The substitute captain

Source: an original fiction extract.

Nell found out she was captain ten minutes before the match. The usual captain had twisted an ankle on the steps outside the changing room, an accident so ordinary that nobody had been prepared for it. The coach handed Nell the armband and said she knew what to do. She did know the rules. She knew the positions and the opposition's strongest player. What she did not know was how to make the others look at her without feeling that she was borrowing somebody else's voice. She pulled the band over her sleeve and checked that it was straight.

During the first half she gave too many instructions. She called for passes that had already been made and warned players about opponents they could see perfectly well. When Isha missed a chance, Nell shouted that she should have taken an extra touch. Isha turned away without answering. At the break, the team sat on the grass around the water bottles. Nell began describing everything they had done wrong. The coach let her finish, then asked Isha what she had seen from the left side. Nell stared at a loose thread on the armband.

Isha said the space was opening behind the opposing defender whenever she moved forward. She had tried to call it, but Nell had been shouting. Nobody laughed. That made it worse. Nell wanted to explain that she had only been trying to organise them. Instead, she asked where Isha wanted the next pass. Isha pointed. They moved two players a few steps and agreed on a signal. The coach stood up and told them the second half was starting. There had been no speech about believing in themselves.

For the first few minutes Nell almost called out at every movement. She held back, watching Isha and the defender. When the space appeared, she sent the ball into it. Isha reached it and crossed towards the goal, but the goalkeeper caught the ball. The move had worked without producing the result Nell wanted. She clapped once. Later, the opposing team scored. Nell gathered the others briefly, asked whether the agreed positions still made sense and listened to two different answers before deciding. The final whistle came with the score still against them.

In the changing room, Nell took off the armband and folded it into a small square. She felt no sudden pride in losing well. The missed chance returned to her whenever she shut her eyes. Isha sat beside her and said the pass had been the right one. Nell asked what they could change next time. As they talked, she unfolded the band and laid it flat so that the damp fabric could dry. The regular captain would probably be back by Saturday. Nell was relieved, but she no longer wished the coach had chosen somebody else.

Consider the whole source. A reader said: “Nell begins by confusing leadership with giving instructions, but her improvement is believable because it is shown through small decisions rather than a dramatic victory.” Evaluate how far you agree. Support your judgement with detailed references to the text and the writer’s methods.