Page 10 of Saving the Halfback

“Bailey. Bailey McCormick.”

“Okay, take an easy jog around the track to warm up, and then come back to me.”

With a quick nod, I turned around and started my jog. Nolan fell into step next to me. “Well?” he asked.

“He wants me to warm up and then go back.”

“He’s going to test you,” Lachlan said as he appeared on my other side. “Look.”

I glanced over to the center of the field, where the coach was now setting up pylons.

Ethan stood at the one in the middle of three, looking grumpy as ever, and another guy stood at the one farthest away, both with stopwatches in their hands.

“All right, Bailey,” Coach said as I finished my jog, “I want you to run past the second pylon. Don’t slow down or stop. Ethan is going to take your time at twenty yards, and Greg will get your time at forty yards.”

“Okay.” I lined up at the first pylon and waited for the Coach's signal before I took off running.

When I made it past the third pylon, I turned around and jogged over to Coach as he looked at the stopwatches with a smile. He didn’t say anything to me when he stepped back, blew his whistle, then called Lachlan, Nolan, and another guy, Mark, over.

“We’re going again, forty-yard dash on my go.”

I lined up with the three guys, Nolan grinning from ear to ear. “Four point six,” he said to Lachlan.

Lachlan scoffed. “Four point four.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

Mark groaned. “They are betting on their times. They always do that.”

Coach gave the signal, and we took off. I had to push myself harder than my first run to keep up with Lachlan and Nolan. Mark was behind me, Nolan in front, only by a couple steps, but Lachlan had a larger gap for the lead. This time, I was out of breath.

Coach gave a low whistle as he looked at the stopwatch.

“What did I get?” Lachlan asked.

Greg rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t timing you.”

“Boo.” Nolan frowned.

“One more time,” Coach said.

This time, I was ready for it. Lachlan was faster than I had anticipated, but if I just pushed myself a bit harder, I was sure I could outrun him. Coach gave the signal, and I pushed forward. “Shit,” Lachlan said as I got a lead on him right out of the gate, though it wasn’t long before he pulled ahead, laughing at me.Nolan and I finished neck and neck; I wasn’t sure which one of us made it first.

“For a female at a competitive level, I expect to see five to five-point-two seconds for the forty-yard dash. Bailey, your time was four point seven. That’s amazing and highly unusual for someone just starting. I’m sure we can hone in on that. Lachlan”—Coach turned to him—“your start is sloppy. Bailey beat you by nearly half a second.”

Lachlan frowned. “What was her start time?”

“One point nine six,” Coach said. “Okay, boys—and Bailey. I want to see the three cone drill, and then we will switch to the pop pass drill.”

“I thought we signed up for gym class, not another practice,” Mark grumbled.

Coach laughed. “Young man, you are on the team. Every moment of being at school is a practice. Make sure you are ready for that, Bailey. Practices every morning, weightlifting, games every Friday, and review days every Saturday. If you are on the team, there is no time for friends and other activities. Football and schoolwork is your life.”

I nodded. I didn’t have any friends, and I had no activities, aside from chores and farm work, but I could work that out with Dad, I was sure. “I can do it,” I promised Coach before he turned away to set up the next drill.

“I won.” Lachlan grinned.

“Didn’t count,” Nolan protested, folding his impressive arms across his chest. “They didn’t time us, only Bailey.”

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