Summer Camp
On Monday morning, the phone rang.
“Hi Nick. This is Bonnie Toth, the summer camp staffing coordinator for the kids in the 9-12 age group.”
“Hi.”
“I’ve gone through the resumes and you’re qualified for a position as one of our assistant camp coaches. Can you come in this afternoon for an interview? We have a tight schedule as camp starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. We need an assistant coach on the fields from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. five days a week, Monday through Friday, through the end of July.”
“Sure!”
“Excellent,” Bonnie said just prior to giving Nick directions to the recreation facility.
Later that afternoon, Nick interviewed with Bonnie for the position and was hired. He was thrilled that he’d be starting as a camp coach the following day on the city’s football fields.
The following morning, he arrived on the fields at 8:30 a.m. and looked for his new boss, Don Winston. The interviewer told him that Don was a retired professional football player who volunteered for the parks department in its summer camps programs each year. He was a big name in the late 1980s and early 1990s when he played for the Bears and the Bucs. Nick had heard of him before.
“Hi, you must be Don,” Nick said as he walked up to a tall, muscular black man who was standing next to a large bag on the sidelines.”
“You guessed it. And you’re Nick?”
“Yup. This is my first day on the job, so just let me know what you need me to do.”
Don pointed to the large bag, “This bag has pockets containing footballs, jerseys, and flags. Go ahead and sort the jerseys by size, pull the flags out and set them up separately, and put the footballs over there.” He pointed to a small clearing. “The kids should be here in just a few minutes. There are always some who are early. Oh, and change your shirt into this one.” He pulled a red shirt from a separate bag labeled ‘coach’ on the back.
“Sounds good,” Nick said as he changed shirts. He proceeded to sort the equipment as directed.
A few minutes later, a boy walked up.
“Is this the Orange Bay summer football camp?”
“You got it son,” Don said. “What’s your name?” He grabbed a roster from a bag next to him, along with a pen.
“Danny Perez,” he said.
“Um, okay, I see your name. Coach Nick has your gear so you can go ahead and get changed. Feel free to wear the jersey over your shirt if you want, or you can use the port-a-lets to change.”
Nick handed him a jersey and a belt with the flags and the boy put the shirt on over his own. He went to the bleachers where he sat down and waited for the rest of the kids to show up. Other boys followed and soon they numbered twenty. Full house.
Don blew the whistle to let everyone know that it was time to start. “Okay kids, come on over here and let’s form a huddle. My name is Coach Don and I’m here with Coach Nick. Your first plan of action is to listen closely. I’m going to share the rules of the game with you, along with the city’s rules of the field, before we begin.”
The kids formed a circle around Don. Two of the boys, Parker and Aiden, sat next to one another and nudged one another. They nudged one another again. Nick walked over and said, “Hey, cool it. You guys have to listen to Coach Don. It’s all about respect, authority, and rewards. The rewards are great if you play by the rules.”
“Hey, don’t you play for State? You look familiar,” Aiden said.
“Yeah, backup quarterback. I haven’t had much playing time. Surprised you recognize me.”
“I know all of the players on State. I hope to go there one day on a football scholarship. My uncle went there a while back on a football scholarship.
“That’s great. Well, work hard and play smart and you’ll increase your chances.”
“Thanks Coach,” Aiden said.
Nick studied Aiden. He had a thick build and dark brown eyes and a dark brown complexion. He looked like a young football player. He got up and moved away from Parker and sat down next to another boy a few feet away. Parker watched him as he left and shook his head. His freckled face framed his down-turned, saucer-shaped hazel eyes, which shone under his straight, matted brown hair. He was leaner and taller than his counterpart.
Coach Don blew his whistle and said, “Boys, are you ready to listen.”
A halfhearted “yes” followed.
“That’s ‘yes sir!’”
“Yes sir,” they replied in unison.
“Yes sir,” Coach Don said loudly, “I can’t hear your voices when you whisper like that.
“Yes sir!”
“Good. Let’s play some flag football. The rules of the field include no swearing, only sportsmanship-like conduct, no littering, no animals, and treating each other and your coaches with respect. Can you all play by the rules?
“Yes sir!”
“Good. The rules of the game are consistent with those of regulation football, but there is absolutely no tackling. We don’t want any concussions or other injuries. You understand?”
“Yes sir!”
“Good. I understand you’ve all played before and are familiar with the rules of the game, so let’s get started.” He separated the group into two teams randomly and all took to the field. Coach Don led the game and the calls, while Nick rotated the players on an off of the field. While doing so, he had a chance to get to know a few players, including Aiden and Parker.
“Coach, can I go in now?” Parker asked after rotating out of the game for two downs.
“Hold on, after this down you’ll go in for Jackson.”
“Okay,” he said as he looked out onto the field, “Coach, how about if I go in for Aiden? He’s playing QB and that’s what I do best.”
“No, right now you’ll go in for Jackson. Aiden hasn’t been on the field for very long. I’m going to rotate everyone through all of the positions to see what fits you best. You’ll play both defense and offense.”
“Okay Coach.”
Nick could tell that Parker and Aiden had a history with one another, and seemed to want to pick on each other, so he figured he’d keep them separate that first day. They seemed fine when acting individually, as both seemed respectful when away from the other. He decided to get them to focus on teamwork over the course of the summer program. Kids need to learn to get along with one another.
