"Nice work, guys!" I commented as we entered the locker room.

It was our third victory in a row, and that 2-1 marked by Stan and Kyle was a real confidence booster: Fort Collins Elementary was one of the top four in the championship, so that crazy dream regarding the first place was not so crazy anymore...

"If we keep going at this pace we'll win this competition without any problem" pointed out Stan, untying his soccer boots

"Lay low, bomber" I laughed "The championship has just started, there are a lot of matches missing..."

"Yeah" approved Kyle "We must focus on every single match to try to win it!"

"This is the spirit!" I exclaimed "Now I'm going out for a minute to sign some papers, so don't screw it up, ok?"

"Ok, coach" said Cartman "I'll be your watchdog!"

"Cartman, if you wanted to say "We are fucked" you could" I joked, but then I returned serious "Pay attention, see you in a while"

I closed the door and entered another room to sign the documents: the opponent coach was there and shaked my hand: "I must admit that the squad has improved a lot since last year: you're gonna be a serious threat..."

"Thank you, sir" I smiled, writing my autograph on the sheet that I had in front of me: I really hoped that all of those predictions weren't lies...

While I was deep in these thoughts, I heard a yell that came from my locker room: "No, I can't believe that!" I thought, before saying "Now I must leave you, goodbye!"

I ran out of that place and entered the locker room: "What happened here?" I asked, visibly worried

"Are you a lynx, coach?" asked Token, that was drying his hair "Your ears are absurd..."

"This isn't the right moment, Token" I reproached him "What happened here? Cartman, I know that's your fault!"

"No, coach, I'm sorry" he replied "If Bradley is not able to stand I can't fix it..."

"Where is he?" I asked again

"He's still in the showers" informed Clyde "I think Butters is helping him"

I entered the showers: Bradley was sitting on the floor and was crying: "Butters, was has he done?" I asked

"He was walking and then he slipped on the wet floor" explained Butters

I approached to Bradley: "Where does it hurts?"

"My knee" wept the kid "I can't move it..."

I looked at it, and what I saw induced me to say: "Ok, I'll call 911, don't move: thank you Butters, you can go..."

After the difficult start, I had to deal with another problem...

"Yes... yes... I'm really sorry... when is he going back on the pitch?... huh, I understand... thank you doctor, keep me informed, goodbye"

I launched the phone on my bed: "Fuck off"

"So?" Kyle asked

"Broken kneecap, his season is finished" I sighed, letting myself fall on the bed "Why had I left you alone? How stupid I am.."

Kyle sat on his bed after some seconds of silence: "Honestly, I don't understand why you are suffering so much for this event: we'll find a new player, and Bradley was also... pretty bad at soccer, wasn't he?"

"The thing that disturbs me is not Bradley's injury, Kyle" I pointed out "But the fact that the same accident could happen to Stan, Cartman... or even you"

"Oh, well, I'm only the third one in you priority list..." commented Kyle

"You know that this isn't what I mean" I said "I thinking about a solution to improve safety when I'm not there with you..."

"Have you any idea?" demanded Kyle

I looked at the ceiling for some seconds, then I declared: "Well, I could sign an assistant coach, so I would also have some help on the pitch..."

"It's a nice idea" approved Kyle "But how could you find someone that fits your standards in one week?"

"I'll move our first training to Tuesday, so on Monday afternoon I'll meet everyone that is interested in this role and then I'll test their abilities in the following sessions" I explained, then I declared "Yes, I'll do that!"

Kyle looked at me, then commented: "I think the team is happy with you as unique coach, but if you think that you need help I'll support your idea..."

"Thank you, dude, that's way I nominated you as the team captain!" I joked "Because you don't break my balls when I take a decision..."

Kyle laughed and launched me his pillow: "Very funny..."

It was almost 6 p.m. of that Monday afternoon, and they were the last minutes to propose as my assistant coach: "Wow, I think he was the last one..." I sighed, pretty tired "Thank you for keeping me company, guys..."

