super storm

Chapter 18

Semester assessment is a traditional feature of Ajax's youth training. Two assessment tests are organized every year. The purpose is to evaluate the players' competitive status and strength improvement. The five players with the worst assessment scores in each age group will be eliminated every semester, and new players will be added when the new semester is reorganized.

Strict assessment standards, cruel elimination rate, and the stimulation brought by metabolism, these make Ajax full of fierce competition in all age groups. Every player must work hard to improve himself and meet the requirements of the team.

Even after layers of screening and elimination, at the highest age group, only one of the six people can sign a professional contract with the club, enter the Ajax second team, and get a two-year probation period. If they cannot meet the requirements of the first team within two years, they will be forced to leave the team.

It is under this almost cruel competition mechanism that Ajax has a very high success rate. 90.00% of the players who pass the echelon assessment will eventually become professional players, but they may not necessarily play for Ajax.

Almere has learned and borrowed from Ajax's entire youth training mechanism, including semester assessments, but limited by the degree of perfection of the youth team and the difficulty of recruiting players, only one assessment test is arranged each year, and only three players will be eliminated.

But even so, it has put pressure on everyone on the team.

In the past, Yang Yang was the best candidate to be eliminated in everyone's mind, but in the past more than a month, with Yang Yang's outstanding performance, especially in the past four games, he has become an indispensable and important member of the youth team, and it is not uncommon to pass the assessment.

There is even news in the team that it is said that the head coach of the first team John Repp intends to transfer several outstanding students such as Yang Yang and Henk Dimmel into the first team in the new semester to participate in training and competitions with the team.

Yang Yang saved himself, but it also intensified the competition within the team. The number of eliminations increased from the original two to three, and any risky players began to feel insecure.

Since the usual training is also included in the assessment results, everyone is doing their best on the training ground, sometimes even the movements are a bit too big, even in training, there is always a bayonet-like competitive atmosphere.

John Repp and Dick Van Poel watched the practice silently from the sidelines, neither of them stopping it.

In their view, the team's previous training atmosphere was too loose, and now this kind of real swordsmanship is called training.

"Judging from the performance in the past period of time, it is not a big problem for Yang Yang to pass the assessment." Dick Van Poel said with satisfaction.

In the past four games, Bakken Academy had three wins and one loss, and only lost to the rival Omnibas in the same city. Yang Yang performed very well in the next three games, with assists in every game. He was a major contributor to the team's three-game winning streak, which made him, the head coach, very happy.

"His academic performance is the first in the team. Even in Bakken Academy, he can be considered a top student. There are no problems in terms of speed, flexibility, explosive power, and endurance. One-on-one offense and defense are also top-notch in the team. Mental quality and other aspects will not be a problem."

Dick Van Poel didn't know it unless he said it. After this introduction, he suddenly discovered that Yang Yang has many desirable advantages.

"The biggest problem at the moment is his basic skills like shooting, passing and crossing."

The assessment is divided into three parts. The usual training and game records are evaluated by the coaching staff, and the final test is also scored by the coaching staff for each player's related items. The items and scoring standards are borrowed from Ajax. There are a total of [-] small items.

After each small event is scored, the coaching staff will summarize and evaluate, and finally get the assessment score, combined with the usual training and competition records, and finally give a total score.

The three players with the highest total score will be rewarded to represent Almere in Ajax's talent day selection, while the bottom three players will be forced to leave the Almere youth team.

After listening to Femple's report, John Rip nodded slightly, which was similar to his recent assessment.

As a well-known right winger in Europe, he is more and more interested in Yang Yang, who also plays the position of right winger, mainly because his progress in the past month or so is too fast and amazing.

Even now, his basic skills are still not good, barely reaching the passing line of the youth team, but his pendulum trick has become more and more skillful. In the past few inter-school games, no one can defend him.

This surprised John Repp, but at the same time he clearly saw Yang Yang's potential.

After all, he is only 16 years old. With the current momentum of improvement and his drive to train hard, it may really surprise people.

"There are still a few days before the assessment, you have to prepare well." John Rep cautiously reminded.

"This time, in addition to the Almere city government and some social people who usually cooperate with the club, I also specially invited a world-class celebrity to come in person. He is usually not easy to invite, but this time he agreed. With his influence in the Netherlands and Ajax, we will definitely show off our youth training results."

Dick Feimpel nodded solemnly, but curiously.