A couple of hours later, the group went for lunch, sitting at the picnic tables between the football and baseball fields.
“Did everyone bring a lunch?” Don asked.
“Yes sir!” A few answered.
“No sir!”
“Okay, who needs a lunch?” He asked. To Nick’s surprise, fourteen of the twenty kids hadn’t brought their lunches.
“Don,” he whispered, “didn’t they know they were supposed to bring their lunches?”
“Of course they knew. Most of them come from impoverished families, so they’re sent here without food. I supply it to them. That’s my way of giving back.” He opened a large cooler, which he’d lugged to the picnic tables from his truck during the practice break, and pulled out twenty large bags containing sandwiches, carrots, and apples. He further distributed bottled waters, bags of chips, cookies, and extra sandwiches for the especially hungry. Many seemed especially hungry, and Don was prepared. Nick was inspired.
“This is great, Don. I really like what you’re doing. I’ll bring the food and drinks tomorrow!”
“You don’t have to do that Nick. That will probably eat up all of the money you’re earning here. No, that’s my way of giving back. I had a successful career in the pros, so I need to do something. You can do something else.” He paused for a minute and added, “The kids really need a mentor. I’m a mentor to them, but you’re closer to their age. They’ll probably better relate to you. See those kids Parker and Aiden over there,” he said as he pointed to the two Nick had talked to earlier.
“Yeah.”
“They’re two Collins’ kids, from a community foster home. They could use a mentor. Both have had troubled pasts and they need a good role model. Lead by example, Nick, and you’ll make a tremendous difference in the kids’ lives.”
Nick studied Parker and Aiden. They didn’t seem troubled, per se, but they were picking on each other. “Just like brothers,” he thought.
“Okay, then. Glad to be a mentor. Thanks Don.” He walked over to the table where Parker and Aiden were sitting and took a seat in the middle.
“Hey guys. Good to see you today.”
“Thanks Coach,” Aiden said. Parker and the others chimed in a “thank you” as well.
They made a bit of small talk while eating their lunches. When lunch was finished, all got up and threw away their bags, napkins, and cups and prepared to return to the field. That’s when Nick decided to talk to Aiden a bit more.”
“So, what brings you here? Love of football?” Nick asked.
“Yup. Love of football. Sometimes I just need to get out. You probably know that I’m one of the Collins’ kids. Parker is one too. My parents are dead. Died a couple of years ago. Car accident. My dad was driving. Drunk.”
“Geez, I’m so sorry to hear that Aiden.”
“He was always drunk. And mean. But I loved my mom. She never drank like him. She should have been driving that night instead of him.” Aiden wiped a tear from his eye.
“Hey, thanks for opening up with me on that. I’m sure it’s hard to tell people.”
“Thanks. What’s worse is that my uncle adopted my little brother. He said he couldn’t handle both of us. It’s just not fair.”
“Be strong Aiden. Have faith in your future. I know you’ll do great things one day,” Nick said as he looked behind Aiden and noticed Parker, who appeared to be eavesdropping.
“Hey there, Parker.”
“Hey.”
“So you’re a Collins’ kid too?”
“Yup. Life sucks for me. But the home isn’t that bad.”
“Wanna open up about it?”
“Nope,” Parker said.
“No problem. I’m here for you.”
Nick watched Parker as he ran across the field to gather his gear for further practice.
“His parents are in prison. They were addicts and had a meth house,” Aiden said.
“Wow. That’s a tough one,” Nick said.
“Yeah. Well, I’m going to grab my gear,” Aiden said, just before running across the field.
“Sounds good.”
Nick took notes on each of the kids’ talents as he assisted Coach Don during the practice. He determined that they all had something to offer the team, and that several were blessed with extraordinary athletic talents. They could even secure college scholarships if directed properly. “They just need the right guidance,” he said to himself, “and to stay out of trouble in their later school years when trouble always rears its ugly head.”
***
After practice, Nick again walked up to Aiden and Parker.
“Hey, it was great practicing with you guys today. I can see you’ve both got a lot of talent. Aiden, you’re a natural out there. Great arm and great throw. And Parker, wow! You run faster than most of the guys I know on the college fields. Keep it up, boys, and you’ll make names for yourselves.”
Aiden looked at him, “Thanks Coach. Your words mean a lot to us.”
“Yeah, thanks Coach. See you tomorrow,” Parker added.
Nick watched them with a smile as they left the field and climbed into a white van that was waiting for them in the parking lot. He wanted to help those two kids, and he wanted to find out more about the Collins’ Foster Home and about the other kids there. He recalled success stories from Barbara Collins’ speech at the luncheon. “Hopefully they’ll find success,” he thought.
He watched them climb into the van and close its door. Then his eyes turned to its driver. A woman. Drawing closer, he realized that he knew the woman: Piper McCoy.
“Wow! What a coincidence.” His eyes opened widely as he took a deep breath.
“More than a coincidence,” he huffed as he began strolling towards the parking lot. He had to say hello. This was too much. This was….meant to be. His pace picked up as he watched her turn her head and look at him. Tilting her chin up with a slight smile, she acknowledged him and backed the van out of its parking spot. Then she changed gears into forward and drove away.
“Nice to see you too,” he whispered.
As he walked back towards the field, his thoughts moved away from Piper and back to the kids. His first day on the new job had been great. “This isn’t even like work. It’s fun. I’m helping them and, actually, they’re helping me.”