Chapter 11 – Two Years of Progress
Chapter 11 – Two Years of Progress
Two years had passed since Thijs first set foot on the fields of RC Huissen. He was six years old now, and as he tied the laces of his football boots, he felt bigger, stronger, and more certain of what he wanted than ever before.
Football wasn't just a game for him anymore. It was a promise he'd made to himself—a promise to go as far as he could, no matter how long it took.
In those two years, he'd learned a lot. His dribbling was sharper, his passes cleaner, and his shots more accurate. He'd even scored goals in real matches, the feeling of the net rippling behind him as sweet as he'd remembered from his first life.
But Thijs wasn't a star player yet. He wasn't the boy who scored every goal or who left defenders dizzy at his feet. Instead, he'd become the kid who played with his head up, who found space where no one else saw it, and who listened carefully when his coach spoke.
---
All through those two years, the system had stayed by his side. It didn't shout orders or make him invincible. Instead, it whispered small tips into his mind:
> [Tip: Keep your foot angled when passing.]
[Tip: Relax your shoulders before shooting.]
Sometimes, after training, Thijs would see soft blue letters glow in his vision:
> [Progress +2% in Dribbling.]
[Progress +3% in Ball Control.]
It felt like having a silent coach who never got tired, always patient, always focused on helping him improve. But the Player Template still remained locked, a quiet promise waiting in the future.
Thijs had stopped worrying about when it would unlock. He was too busy practicing.
---
Over those two years, Thijs's friendship with Sven had only grown stronger. At first, Sven would come along just to watch Thijs play in the yard or on the field. But after a few afternoons of kicking the ball back and forth, Sven decided to try training himself.
Soon, he'd joined RC Huissen too.
Sven wasn't as driven as Thijs, and he didn't dream of becoming a professional player. But he loved being part of the team. He laughed the loudest during warm-ups, high-fived Thijs after good passes, and always offered a smile, even after missing a shot.
They practiced together often, sometimes in Thijs's backyard, sometimes at the small pitch near the neighborhood park.
"Come on, Sven!" Thijs would call, dribbling past him with quick touches.
Sven would chase after him, panting. "Slow down, man! I'm not a robot like you!"
Thijs would laugh, tapping the ball back so Sven could try again.
Though they were different in many ways, they were always side by side—at training, during matches, or simply lying on the grass after practice, talking about football, school, or what snack they wanted next.
---
At home, Thijs's parents watched him grow more dedicated each month. His father sometimes shook his head in wonder.
"I've never seen a kid so serious about football," he'd say, sipping his coffee as Thijs juggled the ball in the living room.
His mother would smile. "He's not just serious. He's happy. And as long as he's happy, I'm happy."
But sometimes, when Thijs stayed outside dribbling until the sun set, she'd open the back door and call gently, "Thijs, remember—you're still a kid. Come inside for dinner!"
Thijs would nod, cheeks flushed, breathless, but with a glow in his eyes.
I'm going all the way this time, he'd think. I just know it.
In the Netherlands, youth football is organized in a way that might seem a bit unusual to people from other countries. Instead of simply calling teams "Under-6" or "Under-7," Dutch clubs use the term "JO," short for Jongens Onder, meaning "Boys Under."
So "JO6" means Boys Under 6, and "JO7" means Boys Under 7.
Within each age group, most clubs have several different teams, all playing under the same age category but divided by skill level or experience. These teams are numbered, so you might hear about JO6-1, JO6-2, JO6-3, and so on.
JO6-1 is usually the strongest team, made up of kids who show the most talent or physical ability for their age.
Lower numbers like JO6-4 or JO6-5 are more recreational, for beginners or kids who simply want to play without the pressure of top competition.
The kids in these age groups often play on smaller pitches, with fewer players per side, and no strict positions yet. Coaches focus mostly on teaching basic skills: dribbling, passing, controlling the ball, and having fun.
Unlike in some other countries where kids change clubs or schools often, Dutch children often stay at the same club for many years, moving up through the age groups together. It creates strong bonds between teammates — and sometimes tough decisions when one player starts to stand out and has to move to a higher-level team.
---
Thijs was now part of JO6-4 at RC Huissen, a team that trained twice a week and played matches on Saturday mornings.
Over the past year and a half, he'd grown a lot. His touches were softer, his vision sharper, and his shots more precise. He didn't always score the most goals, but his coaches had started to notice the way he seemed to read the game a step ahead of the others.
Sven had joined JO6-4 as well, after countless afternoons of playing football together in the yard or at the neighborhood pitch. Sven loved being part of the team, even though he didn't share Thijs's burning ambition to become a professional player one day. He enjoyed the fun of matches, the jokes in the locker room, and the feeling of running around on the grass with his friends.
---
Now, as spring approached and the days grew longer, there were whispers around the club that Thijs might soon be moving up.
Coach Erik, who had watched Thijs from the very beginning, had pulled him aside after one training session.
"You're doing really well, Thijs," he'd said. "I think it might be time for you to join JO6-1. It would mean tougher matches and a different coach, but it's the next step if you want to keep growing."
Thijs had felt a rush of mixed emotions. The idea of playing at a higher level thrilled him. But it also meant leaving Sven behind in JO6-4 and stepping into a team where he barely knew anyone.
At home, his parents had talked about it over dinner.
"It's a good sign," his father said, cutting into his potatoes. "It means all your hard work is paying off."
His mother nodded, though her eyes looked soft and a little worried. "Just promise me you'll still enjoy it, Thijs. I don't want you to lose the fun."
Thijs had nodded quickly. "I love football, Mom. I'm not going to stop loving it."
But late at night, staring up at the ceiling, he sometimes wondered what it would be like to walk into a new team, with a new coach, and have to prove himself all over again.
It's worth it, he told himself. If I want to go all the way, I have to keep moving forward.
---
At the same time, school had started noticing him too.
Though Thijs didn't talk much about how he knew certain things, teachers often found him ahead of the class in reading and maths.
Now that it was March, and the school year was more than halfway through, there were conversations about whether Thijs should skip ahead.
"He's ready for Group 5," one teacher had told his parents. "He's bright, focused, and he finishes his work faster than anyone else."
But Thijs's parents were cautious.
"He's only six," his mother said. "He's already different enough because of how serious he is with football. I don't want him to feel too different at school too."
His father sighed. "We'll think about it. Maybe we should let him decide."
For Thijs, the thought of skipping a whole year felt strange. Part of him liked the idea of learning new things faster. But part of him wanted to stay where he was, with the friends he'd made.
---
And so, as spring sunlight poured over the RC Huissen pitches and the hum of footballs being kicked echoed across the fields, Thijs stood on the edge of a new chapter.
He was six years old, growing stronger, learning more every day, and about to take another step forward — both on the pitch, and maybe even in school.