Speed demon

Jace Holloway had spent years chasing greatness on the track. But now, as he stood on the damp, well-worn pitch of Harrow Sixth Form, staring at the football resting near his foot, he realised something terrifying.

For the first time in his life, he wasn't the best at something.

It wasn't just a matter of adjusting to a new sport. It was the fact that, on this pitch, speed alone wouldn't save him because all his other teammates were playing with skills and not sprinting only.

Marcus stood beside him, juggling a ball casually with his thighs before catching it with his foot.

Jace scoffed, crossing his arms. It's just kicking a ball."

Marcus grinned. "Yeah? Then try controlling this."

Before Jace could react, Marcus flicked the ball towards him. Unexpectedly, Jace stuck out his foot, trying to trap it, but the ball bounced awkwardly off his shin and rolled away.

"Smooth," Marcus teased and made fun of him.

Jace clenched his jaw. He was used to being effortless. On the track, every movement was precise, every step calculated. Here, he felt clumsy and dump.

"Alright," Marcus said, stepping up beside him. "Lesson one: your first touch is everything. Bad touch? Defender's already nicked the ball off you. Good touch? You've got time to pick your next move."

Jace nodded, determined to absorb everything.

Marcus began rolling the ball to him at different speeds. Jace's first few attempts were awkward—sometimes the ball bounced too far, and sometimes it stopped too short.

But after a few tries, he started getting a feel for it. He found that if he stayed light on his feet and adjusted quickly, his touch got cleaner.

Marcus nodded approvingly. "Not bad. Now let's try controlling it while moving."

Jace raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were taking this slow?"

For the next twenty minutes, Marcus ran Jace through basic dribbling exercises. Nothing fancy—just keeping the ball close, staying balanced, and moving with purpose.

It wasn't easy.

Jace was used to straight-line speed, but football demanded something different. He had to shift his weight constantly, change directions, and focus on the ball rather than just running.

After one particularly frustrating sequence where he lost control three times in a row, Jace groaned. "How do you lot make this look so easy?"

Marcus chuckled. "It's muscle memory. You've spent years training to run efficiently, right? This is the same, just with a ball at your feet."Marcus words motivated Jace .

Jace exhaled, shaking out his shoulders. He wasn't going to quit—that wasn't who he was.

So, he kept at it.

Slowly, the ball started to feel less like an enemy and more like an extension of himself. He wasn't ready to take on defenders or ping cross-field passes, but at least he wasn't tripping over his own feet anymore.

"Alright," Marcus finally said, "let's test your biggest weapon."

Jace blinked. "What?"

Marcus pointed to the open space ahead. "Your speed. I want to see how you use it." jace became happy because he felt the sprint within him.

Jace narrowed his eyes. "You're just gonna make me sprint?"

Marcus shook his head. "Nope. You're gonna learn when to sprint. That's the difference between being quick and dangerous."Jace asked marcus. whether he was motivational speaker.

Jace liked the sound of that.

Marcus set up a simple drill. He stood about twenty yards ahead with the ball at his feet. Jace started near the touchline.

"The idea is simple," Marcus explained. "I'm gonna roll the ball forward like a through pass. Your job? Time your run. If you go too early, you'll have to slow down and lose momentum. Too late? Defender's already there."

Jace nodded, his mind processing the concept. This wasn't like sprinting from blocks—this was about patience and calculating the way he would sprint.

Marcus rolled the ball forward.

Jace hesitated for a split second, then exploded.

His acceleration was still elite. Within three strides, he was level with the ball, but when he reached it, he realised his mistake. He was moving too fast and miscontrolled the touch, sending the ball too far ahead.

Marcus laughed. "Told you. It's not just about speed."

Jace sighed. "Again." he made up his mind not to lose the ball this time.

They ran it back. This time, Jace waited an extra second before starting his run. When he hit top speed, he controlled the ball much better, keeping it in stride.

Marcus nodded. "Better. Now let's add a defender."

Jace turned to see one of the trialists, Theo, jogging over. He was a centre-back, tall and strong, with a no-nonsense attitude.

"He's been watching you all week," Marcus said. "I think he wants to see what all the hype's about."

Theo smirked. "Think you can outrun me, track star?"

Jace met his gaze. "We'll see."

Marcus set up the same drill, but this time, Theo was allowed to track Jace's run.

The ball was played forward. Jace burst into action, but Theo anticipated his movement and stepped across him, using his strength to shield the ball away.

Jace stumbled.

Theo grinned. "Pace isn't everything, mate."

Jace scowled but nodded. Theo had a point. It wasn't enough to be fast—he needed to be smarter.

Figuring It Out

Over the next half-hour, Jace learned some crucial lessons:

Timing was everything. If he sprinted too early, defenders could read his movement.

Positioning mattered. Running in a straight line made him easy to mark. He had to mix it up, start slower, then accelerate at the right moment.

Strength couldn't be ignored. Speed was useless if a defender could outmuscle him. by setting all this he decided to put them into action by calculating all he figured out.

By the end of the session, he wasn't beating Theo every time, but he was getting better.

As they wrapped up, Marcus patted Jace on the back. "You picked up a lot in one session. Most people would still be tripping over the ball."

Jace smirked. "I don't like losing."

Theo, stretching nearby, nodded in approval. "You're raw, but once you figure it out, you'll be a problem."

Jace exhaled. He wasn't there yet. Nowhere near. But for the first time, he saw the potential.

Maybe he wasn't done chasing greatness after all because theo saw that Jace will be a new treat to the defenders.