NOC * NSF (2)

Leaving the room, Arghana felt the cold air touch his skin as he stepped outside the NOC*NSF building.

The sky over Arnhem was cloudy, almost as if it reflected his own foggy thoughts.

He walked slowly towards the nearest bus stop, his mind still revolving around what the doctor had said earlier.

Hyperfocus.

The phenomenon he had experienced all this time turned out not to be just a fleeting feeling—there was a scientific basis for it.

It explained how, in some matches, he felt like he could read every movement of the opponent, predict the ball's trajectory, and respond in split seconds faster than usual.

But it also explained why his body always felt like it had been wrung out afterward.

He exhaled, glancing upward slightly.

All this time, he had thought that fatigue was just part of being a football player.

That everyone experienced the same thing.

But after hearing the doctor's explanation, he began to realize that his condition might be different.

Not many athletes experienced hyperfocus with as drastic effects as he did.

The bus arrived, stopping right in front of him.

Arghana boarded and took a seat near the window.

The journey back to Deventer would take about an hour and a half—long enough for him to process everything.

His head rested against the glass, his eyes watching as the urban streets slowly gave way to green fields.

If this was truly an issue he had to address, then there was no choice but to find a solution. He couldn't keep allowing his body to collapse every time he entered that mode.

If he wanted to survive in Eredivisie—at a higher level—he had to figure out how to control it.

A new challenge.

And Arghana was ready to face it.

Inside his quiet apartment, Arghana opened his laptop and started typing the keywords: "Hyperfocus in athletes."

Several scientific articles, journals, and medical reports appeared on the screen. He clicked through them one by one, reading carefully.

"Hyperfocus in sports is often triggered by the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine.

This condition enhances perception sharpness and decision-making in a short period, but it can also lead to extreme fatigue afterward."

Arghana tapped his fingers on the table. So, it wasn't just about mentality or match pressure. There was a direct connection to his physical condition.

Another article explained that athletes with better endurance could maintain this state longer without severe side effects.

On the other hand, those not used to high intensity would experience a dramatic drop in performance once hyperfocus ended.

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment. It wasn't about avoiding hyperfocus. It was about making sure his body could keep up with it.

And that meant… there was only one solution.

He had to be stronger.

===

That morning, Deventer was still wrapped in the chilly air typical of early summer.

The sun had just started to rise on the eastern horizon when Arghana arrived at the team's training ground.

There was no sound except for the steps of his shoes touching the asphalt, the echo of the iron door opening, and the rustle of the wind sweeping across the empty field.

On a day like this, no other players were around. But for Arghana, this wasn't about others.

It was about him.

Without wasting time, he started with a light warm-up. Joint mobility. Dynamic stretching.

A few short sprints to wake up his muscles.

Then, he set up the rope ladder on the ground and began his explosive training.

His movements were sharp, his rhythm steady, his feet hitting every gap with precision.

Not far from there, Dennis Demmers, who had happened to come by the coaching office, observed the scene.

For a moment, he just watched—Arghana's quick steps, his focused expression, and the sweat beginning to trickle down his temples.

Finally, he walked closer.

"It's your day off. Aren't you going back to Indonesia?" he asked casually.

Arghana stopped, took a deep breath before turning around and giving a slight smile. "I'm not planning to go back this holiday."

Then, as if just remembering something, he continued, "Oh, by the way, there's something I want to ask you."

"What's that?" Dennis asked.

"The team must have performance data records for every match, right?" Arghana looked at him seriously. "I want to see my data from the last 10 matches."

Dennis raised an eyebrow. He could guess where this conversation was headed.

Young players who were curious about their own statistics usually had bigger ambitions than just playing.

He nodded. "Wait here."

A few minutes later, they were in the coaching office.

Dennis searched through some files, then pulled out Arghana's performance report and handed it to him.

"What an exceptional player," Dennis thought.

Meanwhile, Arghana sat in the chair, flipping through the report, paying close attention to every number and graph.

Statistics were just small pieces of the football game.

More possession didn't always mean victory. Running more distance didn't always indicate effectiveness.

More accurate passes might not have an impact if they didn't result in attacking progress.

However, data could be a reflection.

Arghana ran his fingers along the graph, looking for patterns there. He was searching for answers. He was looking for a gap.

And within those numbers, he began to find something.