Given John Repp's status in Ajax and the Netherlands, even he finds it difficult to invite him. What is the reason?
However, the head coach doesn't intend to announce it in advance, so it's not easy for him to ask.

"After training, you tell them that the top three players will not only have the opportunity to go to Ajax to participate in the talent day, but the club will officially sign a professional contract with them and enter the first team in the new season."

At present, Almere is at a critical moment of rushing to the second division. If it is successful, then entering the first team is tantamount to having the opportunity to play in the Dutch second league. This is a great temptation for any player.

Even if the club unfortunately fails to reach the second division, it will be a big improvement for them to compete in the third tier league in the new season.

…………

…………

Sure enough, when Dick Van Poel conveyed the promise of the head coach after training, the atmosphere in the team was even higher.

Especially a group of outstanding players headed by Henk Dimmel. They are already the best players in the team on weekdays. Now that the head coach has promised such an attractive reward, how can they not work hard?

Yang Yang was also attracted, and he also wanted to fight for one of the places.

Not only for professional contracts and first-team qualifications, but also to be able to meet his idol Van Basten.

Ever since he saw the magnificent Amsterdam Arena, he dreamed of seeing Van Basten, and wanted to compete with his peers like Ajax, and even the talented stars of the first team.

He really wanted to know how big the gap was between himself and the best peers in the world.

Seeing the gap clearly, he will be more motivated.

In the next few days, there will be no competitions at Bakken Academy, and Yang Yang will devote himself to training day and night. Apart from going to school, he doesn’t even have to help out at restaurants. Uncle Shen Ming knows that his semester exams are coming, and he strictly orders him to concentrate on training.

At the skateboard park during the day and at the super training ground at night, Yang Yang kept practicing the basic movements that others were already proficient at before he was ten years old, and he dared not slack off in the slightest.

In the blink of an eye, it was the morning of the assessment test.

This is a rare sunny day, the sky is clear and cloudless, and the blue is as if it has just been dyed.

Under the suggestion of Lao Bing, Yang Yang, who was still in good spirits after a night of hard training, greatly reduced the amount of training at the skateboard park in the morning in order to maintain his condition. After calculating the time, he trotted all the way to the training ground.

The atmosphere in the locker room was obviously more stuffy than usual. Everyone was submerged in arranging their jerseys and boots. No one spoke. Even after Yang Yang came in, everyone just looked up at him. The eyes of many people looked very complicated. Only Henk Dimmel and others nodded friendly towards him.

Obviously, they were all aiming at the top three and did not feel threatened by Yang Yang.

More than a month ago, Yang Yang was still recognized as the bottom player by everyone. No matter how much he changed his body, it was impossible for him to advance by leaps and bounds in more than a month, or even enter the top three.

Things like basic skills are about gradual progress. Yang Yang’s progress rate is already very fast, but it is impossible to catch up with Henk Dimmel and other players who have been training hard for nearly ten years in just over a month.

Yang Yang is also very self-aware about this, but he is still willing to do his best for it.

For other teammates who might be eliminated, Yang Yang felt the reluctance, envy and even resentment in their eyes. He couldn't help but feel a little sad, but he knew very well that survival of the fittest is the foundation of a team's competitiveness.

Even if the head coach John Repp softens his heart and keeps them, he will only be unable to keep up with the team's pace in the future.

The same is true for myself.

After putting on the jersey and boots, when Yang Yang walked out of the locker room, he saw Dick Van Poole encouraging the players who came out one by one outside the door. When it was Yang Yang's turn, he not only encouraged him, but also gave a few more words of advice.

"Mr. Repp asked me to tell you, work hard and show your best side. He believes that you will be able to stay."

"Well, thank you Mr. Rip."

"He also said that as long as you pass the assessment, as long as you continue to work hard and maintain the current momentum of improvement, the team will sign a professional contract with you in the new season, and he will also select an opportunity to transfer him to the first team. Don't let him down."

"I understand." Yang Yang nodded.

He could feel that although John Repp and Dick Van Poel were optimistic about him, they still felt that it would be difficult for him to stand out in the assessment, otherwise there would be no need to give him such a promise in advance.

But the more so, the more he wanted to fight.

At the very least, he wanted to prove that the blood, sweat and hard work he had put in during the hellish training for the past month or so had not been in vain at all.

　I want to make a breakthrough next week, please vote for me, thank you!At three o'clock tomorrow, a chapter will be updated at 12:[-] in the morning.

　　I'm rooting for Croatia tonight...hoping for a miracle!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)