Straight from the academy

6.

Once we've finished our lap around the pitch we all head back into the changing rooms to get ready for the warm up. I change into a different shirt but keep my zip up on and then put my boots on. I walk out onto the pitch with the rest of the girls and there are already cones set out. All the girls seem to already know what they are doing, I think they do a similar if not the same warm up every time. At least that will make it easy for me to get the hang of things.

Everyone jogs from one side of the pitch to the other to start, and then we stretch in a circle. Once we are completely stretched we go into some sprints. There are 3 cones laid out in front of me - we just have to sprint to each one and back. I absolutely did not want to go first so I stand somewhere in the middle of the line and wait for my turn. But it doesn't take long and before I know it I'm at the front of the line. I wait for the trainer to say go and then I sprint to the first cone and back, then the second and back, and then the third and jog back. I think I did quite well surprisingly.
"Jesus Ellie I didn't know you were that fast. Your like lightning!" Viv says to me as I walk around the back of the line. I just shrug my shoulders and smile.

We do a few more drills including a rondo and passing and then we finish with another jog across the pitch. We then all walk back to the changing rooms.

Most girls get ready for the game and change into their match kit but I just change my boots to trainers and freshen myself up a bit. Then Jonas comes in to give us a team talk and to tell us the starting line up. We are playing Brighton and although we are much higher than them in the table, they are still a very strong side and we might struggle to score. Jonas says that he is not worried about us conceding, we have an incredible back 4 as well as an incredible keeper so he is not worried about us defending. He just said that Brighton are also very strong defensively so it might be tough to break them down.

Everyone claps after Jonas had finished talking and we stand up. Then we all walk out of the changing rooms, some people go to the pitch whilst others (like myself) go to the subs bench.

I sit down next to Gio Queiroz and Kathrine Kuhl who are also on the bench. I figured we might get along since they are both young too, only a year older than me.
"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm gio and this is kathrine." Gio says pointing to the blond girl next to her. Kathrine is turned around talking to an arsenal staff member so Gio taps her on the shoulder to get her attention.
"Hi, sorry. It's Elenor right?"
"Yeah, but everyone calls me Ellie."
"Why's that?"
"I don't know. It's just always been that way. I only use my actual name for things like my passport and drivers license."
The game kicks off and I chat some more to Gio and Kathrine. We get on really well and we are all really similar.
"Are you doing anything after the match?" Gio asks me.
"No, I don't think so."
"Kathrine is coming round to my flat later, do you want to come?"
"Yes, absolutely! Thanks"
"No worries, we will probably just order food and chill out."
"Ok, sounds great."

Before we know it it's half time and it's 0-0. The girls and walking off the pitch towards the kit rooms again. The subs walk back in too and everyone sits down ready to listen to what Jonas has to say.

I'm sitting with Gio and Kathrine since I walked in with them but Leah is sitting opposite me and I can tell something's off, she's annoyed at something. I quietly and quickly stand up and walk over to her, sitting down next to her. When she looks at me she gives me a half smile and then looks back at Jonas.
"My final thing is I would like Jen Beattie to come on for Leah before we start again. Other then that, keep doing what your doing girls. We are creating the chances, we just need to bury them."

Once jonas has finished, I talk to Leah.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just pissed off, Im playing badly and now I've been subbed off."
"Your not playing badly"
"Yes I am, did you see me? I'm playing awfully" Leah says slamming the water bottle she was holding on the ground.
"Leah that's not true.."
She ignores me and rummages through her bag, grabs a zip up top and storms out of the room holding it in her hand.

I stand in the room for a minute and process what just happened as it all happened quite quickly. Once my mind has settled again, I walk out of the room and go to find Leah. I walk back outside to the subs bench and see her sitting in one of the seats with her zip up and a bib on. I walk over and sit down next to her. Leah just looks at me waiting for me to say something, but she realises it probably needs to be her who should start this conversation.
"Sorry for how I reacted. I know you were just trying to help and I flipped out, I didn't mean it, I was just annoyed. But not at you, at the situation."
"It's alright, I get it. Just don't be so hard on yourself."
"But I played so shit. I'm supposed to be the vice captain of this team and I can't even play well enough to play a full game. It's so bad"
"Everyone has good and bad games, this one is a bad one but you'll have a good one too. Every game is different and you won't be perfect all the time. So what you had one bad game? You've had so many more good ones."
"Yeah I guess. It's still shit though."
"Yeah, it's never a nice feeling knowing you could have played better. But what's done is done and there is nothing you can do about it now. So keep your head up and move on. Focus on the rest of this game and how much better you want to be at training tomorrow."
"Alright. Thanks"
"It's no problem. Everyone gets annoyed from time to time, I know I do."
Leah smiles at me and we chat a bit more throughout the second half.