Chapter 45 - Starting Up On Improvement (1/2)

The whole first-string finished their regular physical workout, and it was time to train their skills.

The usual day in the club was a physical workout, skill drills, and one mini-game to end the day.

Shun's goal for the time before the next Nationals was to emulate and consolidate Generation of Miracles' skills into his style.

Shun: 'Let's set some goals.'

Shun thought what was needed for him to beat the Generation of Miracles.

Shun: 'If they weren't on the same team, then I would have gone with Aerial Combat as my weapon of choice, but because they aren't, I need to be able to pass multiple of them before I can actually score.'

Shun didn't want to undermine his teammates, but he wasn't very confident about their offensive ability against the Generation of Miracles.

Shun: 'I need to be able to cover ground, weave through the defenders, I need to be able to beat them on the ground, and for that, I need to work on my dribbling skills, I have to shed any fix patterns of dribbling, I need to be able to freeform my dribbling.

I don't have to be unorthodox or orthodox. I have to break my dribbling skills down to nothing and just able to control the ball however I want.'

Dribbling skills and ball handling was important to get past defenders, make space between them to take a shoot, to be to move the ball around without the ball getting stolen from the player.

Shun over the years had learned a lot about dribbling, and he had found that dribbling was not just about the way you handled the ball in your hands.

Shun: 'Ball handling is an essential part of dribbling, but footwork and how you moved your torso are as important as ball handling to have a good dribbling game.'

Shun went straight to the coach to get some advice about how to improve and go on about improving his dribbling skills.

Shun: ”Coach.”

Coach turned around to see Shun calling him.

Coach: ”Yes, Kageyama-kun. What is it?”

Shun explained to the coach that he wanted advice.

Shun: ”Coach, please give me advice on how to improve my dribbling skills.”

Coach: ”Dribbling skills, is it?”

Coach looked at Shun and thought for a while about what Shun specifically needed.

Coach: ”Tell me, Kageyama-kun. What do you think is important for dribbling skills?”

Shun spoke up the factors that he has thought about just moments earlier.

Shun: ”Ball-handling, footwork, and torso movement.”

Coach smiled and praised Shun.

Coach: ”Excellent! Now, I know that you are ambidextrous, right?”

Shun nodded as he had trained to be ambidextrous since he was young.

Shun: ”Yes, Sir. I can do all tasks with both my hands. Though my handwriting comes out messy when I write with my left hand.”

Coach: ”You already have a solid foundation for the ball handling aspect of dribbling. To build upon this foundation, I will have you do drills with both hands simultaneously.

I want you to forget that you have an off-hand. Purge the idea from your mind that you have a dominant hand, that you prefer.

I will give you drills that you have to complete every day, with both hands. It will take hard work, and your shoulders will be sore for a few days, but the final result will be, you being able to switch hand instantly.”

Coach then asked for Shun's e-mail address so that he could mail him the schedule of the drills that he had to follow, and he continued his explanation.