Page 32 of Saving the Halfback

Coach looked down at his papers. “We have that. Wait here a minute.” He walked back into his office.

“Twenty-three?” I asked Lachlan.

He shrugged. “It was your number in tykes.”

“You remember that?”

“We have a picture of our team on the wall in the store. All the teams we sponsored are up there.” Huh, cool.

Coach returned a moment later with a silver helmet and stack of clothes. “Your pants. If they don’t fit, let me know. There’s your jersey, and let me check the fit of the helmet.” I tugged the helmet on. The fit was snug but not tight. “Looksgood.” Coach tapped it a couple times. “See you out there.” He handed me the rest of the stuff.

“Is she offense or D?” Nolan asked.

“Offense,” Coach said.

Nolan nodded and turned away with us, walking down the hall. “You’re going to wear your silver jersey during practice. Just bring your gear down because we warm up without it…most times.”

“Okay.”

I went to the girls' change room and took a lock from my bag, claiming one of the lockers in there for my gear before heading outside to the field.

A lot of players were already there, stretching and talking. I set my bag down in the line of others. Despite wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, I was still frozen, but I knew, once I warmed up, I would be fine. Most of the guys wore shorts and a T-shirt. I spotted Chase over by the bleachers, talking with Hadley and her friends. A few parents were already there, ready to watch the practice.

Coach came walking down not long after with two other adults. He waved me over. “Bailey, this is Coach Jamieson.” He pointed to the middle-aged fit guy wearing a black cap with the silver panther, our school's mascot, covering his blond hair. I shook his hand. “And Coach Tates.” Tates was younger than the other coach. He had large shoulders and arms but a small waist, his arm muscles so large, they pulled his shirt tight. He had a black, neatly trimmed beard. He also wore the same school ball cap. I shook his hand. “They are our defense coaches, but you will still be working with them. Today, they’ll go through safe tackle techniques with you and two other players who just joined. Coach Bryer will be here soon. He and I work more with offense, so most of our drills will involve you. Once thewhole team gets here, I’m going to go over our schedule with everyone.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Have you had a chance to go over the playbook?” Coach asked.

Pretty sure the crunch study session I had this morning ingrained a good five plays into my head. “Yeah, I’m getting through it.”

“Keep it with you, and any chance you get, memorize those plays. Don’t let anyone else see the book, all right? Keep it close.”

I nodded to him, and he and the other coaches moved away to talk. I noticed others sitting down and putting their cleats on, so I did the same. I was just finishing tying the laces when Nolan and Lachlan dropped down on either side of me. “I’m telling you, the mere existence of water vapor on the surface proves there are extraterrestrials,” Nolan was saying.

“Couldsupportlife.Could. That doesn’t mean there is life,” Lachlan said, winking at me.

Coach interrupted their debate by calling the team together. Once he was through introducing me and the other new players to the team and what the practice and game schedule was like, he started in on a lecture about professionalism and working together.

“Remember,” Coach continued, “our goal isn’t to obtain a certain position, right, men? Our goal is to play as a unit, as a team. Positions are given to best fit, not longest played. Understood?”

A few “yes, sirs” sounded. I knew joining was a big commitment, and somewhat intimidating, but it had just dawned on me how much Dad would have to take on without me to help bring the crops in, right during harvest season too. I’d have to work more on the farm in the evenings to make up for it.

“During practice, you are expected to be ready. Don’t gear up until we tell you to, but I do want you all to warm up on your own and do your run. Cleats on the field are a must.” Coach paused. “Go.”

To my surprise, Nolan jumped up. “Let’s go, Panthers,” he commanded and began jogging. I quickly pulled my hoodie off and tossed it down.

Lachlan sighed. “I don’t want to run today,” he grumbled but got up all the same.

Everyone got into formation to do the exact same run they had Tuesday morning. Nolan was in front, jogging, and every time he yelled out, the person from the back had to run all the way to the front. Stupid me was in the back of the line already, Lachlan in front of me.

Off Nolan ran, leading everyone. The signal came, and I realized that, no matter how difficult this would be, no matter how much my legs were about to burn, I had to go. I had to show them I could keep up.

I sprinted forward. I focused on what was in front of me and gave it my all, overtaking the line and sweeping in front of Nolan. I saw the smile on his face as I passed him, so I stuck my tongue out at him.

I did it.

As we made our jog around the field, and more and more players sprinted to the front, I relaxed and was able to focus on the exercise. I was worried and almost expecting comments and sneers about me being a girl. How I wouldn’t be able to keep up. However, as we finished our jog and moved right into stretches, which morphed into teams doing more warm-ups, I found it was the opposite. These guys might act like fools in class, in school, but out on the field, they were focused. Yes, they joked and taunted one another, but no one doubted my abilities. I was justanother player. Lachlan was right—everything else was left off the field. We were a team.

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