weights,
I don’t think you can do what needs to be done here,” Ronnie said.
Then, upon seeing the competitive looks the boys gave him, he continued, “I realize
you’re just boys and not full-grown men yet, but the football team has already bowed
out gracefully, so feel free to do the same. The football team does have the agility,
but not the strength, required, and I fear you boys might have the strength but not
the agility.”
After a moment of awkward silence, one of the boys took off running and did a series
of flips, different from what the girls were working on but still impressive. The
boy was much better than anything Ronnie had seen from the girls. He stared at the
boy for a full minute and then the boy completed the same series of flips the girls
had done. When he was finished, Ronnie walked over to him and paired him by size with
one of the girls on the team.
After positioning the boy behind the girl, Ronnie put the boy’s hands on the girl’s
waist and said, “Pick her up and stand her on your shoulders.”
“I…I can’t,” the boy said after a moment.
Kaitlyn came over and began working with them on using his hands as a step to allow
the girl to get up and around onto his shoulders. Then she helped hold the girl in
place. The girl and boy were both wobbly and Ronnie motioned for the girl to get back
down. They
all
needed balance and strength training.
“Go get a bar with twenty-five pounds on each end and bring it back in here. I want
you to walk the length of that bottom bleacher row in a straight line while doing
curls,” he said to the boy. “Congratulations,
private
, you just made the team.”
The girls began cheering and congratulating the boy and a couple of them even hugged
him. The boy stood stunned for a minute before looking over at his buddies, who seemed
jealous of all the attention the boy was receiving from the girls. Then the boy smiled
at Ronnie and headed out of the gym.
A few of the other boys walked over to the mat now, including Chase and Stevie. Ronnie
watched them for a minute as the girls tried to explain how to do some of the flips
and then demonstrated them. Chase seemed to catch on fairly quickly and was able to
complete part of the flips, though not well.
“You ladies have two weeks to get these boys doing those flips or we move on to the
next group of boys. We don’t have time for
wannabes
. They either cut it or they’re out. Boys, be prepared to work or join the ranks of
your football team and just give up now.”
“Let’s see
you
do these flips,
Sarge
,” Stevie said sarcastically.
For once, being the only boy right in the middle of four girls while growing up would
pay off. When Ronnie was little, the only reason his older sisters let him anywhere
near
them was because he could do these kinds of flips when they could not. He couldn’t
remember what half of the flips were called but knew he could still do a couple of
them, and a lot better than the boys who were left in the gym.
He walked into the middle of the mat and the remaining boys all backed away from him.
When there was enough room, he did the one flip that had made his sisters crazy jealous,
which didn’t even require running. After he landed and watched the boys’ jaws drop
open, he said, “What now, bitches?”
Most of the kids started laughing so he headed over to the bottom bleacher where the
other boy was now standing holding the barbell. Ronnie could feel the eyes of the
entire group of kids on him. He wasn’t the type who would order others to do what
he couldn’t or wouldn’t do himself. That philosophy had earned him respect in the
army and would hopefully do the same in this situation.
Two weeks. He could handle coaching these kids while keeping this whole thing quiet
for two weeks…or at least until they found a new coach.
Chapter Six
“Addie, I’m home!” Kayla yelled as she entered the
I don’t think you can do what needs to be done here,” Ronnie said.
Then, upon seeing the competitive looks the boys gave him, he continued, “I realize
you’re just boys and not full-grown men yet, but the football team has already bowed
out gracefully, so feel free to do the same. The football team does have the agility,
but not the strength, required, and I fear you boys might have the strength but not
the agility.”
After a moment of awkward silence, one of the boys took off running and did a series
of flips, different from what the girls were working on but still impressive. The
boy was much better than anything Ronnie had seen from the girls. He stared at the
boy for a full minute and then the boy completed the same series of flips the girls
had done. When he was finished, Ronnie walked over to him and paired him by size with
one of the girls on the team.
After positioning the boy behind the girl, Ronnie put the boy’s hands on the girl’s
waist and said, “Pick her up and stand her on your shoulders.”
“I…I can’t,” the boy said after a moment.
Kaitlyn came over and began working with them on using his hands as a step to allow
the girl to get up and around onto his shoulders. Then she helped hold the girl in
place. The girl and boy were both wobbly and Ronnie motioned for the girl to get back
down. They
all
needed balance and strength training.
“Go get a bar with twenty-five pounds on each end and bring it back in here. I want
you to walk the length of that bottom bleacher row in a straight line while doing
curls,” he said to the boy. “Congratulations,
private
, you just made the team.”
The girls began cheering and congratulating the boy and a couple of them even hugged
him. The boy stood stunned for a minute before looking over at his buddies, who seemed
jealous of all the attention the boy was receiving from the girls. Then the boy smiled
at Ronnie and headed out of the gym.
A few of the other boys walked over to the mat now, including Chase and Stevie. Ronnie
watched them for a minute as the girls tried to explain how to do some of the flips
and then demonstrated them. Chase seemed to catch on fairly quickly and was able to
complete part of the flips, though not well.
“You ladies have two weeks to get these boys doing those flips or we move on to the
next group of boys. We don’t have time for
wannabes
. They either cut it or they’re out. Boys, be prepared to work or join the ranks of
your football team and just give up now.”
“Let’s see
you
do these flips,
Sarge
,” Stevie said sarcastically.
For once, being the only boy right in the middle of four girls while growing up would
pay off. When Ronnie was little, the only reason his older sisters let him anywhere
near
them was because he could do these kinds of flips when they could not. He couldn’t
remember what half of the flips were called but knew he could still do a couple of
them, and a lot better than the boys who were left in the gym.
He walked into the middle of the mat and the remaining boys all backed away from him.
When there was enough room, he did the one flip that had made his sisters crazy jealous,
which didn’t even require running. After he landed and watched the boys’ jaws drop
open, he said, “What now, bitches?”
Most of the kids started laughing so he headed over to the bottom bleacher where the
other boy was now standing holding the barbell. Ronnie could feel the eyes of the
entire group of kids on him. He wasn’t the type who would order others to do what
he couldn’t or wouldn’t do himself. That philosophy had earned him respect in the
army and would hopefully do the same in this situation.
Two weeks. He could handle coaching these kids while keeping this whole thing quiet
for two weeks…or at least until they found a new coach.
Chapter Six
“Addie, I’m home!” Kayla yelled as she entered the
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