your love for the sport?"

"No coach?" She says as if she is trying to convince both of us.

"What makes you strive to be better?"

"My teammates." I can tell she is being honest.

"Well your teammates wont make you strive to be a better person if you take out their ankle and they miss the World Cup because of a reckless tackle." I think you are deadly in midfield and everyone knows that we have not a single weak positions our subs on any other team would start. On this team you will fight for everything. You want that starting spot you are going to fight. Do you know why I like that workout so much?"

"No."

"Do you want to know why?"

"Yes."

"After I kept walking away half way through the workout my coach had a similar talk with me as you know. But I was 15-16 I was stupid and reckless and you know I was a teenager. And he was like why do you think I only make you do it? I said something stupid like because you want me in pain. He stared into my soul for like a good 5 minutes not saying anything. And he said something that made me run them everyday and beat my time or at lest try to beat my time every time. He goes I liek that workout because you suffer in silence and you know you are the only one that has your back it teaches you mental toughness as just when you are about to give up you remember that you have to keep going. It also shows that even when your mind wants to give up you still have some gas left in the tank. Think of your body like a Tesla, when it says 0 till empty the car actually still has about 5-10 miles left in it; that's how your mind is your mind is telling you I can't do this but your muscles can. And you will only make improvements by pushing yourself don't stop when it gets uncomfortable you will stop once your done. You are free to go. Oh and before you go I want you to know that you won't be coming to practice tommorow . If you think you are sore now wait for the morning."

"Thank you for sharing." She says before leaving. I nod and close my laptop before heading back up to my room to drop off my shit before making my way to Emily's room.

I knock on her door. Her roommate Lindsey opens the door looking at me skeptically. "Is Emily here?"

"Yeah she's in the bathroom she'll be out in a sec. why?"

"Can I come in?" I question not wanting to have this conversation out in the hallway.

"Yeah sorry about that."

"No problem". I take a seat in the office chair as Lindsey takes her seat on what i presume is her bed. "I just wanted to congratulate her on finishing that workout. I hated it and for like the first 20 times I attempted it I would quit halfway through so I wanted to get into her head sorta." Emily comes out of the bathroom before Lindsey could continue to interrogate her.

Emily hobbles to the bed and plops down in obvious discomfort. "Emily I want to talk to you by first congratulating you on finishing that workout. You can decide if Lindsey stays or leaves?"

"She can stay we are already room mates in Portland so don't think there is much I could say that she didn't already know. What do you want to talk to me about?" She questions.

"What made you keep going?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you not see Allie quit during the last exercise?"

"I did."

"What made you keep going?"

"I wanted to prove to you that no matter what mistake I made or when my anger gets the best of me I will work to improve."

"Ok. But I don't want you to lose that anger you have on the field!"

"Why I thought it was like a red flag when making a roster?"

I chuckle knowing that's what a lot of people see. "Emily when you get angry it's because your passionate. That passion will take you far. Once you lose that then you are just an above average defender. What is one thing all these girls have in common?" I don't give her a shot to answer my rhetorical question. "They all have passion and they were born in the us. Everyone can do a job but the main difference between the people who get by and the people who succeed come from 2 things work ethic and passion.  You have both, and get angry but don't focus that anger on the person you are defending but on the ball. Once you harness that you will be set for life. Do you have any other questions?"

"No. But thank you coach that meant a lot."

"Yeah no problem. I was once in your shoes kid. I might've been a lesser stage then what you deal with but workout made me want to quit but for some reason I kept showing up to practice. Have a good rest of your evening. Tommorow you will come to practice but you won't touch a ball. I know you want to prove yourself but you need to rest after that one." I leave on that and head up to my room.

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Double update mostly because it's like 6am and I can't sleep. FML.
Also women's is wrestling is fire.