In junior high, I attended Kawako Private Junior High School, and that's where I fell in love with basketball. However, I wasn't able to play because I didn't have the talent for the sport, but I still wanted to be a part of it. So I decided to become a coach instead because I found it intriguing, and I did my research on how to coach a team and develop strategies. In my second year, I founded the basketball team, and recruiting players was not a challenge. As an inexperienced coach, I had to train them using visual aids because none of them knew anything about the sport, and I had no one to demonstrate it to them.
The first thing I taught them was how to pass the ball. Once they caught on, I moved them on to learning how to dribble. This stage was a great challenge because most of them hardly made any progress, but after two months, they finally understood how not to travel. They were then taught how to score a layup. Though it took some time for them to master, with a bit of motivation, they started scoring more accurately. Finally, they learned how to work as a team, adopt a defensive formation, and score free throws and jump shots.
Due to their steady growth, I decided to register them for the upcoming season, and before I knew it, their first game arrived. Our first game was against Shoko Junior High, which had the player with the scoring title, Kogure Kobayashi.
Before the game even reached the second quarter, we were losing forty-three to nothing. All of my players were tired, and most of them had lost hope.
"Come on, guys! Run play number twelve!" I shouted.
Even though they were discouraged, they started running the play. They set up a three-two formation, with the majority of them outside the three-point arc and the others playing inside. A double screen was set by the inside players for the wing players. The wing players then cut to the paint, and the player with the ball quickly passed it. To Shoko Junior High's coach's surprise, Kawako finally scored a layup, putting the score at forty-three to two.
"That's the way, everyone! Keep it up! We can do this!" I shouted.
"The coach is right! We can still do this!" one of the players yelled.
Although there seemed to be hope, it was completely crushed by the second quarter. The score was eighty-five to seven, meaning there was no chance for a comeback.
"Come on, guys! The game isn't over! There are two quarters left! Do not give up!" I urged as I noticed the gloomy looks in their eyes.
"Coach... no, Nanaho, this was fun and all, but I don't think we were ever capable of competing against these monsters in the first place. This match alone proves that we don't belong in this sport," one of the players said.
"Don't say that! It's your first game ever! You can still improve!" I insisted.
"No, that guy Kogure made us look like fools. There's no place for us in this sport. We just don't have the talent. So please, just forfeit the match before we get humiliated any further," the player pleaded.
I looked around, hoping for someone to oppose the forfeit, but everyone avoided eye contact. I was forced to go to the officials and tell them that we forfeited. Although hurt by this decision, I remained strong even after the game ended.
As the team was about to leave on the bus, a boy ran up and called out to me as I tried not to cry.
"Hey, you there! Wait up!" the boy shouted.
"Um, what is it?" I asked, surprised.
"My name is Yukio Hamaguchi, a player from Shoko Junior High. Even though there was no way for your team to win against us, I was really impressed with the plays you came up with. The plays they ran on the court caught me and my teammates by surprise, but because of their inexperience and lack of skill, we were able to stop them from scoring. If you had a better team, I'm sure we would have had a hard time winning the game," Yukio said with a gentle smile.
"I'm not sure if I have what it takes to be a coach. Today just proved that. We lost badly, and that's that," I said.
"What do you mean? Don't say that. It's not your fault that you lost. The players just can't keep up with the plays you create at their level. They can't execute them, but that doesn't mean the plays aren't good. So don't give up on your talent or on being a coach. You have a gift for it, and it will be recognized at the high school level one day," Yukio encouraged.
"You really think so?" I asked.
"Of course I do. I look forward to seeing you in the future."
After that day, I was even more determined than ever to get better at training and developing a team. However, due to the last game we played against Shoko, my players suffered mentally. They started attending training less frequently, and one after another, they all quit without even saying a word to me. But I didn't give up. I continued researching and expanding my knowledge of the sport and how to effectively run a team for the rest of my junior high school years.
I then applied to Toshigawa Academy because I knew it was a well-known, prestigious school, and it would be the perfect place to start a brand-new basketball team. However, to my surprise, a team was already there.
"Wait, I know you," I said, surprised.
"Yeah, I recognized you too, but I didn't catch your name back then. Wait, don't tell me... you're Nanaho Fukazawa, the first-year who applied to be our coach, right?" Yukio asked.
"Yes, that's me," I said.
"That's great! We're lucky to have someone like you as our coach. This year, we'll be going to the Inter-High for sure!" Yukio said excitedly.
Wow, this guy played for Shoko Junior High as a starting member. That means he's a good player. It looks like I made the right choice, I thought to myself excitedly.
"Come on, let me introduce you to the team."
"Oh, Yukio, you're back, and you brought someone with you," a voice said.
"Yes, Seiji, this is Nanaho Fukazawa, a first-year. She'll be our coach for the rest of her years here," Yukio said.
"Nice to meet all of you," I said as I bowed.
"My brother told me a lot about you and your capabilities, Nanaho. Based on what I've heard, you are an excellent choice for our coach. I'm counting on you. The whole team is yours to command. Lead us to victory."
"Yes, I'll try my best," I said.
"My name is Seiji Hamaguchi. I'm the captain of the team, and I'm sure you've already met my younger brother, Yukio. This is Hiroki Yukimura, the vice captain of the team. Junpei Urahara, a third-year."
"My name is Takahiro Morikawa. I'm a second-year."
"This newbie is Hayato Nakajima. He's a first-year like you. The kid's got talent, and he'll be playing point guard for us, so be sure to drill the plays into his brain," Seiji said.
"Right, I definitely will."
"I'm Jirou Suzuki, a second-year and the second guard. Nice to meet you, beautiful," Jirou said with a wink.
"Save whatever that is for outside of training, or we will have a problem," Seiji warned.
"Yes, Captain. I know, I know."
"The rest of us are still out jogging, but most of our main players are here. I'll be putting you in charge of our training for this week just to test its effectiveness," Seiji said.
Wow, I can't believe it. Captain Seiji looks like he's over 190 centimeters, and Yukio and Hiroki seem to be above 180 centimeters. And then there's Hayato and Jirou. I'm not sure what skills they have, but I know we have a strong team this year. I'm glad I enrolled at Toshigawa Academy, I thought to myself excitedly.