The girls practiced with a new found fire in the their eyes after my story last night. I didn't just put my foot down I cemented it in concrete. They knew I was here for a job and I wouldn't stop until it was finished. I decided to reward as they were just fine tuning what they started yesterday and let them scrimmage while also letting the two younger keepers pick their teams. I was resting Ashlyn and Alyssa as they were worked harder having to save 3 shots rather then 2. Ash and Alyssa would coach, ash being paired up with A.D and Alyssa being paired up with Jane.
Jane picked the younger players as she meshed better with them knowing they were quick and fast learners, up for change and direction.
I had to stop the scrimmage short as Kelley was getting into with Tobin and Tobin wasn't having it. The shoving match took my attention away away from Pugh sending the ball over crossbar by 30 feet on a great cross from Lavelle. I blow my whistle stopping play indefinitely. I sprint towards the two vets who were soon if not stopped would be throwing haymakers. I grab Tobins jersey and throw her back from Kelley.
Everyone is just staring in awe at the fact that cool, calm Tobin was actively involved in an altercation. "EVERYONE OFF THE FIELD!" I say causing the players to snap out of their trance like state. I grab the two players before they could head for the sidelines. "I will speak with both of you later now it's time to run a Sicarii. I don't care what happened as of now take off your pennies and get on the end-line. You know the rules no talking, no back talk, you quit halfway through and I will put through something worse then the Sicarii and I will make you show up for practice tommorow. Understood?" My voice was stern. I was highly disappointed in the two vets. I was looking at them to be team captains and on the pitch leaders but after that just played out, they might be out of the running.
"Understood!" The both shoot back.
"Start!" They both start as I follow behind them. The two seemed to be racing each other which is stupid as I don't go off of a set number of laps but a time frame. Towards the end of the 20 minutes they were slowing down and becoming sluggish. By the 20th minute it seemed as if they would just drop onto the floor. "Stop!" They sigh in relief only once they realize what is coming next.
I blow my whistle and watch them go. Kelley's mouth has been opening and closing as if she was going to back talk me but decided not to at the chance of doing something worse then this. Tobin has just been focused the whole time.
Once they finish Kelley looks like she wants to bash my head in while Tobin is just trying to stay on her feet and hide her obvious fatigue.
After giving them both a 5 minute break to catch their breathe I hand them both their 20 pound plate and let them go. Kelley keeps glancing st me as if she had the chance to make a break and leave. But after continuously reminder that I am watching her makes her just huff and continue. I stop hen after their 2 lap. I grab the two hurdles form the sidelines and set them up.
"Go!" I check my watch and see they have been at this for 2 and a half hours.
I see Kelley glaring at Hope while Tobin hasn't lifted her gaze from the ground. Kelley stops and I see her try to stand up to leave and pull and Allie but Hope stops her and warns about what may lie ahead. Kelley ends up finishing while Tobin had been stuck.
The fatigue had set in and is having a hard time making it over the hurdle.
I walk towards Christie. "Get the girls on the bus. Me and Tobin will be our past dinner take everyone's gear and I trust my AC to take control. Leave her gear and call it. What rep was she on?" I decide to stop the public viewing of this.
"She was at rep 88 but after so many failed attempted she's at 64."
"Thank you." She nods and heads off as Tobin fails yet another rep.
I can see the disappointment clear on her face. She tries one more time and her stud gets caught up on the hurdle causing her to fall. She tried to get up to attempt again. I put my hand on her back. "Stop."
I can tell she wants to argue with me but decides against it. " I know you want to prove yourself." I look up to make sure everyone has left. "You're not doing anything besides stressing yourself out and risking injury. Sit up, put your hands over your jeans and rest." She does as told.
She still refuses to meet my eye. "Look I don't care that you didn't finish it. You will be doing something else but let's rest." She nods. I walk over to the sideline and grab two protein bars as well as two water bottles. I walk back to her and hand her the items.
She nods before happily taking the items and eating. I put away the equipment left on the field. I grab my notebook and start working a new plan.
I give her some time before sitting next to her. "I want you to know that I am not mad about you not finishing. I know you are harder on yourself then I am. I just want you to focus on getting your breathe right now. Why did you push yourself so hard in the first workout?"
"I-I just wanted to prove that I can put pace Kelley!" She sounds frustrates taht she failed her goal.
"That's why I hate running running this with two or more people. Now how are you feeling any cramps, stitches, pain?"
"Nothing physical!" She states pissed.
"I asked about pain. Not physical injuries. Where does it hurt?" I ask becoming more concerned.
"It's nothing?" She says as if she trying to convince herself.
"Tell em where it hurts?"
"Here." She points towards her her shin where she took the hurdle at and also points towards her hip.
"Let me stretch your hip first then we will tape your ankle."
She just nods still not meeting my gaze. I lift her leg and start moving it to relive some pressure.
After her hip is good after many asked questions. I tape her ankle and have her walk on it just to make sure. "Heath I see you as a leader. When you speak people listen. I don't want to have to lose a good captain because she got caught up in the moment. So we are going to do a simple workout. Since you didn't quit. I save that for quitters and if I wouldn't of stopped you you would still be fighting for those reps. I respect players and people like you."
She starts shaking her head, which is cute but I'm a coach and I can't show favoritism. "You don't have to say that. I did the one thing you told us not to do, the day after you told us not to do to." She dismisses
"Do you know how many times I've quit?"
"Like 20 times?" She retorts
"Probably 7,000 times."
" you're just saying that!"
"I'm going to tell you a story and if you aren't laughing by the end of it then there is something wrong. So my high school was stupid small like if all the girls didn't play most sports then we wouldn't of had enough people to even have a team. So my friend Sarah asked me to try out for the volley ball team. Because I was tall. Well to say the least the only reason I made the team was because I was taller then all the girls. Well we had a scrimmage against another school and that coach fought me to get me into those tight spandex shorts. So I played the first two games in basketball shorts. And the the county was like you have to wear the proper uniform. So you know what I did as soon as my coach handed me the spandex shorts I grabbed them a ripped then in half. She anticipated that so she gave me another pair. So I grabbed them mother fuckers and put them on my head and told her she and her spandex shorts could go fuck themselves. And I quit two games into a 18 game season."
Tobin by the end of my story is in stictches. "Sorry." She takes a moment to get herself under control. "Did you really wear them on your head?"
"Yes I even have a photo to prove it. Give me a minute and I'll find it." She just nods as I scroll through my photo.
Once I find it I show her the photo that sends her into another laughing fit.
After composing herself for the second time she asks her question. "Did they really expect those to fit you?"
"Yes."
"Oml."
"Look Heath we are going to do a simple workout. Once you finish you can change into some clean sweats and I'll take you to grab something because we probably won't get out of here till 8 at the least. The good with you?"
"All good."
====
The spandex story actually came when I got into road biking to stay fit except I didn't rip mine, but I did put them on my head and flipped off the lead rider who had assembled the group.