"You're welcome" answered Kyle, sat at my right "Can we see the list?"

I opened my notebook: "Randy Marsh, Stephen Stotch, Roger Donovan..." read Stan, at my left "Well, you're spoilt for choice..."

"I'll see their skills tomorrow and Thursday" I concluded "Now I think we can go home..."

"Sorry, are the castings still open?"

I turned my head in the direction of the voice that I had heard, and I was really shocked when I saw its owner: "J-Jessie..."

"Hey G, hi guys" greeted the girl "Am I too late for putting my name into the list?"

"Well, actually we were just closing..." said Cartman

"But I think another candidate will be good" I interrupted "Write down your name, see you on Thursday afternoon and obviously tomorrow!"

"Oh, ok" accepted Jessie, writing on my notebook "See you, bye!"

I looked at her going out of the school and then turned to the others, that seemed pretty inquisitive: "What's up?"

"Have you seriously accepted a girl as you assistant coach?" asked Cartman

"What's wrong with that?" I wondered "She's a soccer lover and has always nice ideas for trainings..."

"Yeah, but I'm not very keen on the fact that a girl could see me..." Stan stopped talking

"Naked?" I asked

"Yeah, I think it would be embarrassing" confirmed Stan

"I agree" confirmed Kyle

"Look what you made me do, G" said Cartman "Have the same opinion of a Jew..."

Before Kyle could reply, Kenny intervened: "Honestly, I like the idea that a girl could see my wiener..."

"That's why you're a pervert" affirmed Stan "But I think we're not ready to show ourselves to a girl..."

"Guys, relax" I stopped them "I haven't seen Jessie on the pitch yet, if she won't be the ideal coach I won't choose her, but do not cross your bridges now..."

"Ok, G" declared Kyle "We'll wait and see..."

"Thank you, Kyle" I said "Anyway, if Jessie were chosen, she wouldn't see so much..."

"What do you mean?" asked Cartman "Are you saying that..."

"I haven't said nothing, it's not my fault if you have a guilty confidence" I laughed "Now, let's go home"

"Are they seriously so short?" asked Cartman again

"LET'S GO HOME!"

Tuesday session arrived, and Randy Marsh and Stephen Stotch were the first under my lens: the first one would have helped me for the first forty-five minutes, the second one for the rest of the training.

I entered the pitch with Stan's dad, and reunited the whole team in the center: "Hello, guys, I think you all know Randy" I started "He's the first of the four people that will help me in this week, and I want you to treat him as he was me, ok?"

"Ok, coach!" answered the whole team

"Now split yourselves in two groups" I ordered "The first one comes with me, the second one with Randy"

Then I spoke to my assistant, pointing to his excercise: "It is a simple path: they conduct the ball among the cones and try to hit the plastic circle, everything clear?"

"Yes, coach" affirmed Randy, going there with his group

While I was doing my exercise I looked at Stan's dad: he seemed very focused and corrected every mistake, so I was pretty happy.

After forty minutes, the deed happened: a visibly drunk guy came up the stands and started shouting: "Hey, sons of a bitch! Come here and fight with me! Or are you too weak?"

Stan stopped doing his task and facepalmed: "Oh, no!"

"Oh no what?" I asked, just a second before seeing Randy that was running out of the pitch to hit that guy

"Oh, fuck" I ran and stopped the man just in time "Randy, relax, he only wants to provoke you"

"I can't stay here and listening to this moron that's insulting us!" exclaimed Randy

"I know, but just resist for a while" I implored him "The training will finish in five minutes..."

Randy accepted, but passed the following minutes looking at that retarded with a challenging expression, and when I called mr. Stotch he ran away of the pitch: rejected.

Stephen Stotch was already a coach, so my expectations were high and partly confirmed: he was clear and detailed in the explanation of the attacking tactic that I assigned him, but had a monstrous problem.

