#4 Versatility

[bjkman]

Career #3 
Position: Just Goalkeeper lol

V/O: Today we were invited to the Miami off-season training facility of Goalkeeper of the year; Domingo Hernandez. We spoke with him and his coaches about his training regimen and how it keeps him in tip-top shape.

Hernandez: Thank you for stopping by today; I'd like you to meet by coaches; Gonzalez here has been by my side since college, and Suarez was recommended to me by my team but I'm glad they recommended him because he is THE PERFECT FIT!

Gonzalez: I started as Domingo's college goalkeeping coach but I saw the ability in him and after he graduated I was disappointed he went into the doctorate program but I knew he was smart and it was the best choice for the time; I continued to coach in college until he started training in soccer again and I left the college to join him full time!

Suarez: I jumped on board when his team asked me to help train their newest goalie recruit; I'll tell you I was only skeptical until I met the man; I knew he had talent after the first day.

V/O: With these two coaches by his side; Domingo trains 5 days a week in the off-season; and 7 days a week during the season.

Hernandez: I know I couldn't do it without my coaches being by my side; during the off-season I will tell you there certainly are days where I don't want to get out of bed but my coaches have always been able to convince me that working-out is the best choice and they are right. They know how to keep me at the top of my game and I look forward to the off-season the most since I get to spend so much time with them.

V/O: Domingo will look towards next season as he tries to win Goalkeeper of the year in his division for a 2nd time in a row. But challenges arise as his competitors will be nipping at his heels to improve themselves; but with the assistance of his coaches Luiz Gonzalez and José Suarez as well as his teammates; Hernandez is in a wonderful spot in his career for success and continued growth.

Code:

367 Words

Approved!

[Lpapi]

Career Task 3

Position to upgrade: RWB

When Lucas Peioxoto was preparing for his debut with the senior team he knew he would have to add to his versatility. It would no longer be enough to be a full time wingback who just ran and launched in crosses all game long. He would be used both as a central midfielder, and potentially as a central defender. His awareness, composure, and ability to be on the ball in tight spaces was going to be tested. He decided to try and experimental augmented reality soccer training simulator. When he arrived at the facility he was greeted by masked figures wearing white scrubs. They bade him to strip down to his underwear and attached amy probes to his chest, arms, legs, and head that were routed into a pack attached to a tightfitting spandex cropped tank top. The room he stepped into was cold and drab. The wall he entered from had only a door and the far wall was set up with a huge almost floor to ceiling mirror. The sides were lined with what appeared to be large diameter tubes on swiveling mounts. His feet squished as he stepped into the center of the massive room and he knew it was freshly watered grass. He looked up to see a roof with a line down the center as if it could retract. One of the silent masked staff followed him into the room and helped to attach a an augmented reality setup that covered his entire face. He knew the breathing apparatus was there to measure his exertion and lung health. There were a few seconds of darkness as the helmet went over his eyes before it a digital field was presented before him. Then he got to work, balls were being fired at him from all sides and his task was to react with a great first touch, turn to evade pressure, and make the pass to an open teammate. At first he looked like a fullback being asked to play in the center but the coaching he received allowed him to reach his potential as a composed and safe player in possession.

Approved!

[GingerJLD]

Career PT#3
Jimothy Erickson Portal Page
Position Upgrade: LWB from Secondary to Primary

Jimothy Erickson has been working hard during this off season, working on new defensive drills and better skills with the ball at his feet as he was shifted from center back to left back last off season, at the end of his workout for the day he gets a called from the head offices, its not Inter London offices however its AC Romana calling. Shaking he picks up the phone and hears on the other end "Jimothy that you?" he quickly replies in an loud "YES", as the conversation goes on Jimothy finds out that they have drafted a new left back for Inter London which only leaves space for him at Romana. Jimothy thrilled with the news says "I wont let you down coach" the coach replies with one thing, "You won't as long as you can play a little farther forward at LWB" Jimothy agrees immediately, and gets to work, first trying to figure out the difference between a Left back and a Left wing back, then putting in the training. Realizing he will be running even more this upcoming season he works on his stamina and his sprint speed, running a few marathons to help build up endurance he works from 6 minute mile down to a 4.5 minute mile, determining that for his training that will be good. He also hits the books and YouTube learning the full attacking and defensive responsibilities as a wing back. One thing Jimothy can know for sure is he is David, going to fight the Goliath's of Division 1 Major's of the Simulation Soccer League, his final part of his training was a mental fortitude training session, accepting the fact that they might get knocked down but the strongest are the ones who get back up and keep fighting. Jimothy will be ready to join up with the Romana squad and make "Doubters to Believers"

