Half A Month

Time moved like water through his fingers. Fast and unstoppable. Before Maddox knew it, half a month had slipped away into nothing.

The days were getting shorter. The nights were getting colder. Winter was coming to the North, bringing with it the kind of chill that settled into your bones and never left.

During those quiet weeks, Maddox received his Grade C coaching badge. The certificate came in the mail on a Thursday morning. A thick paper with a golden seal, and official stamps that meant something in the football world.

It wasn't just a piece of paper for Maddox, It was proof. Proof that he knew what he was doing. Proof that he belonged with the best youth coaches in the country.

The badge put him on the same level as men who coached top youth teams and low-level Knights League Two teams. Men who earned good money and respect.