Basketball practice Monday was spirited, to say the least. All 12 boys were eager to show what they could do. Monday was normally a light practice limited to shooting and rebounding drills. We shot for 45 minutes; practiced out-of-bounds plays and then players took 100 free throws, in sets of two. Tuesday and Wednesday we scrimmaged and Thursday was limited to shooting and a walk-through of what we could expect from Friday’s opponent. The kids were so hyper that I decided to change the routine and scrimmage five-on-five for a half-hour at the end of practice.
“Okay, that’s it, boys. Shower up, and we will see you tomorrow. Great practice!” The boys were tired as they headed for the locker room. I could see they were exhausted, but pleased with their effort. Johnny and I were picking up the basketballs when Matthew asked if he could borrow a ball for a few minutes.
“Sure Matthew, go ahead.” He took a CD player from his gym bag and started playing Chuck Berry music as background for his individual workout routine. For ten minutes I watched perpetual motion as he traversed the full length of the court at least fifty times, dribbling and shooting with either hand. I finally picked up the routine; right hand dribble down, through the ball off the backboard, rebound and dunk; left hand dribble back. Repeat, this time shooting a jump shot from the free throw line, repeat, this time a shot from the top of the circle. He didn’t slow down and he didn’t miss. But as soon as I thought I had spotted his routine, it changed. He started throwing the ball on the floor and diving, rolling and getting to his feet and dribbling towards the basket.
“Where’s Matthew?” Andy asked Johnny who was putting out towels. Most of the other kids were already in the shower.
“He’s still out there practicing. You should see the drill he has.”
“Tell the others,” Andy ordered, as he quickly got dressed, not bothering to put on his sweat-soaked practice jersey.
Andy arrived just in time to see Matthew diving for loose balls. He grabbed another ball and attempted to mimic what Matthew did. Within minutes there was a line of half-dressed boys strung out behind Matthew, emulating his every move. A half-hour later I blew my whistle and called a halt to the workout. “Come on boys, hit the shower. Save something for tomorrow. Matthew, didn’t we give you enough of a workout today?”
“Good practice, Coach, but if we’re going to win State we need to get in better shape.”
From that day on I stepped up the tempo and intensity of practices.
“Which project should we do, Matthew?” the student council president asked.
“They are all fine projects, Seth. It’s up to you and the rest of the group. Put it to a vote. Keep in mind that we have only five months before graduation.”
The council was trying to decide on a senior project and had narrowed a list of ideas to three. The junior class had already decided to work with the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter (MADD), to raise money and increase awareness for this worthy cause. Several students at Shorewood High School had lost family members in car accidents where alcohol was a contributing factor. It was a good cause.
The senior class wanted an even more ambitious project that would provide a legacy for future students. Ideas such as painting the football stadium bleachers or building a new practice field for the soccer team had been discarded after Matthew suggested that their project should have an impact upon the community as well as the high school.
The first project was to rehabilitate homes in the inner city for needy families. Parents and adult volunteers could provide the skilled labor and supervision while the students could provide the manual labor. “My dad’s a plumber,” one girl volunteered. “My uncle’s an electrician; I know he will help.” “My older brother puts up wall board and sheetrock.” “My mother owns an interior design store. I know she will help out with the interior decorating.”
“How do you plan to pay for the materials?” the faculty advisor asked. “I would guess that it would take $5,000 or more for each house.”
The students quieted as they considered the large number. Eyes slowly turned to Matthew for advice.
“Let me worry about this. We will need to set up a finance committee responsible for fundraising. I’m sure we can get some donations and the rest we will need to earn. I have some ideas. We already have over a thousand dollars we earned Saturday evening. For now, let’s assume that money is not a problem.” The faculty advisor kept his doubts to himself. It was apparent that the kids took Matthew at his word.
The second project considered was a broad-based community cleanup; dredging debris from rivers, picking up litter on highways, planting perennials on highways, and so forth. The list was endless.
“Isn’t this something we could do some weekend?” Matthew asked. “We could even ask other schools to get involved and make this a community wide cleanup?”
“That’s a great idea,” Seth offered. “We could make this an annual event.”
“Yeah,” another boy volunteered. “It’s a great idea, but I think our senior project should have a more lasting impact upon the community. Unfortunately, the junk we pick up this year will be back again next year.”
