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The big lesson
Fernando had worked hard to get to the position that he has today. He have been playing soccer since he was 8 years old and 14 years later, he is playing in Real Madrid, the best soccer club in the world. When he was young, he trained everyday on the street outside his house in a small town near Monterrey, Mexico, and he wished that one day he could be the best soccer player in the world. Now he has everything that he could wish for: money, fame, and worldwide recognition, and he now plays with one of the best soccer players in the world.
Fernando has changed now, since he’s famous and he has a different lifestyle. He has now fallen into the life of alcohol, drugs, parties, and gambling. Every night after his games, he would go out partying with his teammates, and he would sometimes go late to soccer practice or not go at all. The team coach has told him to stop drinking and missing practice if not he is going to let him go, but the team coach would never let him go because he is too good and they need him in the team so they can keep winning games and remain as the champions.
One night, after winning the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Fernando and his teammates went to celebrate to the club with some girls they met in the way. They arrived and started drinking, they started with just simple drinks but then they were taking shots. At 3 a.m Fernando was very drunk, so were his friends, and they were ready to leave and go gambling at the casino. He said “Wait for me here, I’ll go for the car and we’ll head to the casino”, but because he was very drunk when he went for his car he didn’t saw the street, he just ran straight into the parking zone. Suddenly he heard some horns of a car incoming but it was to late for him to get out of the way.
When he woke up he was at the hospital and he couldn’t move his right leg at all, he started calling for someone to come and explain what had happened, why was he at the hospital and couldn’t move his leg. The door opened and it was his head coach, he had a strange face, a face of disappointment. Fernando asked him desperately what happened, why did he had that face, he only answered “You won’t play soccer anymore”, Fernando shocked by what his coach just said uncover his blanket and saw his leg all destroyed. “A car ran over you, and your leg got the worst part of the accident” “I never thought it would get thus far, it’s my fault Fernando for not stopping you before this happened”.
After a few months of recovery, Fernando could walk again but he wouldn’t play soccer anymore. He started to make conscience about what he had done with his life. About how drugs, alcohol, and gambling have ruined his life, and he started to make conferences to persuade young people not to take the wrong choices, putting him as an example.
This story was written by German and Marcelo