Although Butters was in my group, I heard his yells almost every minute: "Faster, Butters, faster! You're the delusion of the family"

The kid was mortified and not able to do his task properly, and he was too focused on his son to see the mistakes of his group: another one discarded.

My hopes were all on the Thursday training, that I started with a warning: "I'll be clear with you, guys" I know that Jessie is not you favorite candidate, but if you try to hinder her in every way, you'll be out of the team: she has the right to be judged regularly, ok?"

Cartman rolled his eyes: "Ok, ok..."

As I predicted some days before, Jessie was really good on the pitch: she never raised her voice too much, her excercise went good and she was also really sweet in answering to the players' questions about their task.

She also seemed really happy to stay there, and our eyes had often crossed in those 45 minutes, when our passing exercises went at the same pace and with satisfying results.

Mr. Donovan was the complete opposite: he kept silent for the majority of his part of the training, so I tried to encourage him: "Come on, there is no reason to be afraid. Make the others hear you!"

"And what if my information is wrong or I speak too loud?" asked Mr. Donovan

"We can't know that if you don't try" I said

After this incentive, I started to hear some indications, but they were really few and the voice was not as high as I wanted, so the new free kick tactics were actually both explained by myself.

My usual triple whistle put an end to the training: my ideas were clear, but the deal was far to be closed...

That evening I entered the bedroom and I placed the soccer bag under the desk: "So, have you already took a decision?" asked Kyle

"You wanna extort me some spoilers, huh?" I smiled

"I want to know my destiny" precised Kyle

"Extreme..." I commented "The pitch has spoken, and also very clearly..."

"But are you sure that this is the best solution?" demanded my host brother

"Kyle, Jessie is a skilled coach and I'm 100% sure she's not interested in your... Low Countries..." I explained "It would be an intelligent decision, and I honestly see no alternative"

Kyle kept silent for some seconds, then he dropped the bomb: "Or are you lovesick for her and you're not brave enough to refuse her collaboration because you think that you won't have any possibility with her anymore?"

I was shocked: I wasn't expecting such a declaration from him, and every attempt of answer ended in blurred syllables: "But... huh... ehm..."

"I don't want an answer now, just think about it" said Kyle, getting in his bed "Goodnight"

When the room was dark, I was aware of the real decision that I had to take: my potential girlfriend or my team?

The following school day was pretty difficult, because I was deep in my thoughts and the professors had to draw my attention several times.

I hadn't talked with Jessie as I hadn't made a decision yet, but the decisive push arrived in the afternoon, when I returned home and I found the entire team in front of Kyle's house: "What are you doing here?"

"Kyle brought us" informed Butters

"We know that you want to choose Jessie" started Craig "And this doesn't make us happy..."

"This is not a secret..." I commented

"It's cool that you've found a girl that you like" continued Cartman "But this goes against the team's will"

I put my rucksack on the ground: "So? Do you want me to leave the team?"

"We are here for the opposite reason" said Stan "We love you and for us is really important to have you as our coach"

I was a bit touched, but tried to hide that: "I can't do everything alone, Stan..."

"On the pitch you are enough, G, and you know that" declared Kyle "You're convinced of that only because an idiot has slipped on the wet floor"

"If the problem is the vesting room" continued Clyde "We discussed a lot during our breaks and found a solution: one of us could work as a guard and control that everything goes well when you're not there"

In that moment I had my final idea: an obvious but fantastic one that I hadn't thought before, because I was so busy with those useless castings: "No problem, guys: I think I will sign everything before the match: thank you for throwing your breaks away in order to solve my problem, this is what I call teamwork: I'm so proud of you"

I kneeled down and opened my arms, and the team was reunited in a giant hug: "By the way, I was team Jessie" muttered Kenny, making everybody burst in laughs.

Talking about Jessie, she took my decision well: I honestly felt like I had lost an opportunity, but I knew my decision was the right one...