[FaraDian]

CPT #3
To upgrade: LD

Siddhartha had briefly attempted to be a drummer. How hard could it be? His hands picked it up quick enough, though they fell into a rather wild open-hand style. And the bass was strong, his right foot pumping out a heavy rhythm. But his left foot... His left foot failed him. Even when there was no need for the hat, his left foot was getting lost in the count and the wobbliness would ripple out to his other limbs, sending the whole thing off course. So he’d given up, from this one little foible, and redoubled his efforts on the guitar.

Out on the football pitch, the story was much the same. Over the years, he’d learned to contain himself (a bit) and gather control over his body and the ball. The Black Forest playstyle required every single player to be able to own and maintain possession, providing both rhythm and creativity into the flow of the game. The middle of the field began to feel like the middle of the stage, the natural place for a powerful guitarist who dictated the tempo of the song.

However, when asked to step out of the spotlight a little, when tasked with a harder support job off to the side of the pitch, a place where the ball was seen less frequently and the angle of the approach was skewed from his usual… Sidd found himself getting lost in the counts and his wobbliness would ripple out to his other limbs.

As he aged and the next generation of the squad started to appear in Montreal, joining the Majors team for offseason training, it was clear that Sidd would not always be able to command the game from the central defensive role. He needed to learn to play support, to help orchestrate the game from a different angle. He looked largely to TT, a player of a similar age who had always shown such great versatility while swapping between wingback and central forward. Sidd even joined in the training of the younger wingbacks, Bergmann and O’Hurley, learning how to read the flow of a match from out wide.

Someday, Sidd would be the old veteran but he could still have a role to play. He simply needed to learn to keep the rhythm a little differently than he had as a young, brash man. And maybe then he could also learn to settle himself back behind the drum kit and lean into a groove. Well: maybe once he was retired.

[Definia]

Career PT #3


Position to Upgrade: ST to Primary

McGlynn had just finished training when Vincent pulled him to the side in the locker room to tell him he was being called up the Majors at Schwarzfalder and he couldn't have been more happy for Vincent! He had really enjoyed playing alongside him upfront at times and just behind at other times. So Barry wanted to ask his coach if he could become the #1 striker for Montreal and the gaffer told him that Barry must've read his mind! Immediately Barry was ecstatic and already wanting to jump straight into training to try and imnprove his finishing the season coming ahead.

At the next training session he asked Vincent if he could come along and do a little one-to-one session with him to try and impart some wisdom onto him before he left Montreal. Vincent was happy to help and he also invited veteran striker Maggie Sinclair along as she was of much more experience than him... Barry felt like he was in his element, He always loves to help the up and coming youngsters out to try and achieve their full potential so it felt good for him to have others wishing to do the same for him. He loved playing upfront and last season he managed to pick up 6 goals for the team and a couple of man of the match performances so he was hoping that this coming season he could step up to the plate and be the focal point of attack for his teammates. 

Last season was a kick up the bum that Barry needed to try and strive to do better, training was going to become signifcantly more intense as he really does not want to disappoint his team mates and his coaches trust in making him Striker for Montreal.

[AustinP0027]

CPT 3
Position to Upgrade: RD

After spending most of his time playing center back, Ignignokt the Mooninite decided to switch things up a little this offseason. He's always been comfortable in the middle of the defense, but wanted to work on becoming a more versatile player who could also play outside back or wing back when needed. Of course, if you ask Ignignokt, he'll tell you he was already capable of playing every position on the field better than anyone else. He just hadn't felt the need to prove it yet.

Most of his offseason training took place back on the Moon with his usual partner in crime, Err. The two spent a good amount of time working on speed, conditioning, footwork, and getting more comfortable playing out wide. Err wasn't exactly the best training partner, but he was available, and more importantly, he was free.

A big part of the training was getting used to all the running that comes with playing wing back. At center back, Ignignokt was used to holding his position, reading the play, and dealing with attackers coming through the middle. Out wide, there's a lot more ground to cover. He had to work on getting forward to help with the attack while still being able to recover defensively when possession was lost.

