The Spanish and the American

U17 or Senior Team

The team gathered in the gym, eagerly awaiting the announcement from Head Coach Mondelo. As he stepped forward, the room fell silent in anticipation.

"Alright, everyone," he began, his voice commanding attention. "I have some exciting news to share with you all."

Eyes widened with curiosity as Mondelo paused for dramatic effect.

"We will be traveling to Belarus next month," he announced, "to accompany the Under 17 team as they compete in the U17 World Cup."

Excited murmurs broke out among the players, the prospect of international competition sparking enthusiasm throughout the room.

"But that's not all," Mondelo continued, raising his hand to quell the chatter. "The reasoning behind this trip is unique. We'll be training alongside the U17 squad."

A ripple of surprise passed through the team at this unexpected twist.

"Our coaching staff has been discussing the potential benefits of cross-age training," Mondelo explained. "We believe that by exposing our younger players to the senior squad, they can gain valuable experience and insights that will help them develop as athletes."

The players exchanged excited glances, the significance of this opportunity sinking in.

"This is a new concept for us," Mondelo admitted, "but we believe it has the potential to revolutionize our approach to player development. Consider this trip a trial run for future collaborations between our age brackets."

With that, Mondelo concluded his announcement, leaving the team buzzing with anticipation for the journey ahead.

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As the team gathered in Belarus, Avery couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration as yet another person mistook her for a player on the U17 team. With a sigh, she walked over to Laia, leaning on her with a dramatic flair.

"Laia, you won't believe it," Avery began, her tone laced with exasperation. "I just had the 20 thousandth person think I'm on the U17 team."

Laia chuckled, shaking her head. "Come on, Avery, it can't have been that many times. You're being dramatic."

Avery rolled her eyes dramatically, leaning even more heavily on Laia. "Well, it certainly feels like it," she retorted. "I'm tired of constantly having to correct people."

Laia smiled sympathetically, patting Avery's shoulder. "Technically, are the right age to be on the U17 team, so I don't blame them for the mistake."

Avery let out an exaggerated groan, leaning on Laia even more. "Ugh, don't remind me," she complained. "I just want to be seen as part of the senior team, not mistaken for someone younger."

Laia chuckled, wrapping an arm around Avery's shoulder. "Don't worry, Avery, you're a vital part of our team, no matter what anyone else thinks."

Meanwhile...

Paige nudged Azzi, gesturing towards Avery and Laia. "Look at them," she said. "The Spanish U17 team must have a great relationship with their senior team."

Azzi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, definitely. It's cool to see how the different squads can be so close with each other."

Just then, Cameron overheard their conversation and interjected with surprising news. "Actually, that's not an U17 player with a senior team player," she corrected them. "They're both on the senior team."

The group turned to her in shock, their curiosity piqued. "Really?" Hailey exclaimed.

Cameron nodded, sharing what she had learned from the coaches. "Yeah, I was talking with the coaches about our potential matchups, and they mentioned that Spain's biggest youth star is no longer playing with the youth teams so we don't need to worry as much about Spain as when they had her," she nodded towards Avery, "the biggest youth star with them. She's gone to the senior team now."

Azzi furrowed her brow, intrigued. "I wonder why the senior team are here, especially since they have their own World Cup to prepare for,"

Paige glanced in the direction of Avery and Laia before turning back to her teammates. "Why don't we go find out then?" she proposed, already starting to walk off.

As Paige strode off toward Avery and Laia, her teammates eventually noticed her departure. They glanced at each other in confusion.

"What's she up to?" Hailey wondered aloud, her curiosity piqued by Paige's sudden departure.

Aliyah shrugged. "She's gone to find out why the senior team is here," she speculated, gesturing toward where Paige had disappeared. "But they probably wouldn't tell her anyway... and they may not even understand English," 

The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances. "Oh no, she's gonna embarrass herself," Azzi remarked with a wince.

Moments later, they spotted Paige standing with Avery and Laia, engrossed in conversation. They watched intently, curious about what was being said between them.