The third project idea came from a young man whose parents had moved from Atlanta, Georgia. “I think this community needs something for kids like me that don’t plan on going to college. School counselors help you prepare for college, but there is nobody to help find a good job or trade.” Most of the kids on student council were overachievers and planned on going on to college. The only question was which school. Nobody was interested in the boy’s idea, almost no one.
“What percentage of Shorewood students go on to college?” Matthew asked to no one in particular. “Does anybody know?”
“Last year the percentage going to college was about 65%.” The faculty advisor offered. ‘That means that about 112 seniors didn’t.”
“Is that 65% of the graduating class or 65% of the freshman enrollment?” Matthew pursued.
“I see your point. It’s hard to keep track of how many kids drop out of school or transfer somewhere else.”
“Take a guess. Would you say that another 50-100 students drop out before graduating and enter the job market?”
“That would be a fair estimate,” the advisor agreed starting to warm up to the discussion.
“And let’s not forget the number of kids that drop out of college after one semester or one year,” Seth added. “These kids need jobs too.”
Everyone recognized the enormity of the problem. “What can we do about it?” a girl asked. “What did they do in Atlanta?”
“They have an in-house job counselor, just like we do here. But they also had a community job center where kids could go and meet with representatives from trade schools, junior colleges, companies looking for employees, etc. Kids could get a good idea of what is out there and how much they could earn before they graduate.”
“Or before they decide to drop out of school,” one girl suggested. “It would be nice to see some real numbers before making the decision to drop out.”
“I bet we could get volunteers to tell these kids what it’s really like trying to get a job without a degree. That would make more of an impression than reading statistics in a book.”
“Joining the armed services is another option,” another boy suggested. “I bet the recruiters would be glad to participate.”
“Okay, are we ready to vote?” Seth asked. “Is there a motion?”
Matthew was the first to respond. “I make a motion that we do all three. The ‘jobs program’ will be our official senior project, but we will also sponsor a ‘community-wide clean-up’ and ‘home-rehabilitation weekend’.”
The motion was seconded and carried by unanimous vote, beginning five months of hectic activity.
Attendance Thursday was 100% for the first time in school history; not one student called in sick and not one parent called to ask permission to pull their student out of school early for an appointment. Nobody wanted to miss the basketball pep rally
scheduled for 2:00 PM in the school auditorium.
Rumors started floating around the school Tuesday when the pep rally was rescheduled from Friday afternoon to Thursday and from forty-five to ninety minutes. The audiovisual department, with the help of outside electricians and contractors, worked evenings installing new lighting and sound systems. A modern dance group was created Monday and the 12 girls practiced daily. The pep band was heard practicing at six AM. Something special was being planned, but only one person knew exactly what. Matthew was in charge.
I taught two Drivers-Ed classes in the morning and could feel the excitement in the classroom. I didn’t envy the teachers that had to teach one of the two afternoon classes before the pep rally.
Mrs. Pederson was trying without success to keep order in her fifth period American History class. She glanced at the clock and saw it was only 1:45; there were still fifteen minutes to go. The entire class was on edge, but Sam Arnold was acting up more than normal. He was a troublemaker who tried to get a laugh with some smart-alec comment every chance he could. He wasn’t a dumb kid; he just didn’t apply himself and didn’t have many friends. His long, unkempt hair was revolting. Mrs. Pederson had enough.
“Sam Arnold, one more word out of you and the entire class can sit here for the next two hours.”
“But I know the answer, Mrs. Pederson. It was Professor Plum who shot Abe Lincoln, with a revolver.”
“That’s enough, one more word out of you or anyone else and you all can forget about the pep rally.”
Jennifer couldn’t believe this was happening to her. She had practiced the dance number with Sally and Matthew for two hours every night this week, followed by another two hours working on her surprise. She wasn’t going to let this jerk ruin it for her. Sam was just about to make a wisecrack reply to Mrs. Pederson’s challenge when he felt someone grab his shoulder and spin him around. Jennifer was leaning over him with her forefinger two inches from his nose. She didn’t say a word, but he could see the resolve in her eyes. For a change, Sam Arnold made a wise decision and kept his mouth shut.
The auditorium was packed to capacity and students were on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Lyrics from the Queen song played softly in the background, almost too soft to discern. “We are the champions – my friends, and we will keep on fighting to the end.” The music set a mood of excitement and anticipation.
The auditorium went mute as the music stopped and the lights dimmed. A spotlight picked up Matthew walking slowly to the microphone amid scattered applause. Matthew held up his hand for silence. “We have two rules for pep rallies; nobody sits and everyone makes noise. Let’s try this again.”
