Junior Year Box Set

I stood and started walking away, but stopped and looked back at him with a grin.

“So, defensive captain, if you have any more problems with self-confidence, just let me know.”

I turned and walked to the locker rooms. Damn, that felt good.

◊◊◊

After my shower, Coach Diamond stopped me before going to my next class.

“Stop by Coach Hope’s office before practice.”

“Anything I need to worry about?” I asked.

“No. Now get to class.”

I wondered what he needed to talk about, but quickly forgot when I arrived my AP Trigonometry class. Ms. Lowden gave everyone a quiz and afterward asked Halle and me to come to her desk. She wanted to make sure we were ready for our final on Friday. I was fine, but Halle seemed to need some help, so Ms. Lowden offered to tutor her to get her ready.

The rest of the day followed the same pattern. All my teachers wanted to make sure I was prepared for Friday. Coach Zoon and Mr. Hicks actually gave me study guides for their classes, which I thought would be a big help.

◊◊◊

After my last class, I strolled over to Coach Hope’s office, and he was just leaving it.

“Our meeting has been changed.”

I followed him towards the school office, and we soon found ourselves at the office of Mr. Hicks, our athletic director. My dad, Tom Dole, and Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan were already there. I didn’t have long to wonder what was happening, because Mrs. Sullivan, the head of the Booster Club, stood up and addressed us.

“I wanted to get the core group together and invited Mr. Hicks to attend to discuss some enhancements to athletics at Lincoln High. The first concerns fitness and conditioning. I’ll let Tony explain what he’s thinking.”

“I’ve been talking to Coach Mason, David’s quarterback coach, about getting the team ready for next year. David came to me and gave us some good ideas. I talked to Coach Mason about them, and he had an alternative solution. It’ll cost some money, so I called Mrs. Sullivan to see if the boosters would help.

“Coach Mason suggested I check out the National Strength and Conditioning Association,” Coach Hope said. “A rather legendary strength and conditioning coach named Boyd Epley founded it. He is considered the father of all the fitness programs found in football today. He was at Nebraska in the ’60s and ’70s and helped turn them into a national powerhouse.

“The NSCA offers different types of certifications. The one that Coach Mason recommended was the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, or CSCS. It’s for professionals who design and implement strength training and conditioning programs for athletes in a team setting. He suggested that Ms. Kim and Ms. Grimes get their certification. I talked to both of them, and they would both agree to do it. They are even willing to commit to stay here for at least two years after they get their certifications, assuming we pay for their training.

“In the meantime, we need something now. I’d like to hire someone to come in and help us implement a program for all athletes at Lincoln High. Then whomever we hire would come back periodically, check our progress, and make any tweaks that are needed. Of course, Ms. Kim and Ms. Grimes would be involved in all of this and eventually take over the program. Coach Mason tells me that this is the quickest way for us to get the results we need. He assures me that they can help players like Jim and Johan put on the bulk needed without endangering their health and without losing speed or agility. They can also help players like Ty with their speed work,” Coach Hope said.

I always believed in getting professional help when you needed it, so I was an easy sell. Mr. Hicks was worried about what all this would cost. I found it amusing when he was fearful that he might have to pay Jill and Becky more if they had certification. The condition that they would stay on for a specific time after they got certified would help, I thought.

The next topic made me perk up.

“I’ve been in contact with Coach Rector, the defensive coordinator for Springfield. As some of you know, Coach Zoon is leaving us. David can attest that Coach Rector is one of the best high school defensive coaches around. The only problem we have is that he’s asking for more money than there is in our budget for that position. He has agreed in principle if we can come up with the funds. He’s promised to stay at least two years and to groom his replacement when that time comes.

“I believe I have a solution to at least next year’s money situation. I’ve found a replacement for Coach Diamond, who’s leaving us to be the head coach at Washington, and this replacement has volunteered his time. Coach Mason has agreed to take over as offensive coordinator. I doubt David’s going to be happy with the change because Coach Mason has told me that he’ll no longer be running the ball,” Coach Hope said.

“I’ll just play defense,” I said.