“Water break!” barked Coach Forsythe. The girls slowly followed the team to some water coolers on the side line as the Coach walked up. “How are you doing?”
“Hanging in there” Julia announced defiantly but the look on her face suggested otherwise. As the girls got a drink, the Coach explained what lay ahead. “The team will be breaking out by position for some individual practice. Are you all familiar with the various positions on the team?” Seeing that they were not totally sure, he continued
“When our team has possession of the football, the players on the field are the Offense. By rule I can send 11 players out. We try to put 5 or 6 of our biggest boys in a line where the ball is placed as Blockers. They’re called the Offensive Line. When the play starts, the ball is snapped to the Quarterback behind the Blockers. He is like a General. He can decide to give the ball to 1 or 2 players behind him, they are Running backs, who will try to run forward to gain territory. He can also choose to run himself behind the blockers. The Quarterback can also throw the ball to a Running back or any Wide Receivers. Those are the players you see take a spot a few yards separated from the Offensive Line before the ball is snapped.”
Looking at Jessica he said “Garrett. Height is helpful for Receivers. I’d like you to practice with that group.” Next he focused his attention on Julia and Tammy. “Munroe and Duncan, I’d like to see what you can do with the Running backs.” He knew from experience that their smaller size meant most Football positions would be unsuitable for the two but Running Back was a possibility. If they were quick and evasive, they might avoid getting beat up in the upcoming tackling drills. At least he certainly hoped so.
Jessica Garrett was probably the best athlete among the three girls. The Receiver drills consisted of running a specific pattern and catching the ball thrown to them. An example might be ‘Down and Out’, run 10 yards down field and break suddenly to the side line. Jessica could run the patterns and catch the ball fairly well. Her confidence began to grow as she noticed she was about as good as the boys she was practicing with.
Julia and Tammy were having far less success. The Running back drills involved taking the ball from the Quarterback and navigating a veritable gauntlet of barriers and players hitting them with large pads as they ran by. They were frequently getting knocked down or tripping over an obstacle. It wasn’t long before each were in obvious pain. Coach Forsythe could hardly fault their determination as they kept getting back in line for another go around.
*****
Meanwhile Chris and his friends were having about as much success as Julia and Tammy at just learning even basic cheers. A specific Cheer was made up of any number of specific moves carefully choreographed together with a chant. The moves seemed to be named sensibly like the “Bow and Arrow.” This move involved one arm straight out at the side and the other bent at the elbow with a fist over the chest.
Coach Bosley had described the pattern for the cheer “Get a Touchdown!“ as a series of the following moves. “Clasp : Bow and Arrow Right : Bow and Arrow Left : Low V : Punch : Low Touchdown : Touchdown.”
The boys only halfheartedly executed the moves and chant. Coach Bosley was not happy. She expected the team to move as one and the boys were abysmal at keeping synch with the rest of the squad. After each unsuccessful try she would bark “Not good. Again.” The other cheerleaders began to give annoyed looks to the boys as it was clear they were the reason for Coach Bosley’s displeasure.
About 60 minutes later she ended practice but ordered the boys to stay behind. The three took a seat on the front row of bleachers as she paced in front of them. The look on her face exhibited her disapproval.
“I have to say that I am very disappointed. I had no expectation that you would know the moves that make up a Cheer but it was evident to me that you weren’t even trying to do them right. Do you think Julia, Jessica and Tammy are running at half speed through Coach Forsythe’s practice.” The tone of her voice was controlled but her anger still managed to leak through.
“I’m sorry Coach. We will try harder” Chris quickly apologized. Jake and Simon added their own pledges . Her tirade seemed to have shocked the boys out of their complacency.
Changing to a more encouraging tone she said “Alright boys, let’s see if you mean that. I want to teach you some tumbling moves. We’ll start with a Cartwheel.”
*****
The three girls were walking back to the locker room after practice had ended. Julia pulled her helmet off and let out a sigh “On the bright side, we didn’t die”. She was surprised to see a look of shock on her friends faces.
“What’s the matter?”
“You will see when we get inside but maybe we shouldnt’ wear makeup during football practice” Tammy said sheepishly.
Julia laughed once she saw her image. The sweat from practice had reacted with her concealer and foundation to form visible caking as it slid down her face. In effect, it looked like her face was melting.
‘Note to self. Take off makeup before practice tomorrow.’ The girls were grateful the boys hadn’t seen their makeup disaster. It was clear they had finished cheer practice and had already left. Julis was doubly happy the boys also weren’t around to hear the groans of pain as the girls removed their bulky pads.
*****
“I had a feeling they weren’t going to take this challenge very seriously and I was right” Rebekah complained to John over dinner. The two had briefed each other on how their respective practices had went.
“Let me tell you, the girls worked as hard as they could all practice. I couldn’t ask for a better effort. But I really began to feel sorry for Julia and Tammy. They were getting blasted in the Running Back drills. Yet they kept getting right back up and going again” John said.
“Sounds like Jessica could be a decent Receiver”
John agreed “I just have to figure out what would be the best position for Julia and Tammy now”. Even though he considered this all a brief experiment, he was a Coach and he would always do his utmost to put a player in the best position to succeed.
“I’m sure you will come up with something” Rebekah assured him. John slowly finished his meal as ideas ran through his head.
*****
Julia was trying to ease the soreness from her body as she soaked in a hot bath. Her thoughts were focused on anything but her aching muscles though. She had heard from her Cheer squad friends about the boy’s lackadaisical attitude during practice today.
‘Chris just won’t admit that he thinks the Cheerleader squad is a joke’. Any thoughts that she or the other girls had of giving up after a single practice had evaporated. As she relaxed in the tub, a sudden mischievous inspiration came to her.
‘Chris and the boys think they can just show up and win this challenge. Time to put some pressure on them tomorrow.’
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