The lights went dim again as Matthew exited the stage. Matthew trotted back on stage accompanied by Bill Haley’s Rock-Around-The-Clock and was greeted by a screaming audience. The decibel level hit the roof as Matthew grabbed the hand mike and started dancing to the music, encouraging students and teachers to follow his lead, and we did. The song ended and Matthew shouted for volunteers to come on stage to dance. A thousand hands shot up. “Jennifer Moore, come on up! Sally Smith, come on up!”
The girls rushed on stage to the music of Van Halen and went into an impromptu dance routine that they had practiced for two weeks. The girls had changed into coordinated dance outfits. The new sound system and amps were tested as the three dancers went through their medley ranging from Rock to Disco and culminating with the Twist. The students screamed in appreciation as the music ended and the dancers took their bows. Matthew kissed each girl on the cheek and stepped back, leaving Sally and Jennifer alone to accept the applause. He returned and joined the crowd in applause as the girls left the stage.
The crowd remained standing as Matthew grabbed the microphone and waited for silence. “The theme of this pep rally is ‘kicking ass,’” Matthew started before being interrupted by hoots and whistles. “I was going to give you examples of what I mean by ‘kicking ass,’ but there is no better example than what you just saw from Sally and Jennifer. They worked countless hours this week on that impromptu routine you just saw. It wasn’t easy, but these girls put in the time and effort to make it happen. That’s what I call ‘kicking ass’.” Students and teachers applauded again, many of them just now recognizing that this was a planned routine. They would learn that little of what Matthew does is impromptu.
“There are three parts to this pep rally,” Matthew announced loudly, holding up three fingers for emphasis, before pulling in two fingers. “My name is ….
The stage lights dimmed and his microphone went silent. I could see that Matthew was truly surprised as he looked up at the control booth at the back of the auditorium.
Music started to play as a spotlight focused on the back curtain. “Boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom.” The drum beat keep playing as the spotlight sought out the unseen performer.
“Boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom.”
The curtain moved, but the spotlight didn’t seem to notice, and continued its search.
“Boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom.”
“In the center,” a student shouted, trying to help.
The stoplight slowed and finally settled on shoes and ankles that appeared in the middle of the stage, and slowly rose as the music began.
“I call you when I need you, my heart’s on fire.”
“Tina,” voices from around the room shouted; “Simply the Best.”
I thought I heard Matthew yell something that sounded like, “sex,” but the thought was wiped away as the music continued.
“You come to me, come to me, wild and wild.”
The spotlight moved up to reveal long legs that would have made the real Tina Taylor proud.
“Give me a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams,
Speak a language of love like you know what it means”
The audience roared as the spotlight revealed the singer’s face. “Jennifer, Jennifer,” the crowd shouted as they recognized the singer. The 17-year old girl had changed quickly behind stage and looked absolutely beautiful, in a sexy and provocative way. I could hear the wows from the boys. Jennifer was now up close to Matthew, pounding a fist against his chest for emphasis as she sang the refrain.
“You’re simply the best, better than all the rest,
better than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Students raised their arms high above their head, swaying side-to-side with the music. Boys whistled and shouted in admiration.
“In your eyes I get lost, I get washed away.
Just as long as I’m here in your arms I could be in no better place,
You’re simply the best, better that all the rest.”
Although I know it was a complete surprise to Matthew, the couple acted in unison as she leaned against him for emphasis.
“I’m stuck on your heart,
And hang on every word you say
Tear us apart, baby
I would rather be dead.”
It helped that most of the kids knew the song lyrics by heart, but for those of us that didn’t, the words were projected onto a large screen along with the blown-up image of the couple on stage. I could see Matthew whispering to her as she sang the next stanza.
“You’re walking away with my heart, and my soul
Oh baby, don’t let go.”
The noise level of the crowd increased another level as Jennifer punctuated the final phrase by again pounding on Matthew’s chest. She was delivering an unbelievable performance.
Just when I thought that the auditorium couldn’t get any louder, they kicked it up another notch. The spotlight left the couple for only a couple seconds, but when it returned the auditorium erupted in bedlam to the sound of an alto sax. Matthew was on one knee, clad in a sleeveless t-shirt, displaying bulging biceps and playing the sax with the skill of a professional. The girl next to me started screaming at the top of her lungs and didn’t stop until the
wonderful performance was finished. She wasn’t alone, and it wasn’t just students. Girls on the aisles rushed to the front of the stage to get closer. This was as close to a rock concert atmosphere as you can get at a high school pep rally.
