Page 19 of Anti Player

“I said leave it,” he repeats, and I can see he’s stirred up so I do.

“I’ll drive,” he says since I never answered him. “Maddie gave me a booster seat for Asher.”

We head over to the camp and pick up Asher. When he sees me his face lights up.

“Hi,” he shouts, running up to me.

“Hey, buddy, how was your day?” I ask him.

“Hey, don’t you say hi to your uncle?”

Asher shrugs. “Hi, Uncle Brett.”

“Did you play soccer today?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “We played floor hockey, went swimming, and did arts and crafts.”

“Sounds fun,” Brett says.

“It was okay,” Asher replies, and his voice sounds bland.

“Well, guess where you’re going tonight?” I ask with excitement.

“Mommy said I can go play hockey in your camp,” Asher says to me.

“Would you like that?” I ask him.

“I don’t really know how to play,” Asher states.

“That’s okay. There are teachers there who will help. Uncle Brett is one of the teachers,” I say.

“Can you teach me, Uncle Brett?” Asher asks. He really is adorable, but I also get the feeling he seems a little sad or maybe lonely.

“You bet,” Brett confirms. “You might as well learn from the best.”

I shake my head and laugh at Brett’s antics.

We head out and drive over to the complex we rent out for the camp. It has an arena but it also has a large indoor field made of fake grass. Ideally, it would have been nice to find an outdoor location since it’s summer and the weather is great, but there weren’t many options available in the city and this place is central.

When we arrive to the complex we begin to set up. My staff begins to show up and I give everyone a list of the campers. We go over safety and then the guys from the team go to each subgroup and review what activities will be done today. It’s mainly the college students running the program with us as the helpers who come in and give some tips.

I place Asher in a group with kids his age. We have a great turnout this year. I started the foundation last year and this year’s camp has grown by thirty percent, but it really isn’t about the numbers. I greet parents as they drop off their kids. We even have kids in high school who come out to play. Everyone participates. It helps the guys from the team are here because most of the kids have an idea of who they are, and they are excited about the whole process. Last year it was such a good feeling to hear from parents what a change the program had made in their children’s lives. Knowing you are accepted and you can succeed, no matter what, makes a huge difference. In the middle of the program the entire camp breaks for a snack.It’s at this point I use my megaphone and talk to the kids about my own journey with stuttering. Some of them may be too little to understand, but I know from parent feedback that it makes a difference for those old enough to understand. Besides, the young ones still enjoy eating their popsicles and hanging out.

During the second part of the program, I head over to Asher’s group. Brett had been helping them earlier and he moved on to touch base with the older kids.

“How is it going?” I ask Melanie, their counselor.

“Really good.” She grins.

“Good,” I reply.

Since these kids are young, we play some games with them. Melanie is playing Under the Bridge and so I join in too. I notice Asher talking to one of the boys and it makes me happy.

By the end of the night the parents slowly trickle in and pick up their kids. We serve the kids pizza at the end of the night, so that they go home happy and on a full stomach.

The counselors stick around to clean up. Since Brett and I came in one car, I tell him to take Asher home because he’s yawning, but he assures me it’s fine and tells Asher to take a seat on a bench and relax.

I walk around the complex, ensuring we haven’t left a mess, when Melanie comes up to me. She wasn’t with us last year, so I don’t really know her. She looks to be in her twenties with a cute blond bob, blue eyes, and a sweet smile.

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