Game Plan

01

arviste 

Hey, couldn't find you anywhere earlier so I just brought your shin guard home. I'll return it to you personally. 

"Ganito?" I asked Ace. Mas expert siya sa mga ganito. Lahat yata ng sports ay mayroon na siyang isang athlete na nabiktima. At siya rin ang naghanap ng profile ni Ven. It was easy to identify which profile is his because it's full of football tournament posts and shares. 

"Oo, para iyan 'yung reason mo para makita siya ulit." Ace smirked. "Sabi na nga ba at may itsura iyon. I didn't know naman na type mo pala!" 

"Huy, ano iyan?" Then all of my teammates started to gather around me, expecting me to spill something. 

I immediately told them to shut up and go back to their places when I saw Coach Risto approaching us. We're in a cottage beside the field that we usually play and train at. 

"I called a meeting today para mag-announce sa inyo." Coach started. 

"Syempre naman, Coach, hindi naman tayo magtititigan dito." Pamimilosopo ni Ace. Buti na lang good mood ngayon si Coach. 

"I will be taking a break from coaching and I think that you, all, should too." I looked at my teammates, most of them looked happy though they were trying to conceal it. 

"Hala? Gaano katagal, Coach?" One asked. 

"Siguro mga one month lang naman. Karamihan pati sa inyo sa graduating na ng Senior High, marami kayong kailangang abyarin. Iyon na muna ang pagkaabalahan ninyo." 

He's right. More than half of the girls' team are grade twelve students, nearing graduation, and should also be focusing on college applications. Maybe the break wouldn't be so bad. 

Coach Risto treated us for lunch because, according to him, isang buwan naman daw kaming hindi magkikita. Malas na lang ng mga hindi umattend ngayon sa meeting, hindi sila nakaranas ng treat ni Coach. 

It was three in the afternoon when we all parted ways. It's still early and usually, around this time ang start ng training namin. 

I had nothing else to do but go home. My dad was still there, about to leave. Then I thought about something. 

"Dad, magbabakasyon daw si Coach Risto." I started. 

"Oh, saan daw? Sabihin mo sama ako." He joked. 

I laughed a little. "But I don't want to stop training, baka makatulog ang katawan ko. Paano kaya iyon?" 

Nag-isip muna siya nang ilang segundo. "Mag-training ka muna sa akin, pero huwag muna ngayon. Bukas na lang ang start mo." He went to me and kissed the top of my head to say goodbye, then he was on his way to make football players suffer in training. 

When he left, I smiled. I knew that's what he would say.