The song ended and the students applauded and screamed; “encore, encore,” and were rewarded with a short refrain;
“I could be in no better place,
You’re simply the best, better than all the rest,
Better than anyone I’ve ever met”
Matthew and Jennifer pointed at each other as they sang, and then pointed to the audience. The audience pointed back as they continued to cheer the couple, and then just Jennifer, as Matthew disappeared off-stage to allow Jennifer to accept her due. He came back and held Jennifer with one arm around her shoulder as he waited for the crowd to settle. “Jennifer, I cannot thank you enough for the gift you gave me today. This will always be our song.” He pointed at the audience. “If someone asks you what kicking ass means, you tell them about what you saw here today.”
Matthew put his shirt over Jennifer’s shoulders and asked two boys in the front row to escort Jennifer to her seat. I was exhausted and the pep rally had just begun.
“Let me try this once more,” Matthew repeated, again holding one finger up for emphasis. “My name is Matthew Wilson and I play basketball, and when I play basketball, I KICK ASS.”
The auditorium roared as video highlights of Friday’s game against Waukesha were projected onto the large screen. There were two minutes of kids diving for loose balls, rebounding, playing defense and hustling. When it ended I realized that the video showed little of Matthew - it was all about the team.”
“We lost that game,” Matthew continued, “but in the fourth quarter we kicked ass.”
More cheers and whistles.
“There was one person in particular that kicked ass, and I want to thank him this afternoon.” A video started again showing 30 seconds of Andy hustling and diving out of bounds to save the ball, and then getting up and racing down court to make the lay-up on a feed from Matthew. The play was replayed in slow motion highlighting Andy’s intensity. I cheered louder than anyone when the clip ended.
“Andy, you were the first player to believe in me as a basketball player and you gave 100% when you had the opportunity. That’s what I call KICKING ASS and I will always be in your debt. If you ever need me, I’ll be there for you.”
The auditorium erupted in applause for Andy, finally interrupted by Matthew. “But he wasn’t the first to believe in me.”
The auditorium went silent again as video screen showed Matthew tripping as he took off his warm up pants. We heard the jeers and catcalls from the Waukesha crowd for what seemed like an eternity before a single, squeaky voice proclaimed, “You can do it, Matthew, I know you can.”
Many in the auditorium laughed at the squeaky voice, but quickly recognized they were out of line. Matthew stood at the podium waiting until there was complete silence. The audio visual crew enhanced the mood by dimming the lights almost imperceptibly.
“Image yourself lost, walking alone at night in a strange neighborhood. The streets are dark and a group of strangers appear in front of you. Think of the relief when one of them asks you if they can help.” The room was absolutely silent.
“Can anyone remember when you were young, lying in bed during a storm and listening to the windows creak or tree branches scraping against the window, and feeling afraid, before your mother came in to see if you were all right?” You could have heard a pin drop as Matthew paused for several seconds.
“Now imagine leaving your friends and starting at a new school. It’s your first chance to show everyone that you can play basketball, but everything seems to be going wrong. You are alone, and there are five thousand people laughing at you. Then out of nowhere you hear a voice.” They played the tape again.
“You can do it, Matthew, I know you can.”
There was complete silence, interrupted only by the sounds of girls, and boys, trying to hold back tears. The voice didn’t sound as squeaky this time.
“Jennifer, you were the first to believe in me and I will always remember that. I’ll be there for you if you ever need me. Please come back on stage so I may thank you properly.” Cheers followed Jennifer to the stage and erupted in a crescendo when Matthew hugged her and kissed her lips. Every girl watched in envy as she returned to her seat.
Sam Arnold sat two rows behind Jennifer and thought about how he had almost ruined this day for Jennifer. He vowed he would make amends.
“My name is Matthew Wilson,” he proclaimed, holding up two fingers, “and I am a student at Shorewood High School.”
The students interrupted Matthew with cheers. They too, were proud of their High School.
“and when I’m a student,” Matthew continued, “I KICK ASS.”
More cheers.
“What do I mean by kicking ass in school?” Matthew asked rhetorically. “It means that I study as hard for exams as I practice for a basketball game. It means that I try to do my best on every exam and learn from my teachers. It means that if I do poorly on a test and miss questions I should have known, I study harder and try to do better next time.”
