FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER
Chapter 186: Beyond The Game

Chapter 186: Beyond The Game

The Bibliotheek Utrecht’s central location stood as an architectural bridge between Utrecht’s historic past and its vibrant present a modern glass structure nestled among centuries-old buildings, its transparent façade inviting the community to engage with knowledge in all its forms.

For Amani Hamadi, approaching the building on a crisp Thursday afternoon during the international break, it represented another kind of bridge between his identity as a footballer and his commitment to education, between performance excellence and intellectual growth.

Sophia walked beside him, her tablet displaying the final checklist for the "Champions Read" event they had been preparing throughout the week. Her approach to this partnership reflected the same professional thoroughness that characterized all her work detailed planning, clear objectives, and thoughtful execution that aligned with Amani’s values while creating genuine community value.

"The format is straightforward," she explained as they approached the library’s entrance. "You’ll read a short passage from each of the three books we selected, then participate in a moderated discussion about how reading has influenced your approach to both football and education. We’ve kept the group size manageable, about thirty children between ages ten and fourteen, plus some parents and educators."

The System provided its characteristic analytical perspective on this approach:

[ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK: Substantive interaction shows 93% alignment with established value parameters]

[IMPACT ASSESSMENT: Educational focus projects 87% higher long-term resonance than conventional appearance]

[PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Public speaking in educational context represents valuable skill acquisition]

As they entered the library’s main hall, they were greeted by Marieke van Dijk, the institution’s Community Engagement Director, whose expression conveyed genuine appreciation rather than the calculated enthusiasm that sometimes accompanied promotional events.

"Thank you for making this happen," she said, shaking both their hands with warm professionalism. "When we conceived the ’Champions Read’ initiative, we hoped to attract role models who could genuinely connect reading with achievement in other fields. Your selection of books and willingness to discuss their influence makes this exactly the kind of authentic engagement we envisioned."

The event space had been thoughtfully arranged with comfortable seating for the young attendees in a semicircle, the selected books displayed prominently on a small table, subtle lighting that created intimacy without theatrical artifice.

This wasn’t a staged spectacle but a facilitated conversation in an environment designed for genuine exchange rather than passive observation.

As the young attendees began to arrive, their expressions revealed the complex mixture of excitement and uncertainty that accompanied meeting someone they had seen perform on television or in person at Stadion Galgenwaard.

Some approached with confident enthusiasm, others with shy hesitation, all with the curiosity that defined their developmental stage.

The System acknowledged this dynamic:

[INTERACTION FRAMEWORK: Youth engagement requires 37% communication adaptation]

[APPROACHABILITY PARAMETERS: Formal reduction and authentic interest projection recommended]

[CONNECTION STRATEGY: Shared experience identification creates optimal engagement foundation]

As the event began, Marieke provided a brief introduction that emphasized the connection between reading and holistic development rather than Amani’s football achievements.

This framing of the educational context, rather than a celebrity showcase, established the substantive tone that would characterize the entire session.

When Amani stepped forward to begin, he felt a momentary flutter of nervousness a different kind of pressure than facing opposition defenders or executing precise distributions under physical pressure. The System noted this physiological response:

[STRESS RESPONSE: Public speaking activation showing 23% elevation from baseline]

[ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATION: Controlled breathing pattern to regulate autonomic response]

[PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK: Initial discomfort represents normal adaptation curve]

"Thank you all for coming today," Amani began, his voice finding stability as he connected with the genuine interest in the young faces before him. "I’m here to share something that might surprise you how much reading has shaped my journey as both a student and a footballer."

He lifted the first book "Mindset" by Carol Dweck its cover familiar from countless hours spent absorbing its concepts about growth mindset versus fixed mindset, about how perception of ability shaped development trajectory through psychological framing.

"This book changed how I think about challenges," he explained, opening to a passage he had marked. "Before reading it, I saw difficulties as threats signs that maybe I wasn’t good enough. After understanding the concept of growth mindset, I began to see challenges differently as opportunities to develop rather than judgments of my ability."

As he read the selected passage about how perception shapes response to adversity, Amani noticed the focused attention of his young audience not the polite tolerance of a celebrity appearance but genuine engagement with the concepts being shared.

This wasn’t passive admiration but active connection, the recognition of valuable perspective that transcended his status as a footballer.

The second book "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey represented another cornerstone of Amani’s mental approach, its insights about performance psychology and the relationship between conscious and unconscious processing directly applicable to his football development despite its focus on a different sport.

"This might seem strange a book about tennis influencing football," he acknowledged with a smile that invited his audience into the unexpected connection. "But its ideas about how we interfere with our own natural abilities through overthinking completely transformed my approach to performance. It helped me understand the difference between training where conscious analysis is valuable and performing, where trusting your prepared abilities often works better than trying to control everything consciously."

The third selection "Atomic Habits" by James Clear reflected Amani’s methodical approach to development through systematic process rather than sporadic effort.

As he shared how the book’s concepts about marginal gains and habit stacking had influenced his daily routines, he could see recognition dawning in some of the older children the understanding that exceptional performance emerged from consistent processes rather than mysterious talent or dramatic moments.

"The most important idea I took from this book," he explained, "is that excellence isn’t about occasional heroic effort but consistent small improvements. It’s not about being perfect but about being slightly better today than yesterday, and slightly better tomorrow than today. That approach works for football, for school, for anything that matters enough to improve at."

As the reading portion concluded and the discussion began, facilitated by Marieke with thoughtful questions that connected the concepts to both athletic and academic development, Amani found himself genuinely enjoying the exchange.

This wasn’t promotional obligation but meaningful interaction, the opportunity to share perspectives that had genuinely shaped his approach to development while perhaps influencing young minds at formative stages.

The questions from the children revealed their own developmental journeys some focused on football specifics, others on academic challenges, many on the balance between different priorities that Amani navigated daily.

His responses emerged naturally, without the calculated messaging that sometimes characterized public appearances, creating authentic connection through shared experience rather than projected perfection.

"How do you handle making mistakes during important matches?" asked a serious-faced boy of about twelve, his expression suggesting personal familiarity with the challenge.

"I remind myself that mistakes are information, not definitions," Amani replied, drawing directly from his own experience rather than rehearsed messaging. "When I misplace a pass or make a poor decision, the System my internal framework treats it as data to improve from rather than evidence of failure. That perspective transforms mistakes from something to fear into something to learn from."

As the formal discussion concluded and transitioned to book signing each child receiving a signed copy of one of the featured books, funded through the library’s community engagement budget Amani found himself in numerous brief but meaningful conversations.

Parents expressed appreciation for the educational emphasis, teachers inquired about specific techniques for maintaining academic focus alongside athletic development, children shared their own experiences with balancing multiple interests and navigating performance pressure.

Throughout these interactions, Sophia maintained a protective but unobtrusive presence ensuring appropriate pacing, gently facilitating transitions when conversations naturally concluded, capturing select moments for thoughtfully curated social media content that would extend the event’s impact beyond its immediate participants.

This wasn’t controlling management but supportive facilitation, creating structure that enhanced rather than constrained authentic engagement.