Page 43 of Heat It Up (Off the Ice)
I clench my teeth together. It’s not Nik’s fault he has to even suggest it. He’s not the one I’m pissed at.
And since I don’t want the boys to know I’m not thrilled with this arrangement, I release a long breath and will myself to get over it. Easier said than done.
After the boys finish their laps and we guide them through the stretches, I ask, “Who’s heard the term plyometric training before?”
A few hands are raised.
“Hockey isn’t just about being strong. It’s about combining speed and strength to provide power behind your movements. Or in physics terms, the rate you can move an object with as much force as possible. With skating, that translates into how fast you can skate down the ice and therefore beat your opponent to the puck.”
I explain what plyometrics are and why they’re an important part their conditioning program. “We’re only introducing you to them. Once you get higher up in your hockey career, they’ll be a key part of your training.”
After we guide them through the warm-up, Nik walks them through each exercise we want to teach them, starting with the standing long jump. I provide the necessary feedback. The workout is simple for now. The goal is to teach them proper technique.
I try to focus my attention on the boys, but memories of kissing Sofia sneak in. Memories of our texts before I showed up at the soccer practice also sneak in. Especially the text in which she jokingly asked if hers were turning me on.
I hadn’t been turned on, but one question has bounced around in my head ever since: what is her stance on phone sex? This is usually followed with me wondering why I’m even thinking about it.
Following the afternoon session on the ice, I join the boys in the classroom to analyze the video of a NHL game from last season. Afterward, they’re dismissed for the day, but one player remains. He shifts on his feet and looks everywhere but at me. Which is odd since Mikko is normally confident and tells it as it is.
“What can I help you with?” I ask.
“You understand physics, right?”
I nod. I’ve occasionally explained the physics behind a skill to show how the skill works. “Is there something you need help with?”
He hesitates for a moment and nods. “I’m taking the physics course this summer, but I’m not doing well in it. It makes more sense when you explain things to me.”
One of the camp’s features that makes it different from others like it—other than it’s offered for eight weeks instead of for just one—is that the hockey aspect is combined with summer school. It enables the boys to reduce their course load for the school year so they can focus more on the sport during hockey season.
“If you want, I can try to help you Tuesdays and Thursdays after camp.” The days when Sofia is too busy to hang out with me.
“That will be good. Thank you,” he says. I walk him out of the classroom and meet up with the staff for our regular weekly meeting. By the time we’re finished, Sofia’s at the movie with her grandmother.
Nik has plans, so I head back to our apartment and read my emails. My old agent sent me a message, checking up on me. He does that every so often. He hasn’t fully accepted my career as a player is over. Before the accident, I was making two million dollars annual salary.
But this email is different from the previous ones.
Hello Kyle,
Hope things are going well with you. I wanted to let you know of two career opportunities I’ve heard about through the grapevine. Both would be perfect for you given your experience and background.
He goes on to explain the positions. Both are with college hockey teams. One is for an assistant coaching position in Seattle. The other one is a scout in Texas. He tells me not to wait too long if I’m interested.
I email him back, thank him, and briefly fill him in on my stay here. Then I spend the next hour thinking about the two positions. Both are far from my family, not that Finland is a five-minute drive from their house. But Finland is temporary.
In the end, I update my resume, write cover letters for both positions, and email them to the contacts Ben sent me. At least if I land one, or something similar, I’ll still be involved in hockey, even if it isn’t as a player.
Sadness and pain grip my heart hard at the thought and I grab a beer from the fridge. Once it’s finished, I drink a second one while watching mindless TV. It takes me a few minutes to realize the show’s in Finnish.
Get over it, Kyle. You need to move on. That’s why you’re here. Remember?
Helsinki is a chance for a fresh start after my year of moping around, drinking, and screwing anyone willing to spread her legs. So far the only thing I’ve cut back on is the moping. I’m still drinking, just not as much as before. When it comes to screwing, other than the one time with Sofia, I haven’t fucked another girl in a few weeks. Which is impressive when you think about it. I have a feeling it has more to do with Sofia than anything else. After tasting her, she’s the one I crave.
Unable to stop thinking about her, I send her a text:You’ve had phone sex while watchingStar Wars. True or false?
Sofia responds almost immediately.Isn’t that like every guy’s fantasy while they’re watching Princess Leia in her bikini?
That wasReturn of the Jedi.