There was silence, but I could tell that Matthew had the attention of the faculty. “Yesterday, I asked one of you how you had done on a math test. You told me you got a C, which happens to all of us. But you then told me you could have done better, but you didn’t study. You went to a movie instead.”
Matthew hesitated. I could tell that no one was sure where he was going with this.
“Imagine, one of my teammates missing two free throws to lose a game, and then telling me he could have made them, but he was too lazy to practice free throws.”
Matthew hesitated again and you could feel many of the students start to squirm.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t study, it just makes you sound stupid. If you did study and you got a C, that’s fine. Ask me for help if you don’t understand something, or ask your teacher. They are here to teach us, and we are here to learn. Let’s not waste this opportunity. Kicking Ass means that we do our best.”
The teachers led the applause.
“Starting next week, we are going to honor three students and one teacher that have ‘kicked ass’ the preceding week. The student council will be responsible for collecting nominations and selecting the teacher, while Principal Hawkins will be responsible for nominating the students. We even have a trophy that commemorates this prestigious award.”
The trophy was projected onto the video screen, showing a mule kicking a farmer over a fence. Raucous laughter demonstrated the student’s approval.
“Today, I have made these nominations myself. Ms. Thompson, you are my teacher of the week for your enthusiasm and excitement you bring to your English class and the way you make poetry a part of our soul. Come on up and receive your just reward,” Matthew grinned, holding up a trophy with her name engraved on the mule’s flank.”
“You will notice that the students I nominate are not chosen because they are necessarily the smartest in class or get the best grades, or are close friends of mine. They are picked because teachers told me they each did something special like acing a test or in one case, getting a B+ when the student normally was getting Cs or Ds. We want to reward students that improve and do the best they can.” Each student received warm applause as they received their trophies. I could see how proud they were as Matthew congratulated each of them.
“My name is Matthew Wilson,” Matthew started holding up three fingers, “and I am a member of this community, and when I work in the community, I KICK ASS.”
There was light applause.
“We will have opportunities to get involved in many community activities in the upcoming weeks, but today I want to concentrate on one area which is the foundation of the community. I am talking about the family, your mother and father and brothers and sisters. This is the foundation of every comm
unity.”
“How many of you told your mother or father this morning that you love them? How about yesterday? I did? Did anybody else?”
There was no response. “Kelly, did you?”
“Yes, but why don’t you try to spot me out?”
Laughter.
“Kelly knows better. She is the best sister any guy could have and I don’t tell her that enough. Kelly, I want you to know that you are a great sister and that I love you. I’m lucky to have you as my sister.”
“I love you too, Matthew.”
The auditorium was quiet and Matthew continued.
“You know what, that wasn’t hard to do at all. It felt good. It made me feel better, especially when Kelly told me she loved me too.”
“I have permission from Principal Hawkins to cancel all homework assignments for tonight and to ask teachers to postpone any tests until Monday. There is just one thing that each of us needs to do this evening. We want each of you to go home this evening and tell your parents that you love them.”
Matthew paused and let this sink in.
“That’s your assignment. Say it like you mean it. Look them in the eye and say; Mom, Dad I love you. Add whatever else you want, but be direct. Tell them you love them. Don’t say that ‘you know’ that I love you; the only way they know is if you tell them. Okay?”
He again paused to let everyone know he meant it.
“One more thing. I have reserved five restaurants for dinner this evening starting at 6:00 PM. The list and menus are posted on the bulletin boards. Invite your parents and tell them it’s your treat. It’s our way to show your gratitude for all they have done. If you can’t afford it, just sign your name and we’ll find some way for you to earn the money. I want everyone, and I mean everyone, to attend. Teachers too, bring your husbands and wives. We won’t take attendance, but I hope you all can make it.”
“I have to baby-sit,” a girl in the back row asked, almost in tears.
“There will be some conflicts and I apologize for not giving you more notice, but try. Do your best. If you need to pay someone to baby-sit, give me the bill and I will see that you are reimbursed. If you try, but can’t make it, I will understand.”
“That’s it; I hope to see you all tonight. I plan on making the rounds with my parents to all five restaurants. Principal Hawkins has a brief announcement. Principal Hawkins.”
“There will be a brief meeting for faculty in the teachers’ lounge. Students, you are dismissed and I hope to see all of you this evening.”
Queen’s “We Are the Champions” music blared as we vacated the auditorium, much louder than when we walked in. The audio visual team had done a tremendous job on short notice.
Chapter 9 - Dinner