"I find the amount of running you Earthlings require to be completely unnecessary," Ignignokt said. "We have mastered space travel, yet somehow your species still expects me to sprint 60 yards because someone lost the ball. It's embarrassing, really."

Even with all the complaining, he put in the work. A lot of his sessions involved sprinting up and down the sidelines, working on quick changes of direction, and practicing one-on-one defending against faster players. Err handled most of the attacking drills, although calling him a skilled winger would be a pretty generous description.

"That little idiot spent half the session running directly out of bounds," Ignignokt explained. "But I suppose defending someone with absolutely no understanding of the game does prepare me for some of the opponents I'll be facing this season."

Ignignokt also spent plenty of time working on the attacking side of things. Playing wing back means being able to get forward, make overlapping runs, and put decent crosses into the box. That was something he hadn't needed to focus on nearly as much while playing centrally. He worked on getting more comfortable receiving the ball near the sideline, finding space, and making passes while under pressure.

The crossing drills were a bit of a disaster early on, mostly because Err couldn't seem to figure out where he was supposed to stand. There were several arguments, a few missed headers, and one incident involving a ball that somehow ended up floating into space. Ignignokt insists that last one was caused by a gravitational malfunction and not a bad cross.

Another thing he wanted to improve was his positioning. Playing on the outside is a different challenge than playing in the middle, especially when deciding when to push up and when to stay back. He spent time working on recognizing those situations, staying connected with the rest of the back line, and making sure he wasn't leaving too much space behind him.

By the end of the offseason, Ignignokt felt like he'd made some pretty solid progress. His conditioning had improved, he was more comfortable defending in wider areas, and he felt a lot better about getting involved in the attack. He still considers center back his natural position, but now feels confident that he can step outside and contribute wherever the team needs him.

When asked if he thought all the extra work would help him this season, Ignignokt didn't hesitate.

"Obviously. I was already the superior defender on this planet. Now I can demonstrate that superiority across the entire back line. Frankly, I don't know why the rest of you even bother showing up."

Going into the new season, the goal is pretty simple. Ignignokt wants to be someone the team can rely on in multiple positions, whether that's holding down the middle, shutting down a winger, or getting forward to help create chances. He's looking forward to seeing how all the offseason work translates into actual games.

As for Err, he's just happy the training is over.

"Man, we ran around in circles for like three months. This sucked."

Ignignokt had one final response.

"Silence, Err. Your sacrifice has contributed to something far greater than yourself. My continued greatness."

"Whatever, dude. I still beat you in a race."

"That race was not officially sanctioned by the Mooninite Athletic Commission, and I refuse to acknowledge the results."

[Bloodless]

CPT #2

Dante Von Wolfe wasn't too into the whole "team rah rah" kinda thing, and every time his coaches started to lean into it he seemed to just completely tune out. He couldn't help it for the most part, as it was just too annoying to bother paying heed to it. He hadn't even felt like training recently as everything had seemingly become far too easy for the Young Striker leading Kaapstad. But today, he stood at the training field after having freshly inked a new contract with the organizations brass, after of course he made them sweat that he might leave in Free Agency. But with all that out of the way, he was ready to get to work--- but on what?

Aerial Duels. 

Dante had always been the kind of Striker who likes to make plays with his feet, and although not afraid to get physical in an aerial battle, he wasn't nearly as good as some others. Thus he called in Hollywood's Current Striker to hopefully impart some wisdom on him. Juozas Kupinas (@Jubka). When the man came in he was all smiles and flowers, and Dante figured he had been told to be nice to the youngster or something like that--- but no, the man probably wouldn't have taught him as much as he had if that was the case. After all, Dante Von Wolfe was gunning for the Veterans job. But he seemed to welcome the competition, teaching Dante workouts to improve his jumping which he had found worked for himself.

"It's all in the explosiveness. You have excellent acceleration, so if you want to jump higher you just need to work on the stamina of your already powerful leg muscles. During a game you run and use those muscles, they get strained and tired. So you need to build up stamina so you can continue to soar into the air!" Kupinas said whilst flapping his arms like a bird dramatically. Dante had been running around the field for an hour now. 

"By the time I'm done with you Wolfe, you'll be able to play as a Target Forward, Complete Forward, OR Advanced Forward Muahahahahaahah!"

Was everyone in Hollywood this crazy?