EIGHT
It was October 1st and there was only a month left until practice began. Dave was constantly reminded about the lack of talent in the school, but he saw many star athletes from other sports. After watching footage of the previous-year’s team, Dave decided to scout the football and soccer teams for pure athletes. Many of these guys participated in multiple sports but their vacant season was usually the winter.
Dave and Tony held a few open tryouts but so few students showed up that they couldn’t conduct a five-on-five, full-court game. Dave also canvassed the remaining six members of the previous year’s team, and all 12 members from the junior varsity. Out of the 18 players, only six planned to come out for the team. The remaining recruiting tool was split between recruiting from within and/or combing the local minimum security prison to fill out the roster.
The girl’s team was facing a similar lack-of-interest dilemma. By November 1st, Sarah had only ten girls on the roster, while Dave was limited to 11 players and one manager in case of emergency. Football, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball, soccer, softball, and lacrosse players filled out the roster so they could stay in shape between seasons.
That initial season was a roller coaster ride for both coaches and programs. The boy’s team started the year with five straight losses and then won three consecutive games; it was the first time the team had experienced such a positive run since Dave was a senior. The girl’s team, on the other hand, won their first game and seventh and eight games, but lost every game in between. Anyone you sliced it, it was still a 3-5 start for each team. Both programs were also 2-2 at home, which was a goal from the beginning – protect your home court!
The boy’s team finished the season at a respectable 9-9 record, which earned them a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. A 6-4 home record was marked by three straight wins at Dolphin gymnasium to end the season. Dave, Tony, and Walter Abrahams instilled the three “fs” into this team – fundamentals, fight, and familiarity. Dave’s dad was never too far from the action, even taking his regular turn in practice schooling the team on the finer points on the 2-3 zone defense.
Playing the number one seed, Carlton, in the first round of the playoffs was a difficult chore. The team trailed by 12 at halftime and wound up losing by 23 by the time the final buzzer sounded. But a 9-10 final record, and a trip to the playoffs, was more than enough progress for a hopeful principal and newly invigorated town.
The girl’s team finished the season with an 8-10 record and narrowly missed the playoffs. But a quantum leap in the quality of play was greatly appreciated, if not completely satisfying. Sarah had her dad at her side all season, and the team’s progress left enough momentum for the following year.
Dave went out to dinner with Sarah and Principal Doherty at the end of the season.
“You two did everything I thought you would do and more,” Doherty said as they clanked glasses full of beer.
It had definitely been a year of change for both the program and Dave. Instead of being trapped in stuffy board rooms, he was out filling the lane on a fast break. He and his former teammates reunited at least once a week to take on the varsity. The games were fairly close the first few weeks until the guys rounded into shape. They started playing so well, in fact, that Principal Doherty would often come back to the school on his days off to batch his boys on their court again.
Most of the attention thrown toward the team initially was because of these games. The local paper, The Bailey Woods Beacon, even wrote a special feature on the guys and the fact that Dave and Tony had come back to coach the teams. Dave was even quoted as saying, “The school’s all-time leading scorer, Sarah Lindberg, has also come back to coach the girl’s team.”
Nostalgia was definitely a draw - at least in the beginning - but the team’s hustle and gritty play filled about half of the stands by the end of the year.
The dinner was pleasant and Principal Doherty picked up the tab before taking his leave.
“I expect at least the second round of the playoffs from both of you next year,” Doherty said on the way out. “Have a few more before leaving.”
He got a hold of the waitress before leaving, “Make sure you keep the drinks coming to that table,” and then he handed her a fifty dollar bill.
An hour later, both Dave and Sarah were pretty sauced.
“So, what’s the story with you and that boyfriend of yours?” Dave asked.
Sarah rubbed her elastic face, “I don’t know. I think he’s cheating on me with this slutty waitress from Hooters.”
“What makes you think that?” she asked.
Rachel squinted, “Because I was over his apartment one night and my hands slipped between the cushions of his couch and I pulled out this.” She held a name tag in her right hand that said HOOTERS in orange lettering with the name Cindy beneath it.
“What kind of name is Cindy for a hooker, anyway? It sounds like “Sin” with a “d,” she stammered.
She pulled her purse out and said, “I have to find my keys,”
“No, no! You’re in no condition to drive home. Why don’t you crash at my place? It’s just down the block.”
“Ok, one more beer and then we’ll go home,” she said.
The two star athletes turned coaches drained one more Budweiser and then weaved back-and-forth down the street to 44 Dolphin Drive.
She looked up at the number of the town house and said, “You know, I always wanted to wear 44 after watching you, but the girl’s jersey was too small.”
“You take my room and I’ll sleep on the couch,” Dave said as he walked her to the bedroom before stopping in the bathroom to take a piss. He then walked back into his room and tucked Sarah in and kissed her on the forehead.
