The Team Captain's Decision

Devika has been team captain of the school volleyball team for exactly two months. She still isn't sure she deserves the title.

Devika sudah menjadi kapten tim voli sekolah selama tepat dua bulan. Ia masih belum yakin ia pantas menyandang gelar itu.

During practice on Tuesday, she notices something that has been bothering her for weeks. The coach keeps giving Farah, the newest player, almost no playing time. That's true even though Farah has improved more than anyone else on the team this season.

Saat latihan hari Selasa, ia memperhatikan sesuatu yang sudah mengganggunya selama berminggu-minggu. Pelatih terus memberi Farah, pemain terbaru, hampir tidak ada waktu bermain. Padahal Farah telah berkembang lebih pesat daripada siapa pun di tim musim ini.

"She's still learning the rotations," the coach says, when Devika asks about it quietly after practice. "I don't want to risk a mistake during a real match."

"Dia masih mempelajari rotasi," kata sang pelatih ketika Devika menanyakannya dengan pelan setelah latihan. "Saya tidak mau mengambil risiko kesalahan di pertandingan sungguhan."

Devika understands the logic, but it doesn't sit right with her. Farah has stayed late every single practice, asking for extra drills nobody else wants to do. If effort like that doesn't earn a chance to play, Devika isn't sure what does.

Devika memahami logikanya, tetapi hal itu tidak terasa benar baginya. Farah selalu tinggal sampai larut di setiap latihan, meminta latihan tambahan yang tidak mau dilakukan siapa pun. Kalau usaha seperti itu tidak layak mendapat kesempatan bermain, Devika tidak yakin apa lagi yang layak.

She spends that night going back and forth. Saying something could make her look like she's questioning the coach in front of the team. Saying nothing means watching a teammate work harder than anyone and still get overlooked.

Ia menghabiskan malam itu dengan bimbang. Berbicara bisa membuatnya tampak mempertanyakan pelatih di depan tim. Diam berarti menonton seorang rekan berusaha lebih keras daripada siapa pun, tetapi tetap diabaikan.

The next day, Devika catches the coach before practice starts. "Can I ask you something? About Farah."

Keesokan harinya, Devika mencegat sang pelatih sebelum latihan dimulai. "Boleh saya bertanya sesuatu, Pak? Tentang Farah."

The coach sighs, clearly expecting this. "Go ahead."

Sang pelatih menghela napas, jelas sudah menduga hal ini. "Silakan."

"I know it's your call," Devika says, "but I think she's ready for more minutes. She's the first one here and the last one to leave, every single practice. If we don't give her a real chance, I don't think that's fair to her."

"Saya tahu itu keputusan Bapak," kata Devika, "tapi menurut saya dia sudah siap mendapat lebih banyak menit bermain. Dia yang pertama datang dan yang terakhir pulang, di setiap latihan. Kalau kita tidak memberinya kesempatan yang nyata, saya rasa itu tidak adil baginya."

The coach is quiet for a moment. "You really believe she's ready?"

Sang pelatih terdiam sejenak. "Kamu benar-benar yakin dia sudah siap?"

"I do. And even if she makes a mistake, that's how she'll actually learn the rotations you're worried about."

"Yakin. Dan bahkan kalau dia membuat kesalahan, begitulah cara dia benar-benar akan belajar rotasi yang Bapak khawatirkan itu."

He nods slowly. "Alright. She starts the next set today. We'll see how it goes."

Ia mengangguk pelan. "Baiklah. Dia mulai di set berikutnya hari ini. Kita lihat bagaimana hasilnya."

During the match, Farah is nervous at first, missing an easy serve in the opening minutes. But she settles in quickly. By the third set, she's set up two of the team's best points.

Selama pertandingan, Farah awalnya gugup dan gagal melakukan servis yang mudah di menit-menit pembuka. Tetapi ia cepat menemukan ritmenya. Pada set ketiga, ia sudah menyiapkan dua poin terbaik tim.

Afterward, Farah finds Devika by the water fountain. "Did you say something to Coach?"

Setelah itu, Farah menghampiri Devika di dekat keran air minum. "Kamu bilang sesuatu ke Pelatih?"

Devika shrugs, trying to sound casual. "I just mentioned you'd earned it."

Devika mengangkat bahu, berusaha terdengar santai. "Aku cuma bilang kamu pantas mendapatkannya."

Farah doesn't say anything for a second. Then she grins. "Well, don't stop mentioning things."

Farah terdiam sesaat. Lalu ia nyengir. "Nah, jangan berhenti bilang hal-hal seperti itu."