AR - Means and Ends Part 1

Coaching feels different now that you’ve seen the other side.

Valeria is a quick learner. She approaches everything with the same sense of deadly seriousness, which you find a little odd, but it’s not your place to try to get into her business. Why is she like this? You just need her to play soccer well.

But that makes you feel like you’re using her.

“Coach Riley, are you OK?”

“I’m good, Val. You’re doing great. I want you to see this.” You walk over and kneel with your phone. It’s another chilly day, strange for Florida. The others have left already. Adella is working with Alice.

Alice’s mom and Valeria’s mom are both here, chatting happily over cocoa. Hanging out at practice like this gives them an excuse to make their husbands look after their other kids. It works for them. You’re glad; this would be even harder if you couldn’t give Valeria and Alice special attention.

“Who is he?” Valeria asks, her eyes on the screen of your phone.

“His name is Messi. He’s the greatest player who ever lived. Don’t tell Adella that I said that,” you add quickly. “We’re going to watch a couple of these. I want you to pay attention to something…”

Once you’re done for the night, Adella climbs into the passenger seat of your car. You turn on the engine and your headlights shoot out over your improvised practice field. Adella doesn’t have to say a word: you’re both thinking the same thing.

You don’t have a chance in hell.

Valeria has talent, but no confidence. Alice has potential, but no brain. You can’t really hold that against a little kid, but this whole situation is so uncomfortable that it’s making you prickly.

You love these kids. They remind you of all the good things. Before life was complicated when it was all about running around and kicking soccer balls. The world seemed bigger and more filled with promise when you were their age. Not that you can complain about your life, but still. It makes you nostalgic.

Valeria and Alice have bright futures ahead of them… also long as no trauma comes along to screw that up, like being on the wrong end of a rigged soccer league that’s just an excuse for political theatrics.

It’s too late to change course now. You hold Adella’s gaze. You already took the flash drive and looked at it. By doing so, you lowered yourself to Ellen’s level. But maybe that’s what it’s going to take. People like this who have no shame and no regard for the wellbeing of others—like the very players in this league—can’t always be beaten by idealism.

Fighting fire with fire. Adella certainly believes in it.

You can’t do anything to the kids on the other team; they aren’t the villains here, and kids are off-limits regardless. Stark isn’t important, and Ellen’s nowhere near any of this. That leaves the coach.

You’re playing dirty, not being a psychopath. You aren’t going to send this coach to sleep with the fishes, but you need to do something about her.

“We need to distract that coach,” you tell Adella bluntly. “Enough that she can’t bring her A-game.”

Adella nods, following your reasoning.

Your relationship with Adella has taught you a lot of things, but one of them is that when you have something truly spectacular waiting for you at night, it’s hard to focus on anything during the day. You need to blow this coach’s mind.

But you don’t necessarily need to do it personally. You and Adella are a pretty hot couple... but you also know of another couple that likes to spice things up. And they owe you for getting you into this.

Should you and Adella distract the coach from her work?

Or send Stef and Jessica to do it?