She smiled and slurred, “I love you, Dave,” as he moved out of earshot.
“Love, Dave,” he said as turned on the TV and plunked down on the couch. He was out cold within seconds, but woke up a few hours later and turned off the TV before heading to the bathroom again to unload another 20 ounces of beer. He flushed the toilet, walked into his room, took off his shirt and then crawled into bed.
The hazy evening turned into the extremely bright morning, as Tony returned from his mom’s house where he stayed over from time to time. He took his jacket off and was headed to the bathroom until he passed Dave’s room. Seeing the half-naked body of Sarah lying on Dave’s bare chest prompted Tony to double-back and say, “It’s about time.”
Sarah heard Tony’s voice and opened her eyes while yawning. She then squinted and saw Tony and said, “Good morning, Tony.” Then she heard another familiar voice that mumbled, “Morning, TD.”
She snuggled on Dave’s chest and then a tidal wave of disorientation spread through her like wildfire. Tony continued to the bathroom as Sarah quickly sat up and checked to see if she was wearing clothes. She was wearing a bra and panties and had trouble locating her shirt, which wound up under the covers. Sarah stopped briefly to check out Dave’s full, tent-pitching, morning package. Her left eyebrow rose until she remembered her boyfriend, albeit a cheating, asshole of a boyfriend.
Dave thought he was dreaming about having a girl in his bed. It had been over six months since he left Haley, and even longer since he had been with a woman. Haley pounded on Dave’s chest and shouted, “Wake up, you big, snoring bastard!”
He struggled to open his crust-laden eyes and focus on the person ruining the quiet morning.
“Good morning, Haley,” Dave said with a smile as he yawned and stretched.
“Haley? Haley! Who’s Haley?” Sarah exclaimed as her voice got louder with each word.
Dave quickly sat up, or as quickly as a six-and-half foot man could move while still have asleep.
“What’s going on?” a thoroughly confused Dave asked.
“I was trying to figure that out myself,” she replied. “Who is Haley?”
“What? How did you and I…”
“Whateve
r!” Haley said as she slid out of bed and put her pants on and slid on her shoes. She walked briskly out of the room and turned to Tony before opening the front door, “is there any man in this town that doesn’t have a woman on the side?”
She stormed out and walked the two blocks back to the restaurant to fetch her car. Before getting in the car she scowled, “Who is Haley?”
She unlocked her car, sat in the driver’s seat, and then pulled her cell phone out of her front jeans pocket.
“Enough is enough,” she said to herself.
Usually, a face-to-face conversation would take precedent over a phone call, but Sarah decided to go for the lowest common denominator: the text breakup.
FOUND CINDY’S NAME TAGE, YOU CHEATING M.F.!
WE’RE DONE!
Without hesitation, she pressed the enter button and sent her now ex-boyfriend the message. She then navigated the buttons until all subsequent text messages and calls from him would be blocked.
“What was that all about?” Tony asked Dave as he walked into the kitchen.
Dave sat down in one of the tall chairs in front of the breakfast bar and replied, “Hell if I know? We went out with Coach D for dinner and then he left, and we kept drinking.” The hazy series of events started unraveling in Dave’s tangled mind. “She was in no shape to drive, so I told her to crash here. I gave her my bed and then went to the couch. I must have gotten up in the middle of the night and then went back to bed. I have to talk to her,” Dave explained and then tried to hurriedly stand up before Tony slowed his roll.
“Whoa! Hold on their tiger! Probably not the best time to confront her. You better let her cool off.”
Dave begrudgingly nodded in agreement.
“So, you guys didn’t…”
Dave looked up in disgust, “No! What the hell!”
Tony then gave Dave a stern look to match his tone, “What the hell would be wrong with that?”
Dave searched for a valid excuse, “But she has a boyfriend.”
“Who’s been cheating with a Hooters chick,” Tony stated.
“How did you know about that?”
Tony smiled, “Big girl and I are tight.”
Dave’s jealous eyes widened.
“Not like that, DA,” Tony explained. “You know I like my women short, fiery and full-blooded Italian.”
“Like that girl Bianca Maglia?”
Tony raised his left eyebrow, “Exactly.”
Tony knew that Sarah liked Dave for 10 years, and he saw the way they fit together like a glove when they were together. The chemistry was undeniable and totally obvious.
Sarah was so fed up by the men in her life that she decided to go away for the summer to coach at a basketball camp in Pennsylvania. Dave made several attempts near the end of the school year to get through to her, but she was a stone wall. They spent some professional time together in the late spring, launching leagues at the new rec. center. She was in a real dark period and there was nothing he could do to snap her out of it… at least for now.