The comeback

Kenneth sat at the bar, with a glass of alcohol in his hand. He drank so much already, but he just didn't want to stop. He was miserable and sad. Getting drunk seemed to be the only way he could temporary forget about the fact that he was fired from his job as coach of his college football team. He used to be one of the best. People used to be in awe of him. He used to be respected. Now, he was a shadow of his old self.

His team performed so badly that they finished at the bottom of the league and got relegated. Consequently, he had to be sacked. It was shameful, both because of the fact that he relegated his team and he was sacked in a disgraceful manner despite giving his all to the team. Since then, Kenneth had been drowning his shame in alcohol. Just as he took took another sip, he heard a voice from behind

"Hello Kenneth" the man said

"Who are you?" Kenneth asked

"I'm Tommy. I have a proposition for you. I would like you to be the coach of my football team. We let our coach go and we're looking for a new coach to get our boys to start winning games again. I believe you're the best man for the job. I don't expect you to give me an answer right away. Think about it, and give me a call by tomorrow. Here's my card" Tommy said as he left.

Kenneth got home that night, a little bit sober. He sat on the couch, with Tommy's card in his hands and in deep thought. He knew Tommy's team was the worst in the league. They had lost every single game they played so far. He knew the young football players would be very low on confidence. It was such a huge task. He used to be excited to groom young boys and turn them into stars. Now, he wasn't sure if he was up to the task. While he was deep in thought, his wife, Nora walked in.

"Honey, what are you thinking about? I can tell you've been out drinking again" Nora said, with a concerned look in her eyes.

"I've been offered a coaching job. I don't know if I should take it. I don't if I'm up to it. This job could damage my career more than it already is" Kenneth said

"Honey, I've seen how miserable you've been ever since you lost your job. I believe this is an opportunity for you to redeem yourself and be excited about something again. I believe in your capabilities and I know you can turn things around for this team" Nora said.

That was all the motivation Kenneth needed. The next day, he gave Tommy a call and accepted the job offer. By the next week, he signed his contract and was ready to resume. This was it for him. He knew this job would be challenging, it could sink his career or boost it, but he was determined to succeed.

He had his first training session with the boys. They were all young, with bright careers ahead of them. He just had to nurture them and bring the best out of them, but he knew it would take one game after another. Kenneth's first game in charge of the team came. Everyone watched as they got whooped by their opponent. Kenneth could not believe his eyes. The boys couldn't run, they looked like they weren't fit, they seemed nervous on the ball, there were so many individual mistakes. All of that culminated into a colossal loss. For the boys, it was just another game lost, but for Kenneth, it was an unacceptable loss. Kenneth realized the magnitude of the job in front of him, and he knew he had to straighten the minds of the boys.

Source

During the next training session, Kenneth called for a meeting with all of his player. He was not smiling.

"Listen up boys. I want to say a few things and lay down some rules. Henceforth, everyone has to watch their diet. Anyone who looks unfit will not play. You have to run like hell. Each and every one of you are obligated to get your fitness level up. No one has an automatic spot in the line up. If you don't impress in training, you will not play. If you come late to training, you will not play, if you display a non-chalant attitude, you will not play. Am I clear?"

"Yes, coach Ken" the boys answered in unison.

Kenneth tried to imbibe his tactics into the boys, and even though it was difficult, they were starting to get it.

The next game came, and the individual errors reduced. They were beginning to get the basics right. They passed the ball around better, they ran better, their positioning improved and they ended up with a draw, against a very good opponent. Kenneth was very impressed with what he had seen. The fans were impressed as well, especially considering the fact that most people expected them to lose.

Training after training, Kenneth was able to imbibe his style of play into the boys. With each game, they got better, and they started winning. Kenneth got the players believing in themselves again, and by extension the fans.

Win after win, Kenneth and his team were competing to be champions. It seemed like a dream to many but it was reality. Eventually, it got to the final game of the season. Kenneth and his side were to face best team in the league for the past 3 years.

The game started and within 15 minutes, they were losing by 3 goals. Kenneth could see that his boys were nervous. By half time, all he did was talk to them and boost their confidence.

By the second half, the boys were able to score three goals to equalize. Either side needed just a goal to win the game. In the last minute, Kenneth encouraged his boys to attack with everything they've had, and in the very last second, they scored a goal. Widespread jubilation erupted. The referee blew his whistle, and that meant Kenneth and his boys were champions. It was a dream come true. Kenneth could barely believe it. Before he took the job, he wasn't sure he had what it takes, now he just won the league with a team everyone gave up on. It was the best comeback story in the league that season.