Body Check (11 page)

Brent nodded. “I know.”

“I was only… the coach said to send them a message!
I wanted to… make them respect us. But I didn’t… I wish I hadn’t done it!”

Mr. Johanssen looked in. “Can I get you boys anything? Something to eat or drink?”

“No, thanks,” Brent said. Cam shook his head. A phone rang, and Mr. Johanssen said “I’ll get that” and left the room.

Cam slumped back on the couch. “You must think I’m a total jerk. I think I am.”

“I don’t, and you’re not,” Brent said. “What happened tonight was really terrible. But anyone might have done what you did.”

Cam said, “Oh, yeah?
You
wouldn’t have done it.”

“Well… probably not,” admitted Brent. “But I have an older brother who taught me what to do and not to do. A lot of guys on
the team were ready to ‘send a message’ tonight. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“If that guy is, like, really hurt… I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Mr. Johanssen came in and sat by his son. “That was Coach Maxwell on the phone.”

Both boys stared at the man.

“He says that the boy will be fine. He’s awake, and there’s no serious damage. They’re keeping him for observation, so if
you want to see him tomorrow, son, that would be all right.”

Cam took a deep breath and said, “Oh, man. Am I happy to hear
that.”

Cam’s father went on. “I also asked Coach Maxwell if there was a chance that he might reconsider and stay with the team. I
think he’d be willing.”

“You mean he’d work with Coach Seabrook?” Brent asked.

“I mean
instead
of Coach Seabrook,” Mr. Johanssen replied, looking grim. “I’m setting up another parents’ meeting, and I think the result
will be very different. In fact, I’ll guarantee it. You boys aren’t the only ones who learned from what happened tonight.
Grown-ups make mistakes, too. Bigger ones because we ought to know better. But we can learn from them, and I’m pretty sure
most of us did.”

A few nights later, in the same meeting room, there was a similar gathering of parents and players. There were several more
people than the previous time.
Neither Coach Maxwell nor Coach Seabrook was there when Brent and Cam and their fathers arrived.

Mr. Johanssen went to the front of the room. “If I can have everyone’s attention —”

“Where’s Coach Maxwell?” someone called out.

“I expect him any moment,” replied Cam’s father. “I know he’s willing to continue as the Badgers coach, and I also assume
that we want him back. Does anyone want to discuss this?”

“What about Coach Seabrook?” called out another father. “Is he coming back?”

“I can only speak for myself,” said Cam’s father. “I don’t accuse Coach Seabrook of wanting anyone to get hurt, but I saw
all I wanted to of what he calls being ‘winners’ the other night. I wouldn’t want Cam playing if he was going to continue
as a coach. My guess is, he knows enough not to even try.”

Barry’s father, who had been in favor of Coach Seabrook at the first meeting, got up to speak. “I made a mistake the other
night, and now I’m willing to admit it. After what happened, I realize that Coach Maxwell is the kind of man I want running
my boy’s team.”

“Anyone opposed to bringing Coach Maxwell back?” asked Mr. Johanssen.

Nobody said a word.

“Well, that’s that,” he said. “Now as soon as —”

The door opened, and Coach Maxwell walked in. With him came two other people: a young man Brent didn’t recognize and Vic Seabrook.
Vic looked very nervous.

Mr. Johanssen came forward and shook Coach Maxwell’s hand. “We already took a vote, Coach. We want you back, if you’re still
willing to return.”

“I’d be happy to,” said the coach. “I’d like to say a few words, if I may.”

“There’s the mike,” replied Mr. Johanssen.

“Thank you,” said Coach Maxwell. “First of all, I’d like to say that I know that everyone regrets what happened at the game
the other night, and we’re all thankful that nobody suffered a serious injury. I think it’s important to remember what happened
but not to dwell on it. Let’s move on from there and not get involved with pointing fingers or assigning blame.”

The coach waved the young man who’d come in with him to his side. “This is Evan Halliwell, who played on my first Badger team
several years ago. Evan went on to play college and semi-pro hockey, and now he teaches physical education not far from
here. He’s kindly agreed to work as my assistant coach. I know he’ll be helpful and that he’ll teach the boys a lot.

“Also, I asked Vic here if he wanted to continue with the team. He wasn’t sure he’d be welcome after what happened, but I
told him that I was sure that everyone realized that he wasn’t to blame in any way. I expect him to be treated like everyone
else on the team.”

Vic looked up at Coach Maxwell and smiled.

“Does anyone have any questions or anything they want to say?” asked Coach Maxwell.

Mr. Johanssen cleared his throat. “Uh, only that everyone is really happy to have you back, Coach. And I’m sure we all want
to welcome Evan and Vic as well.”

The coach nodded and smiled.

“That’s that, then. Okay, all I have to say is that our next practice is the day after tomorrow, and we have a lot to do,
so all you boys had better get your rest and be ready to go to work.”

Brent thought that it was the greatest thing he’d ever heard.

Read them all!

Baseball Flyhawk	Dirt Bike Runway
Baseball Pals	Dive Right In
Baseball Turnaround	Double Play at Short
The Basket Counts	Face-Off
Body Check	Fairway Phenom
Catch That Pass!	Football Double Threat *
Catcher with a Glass Arm	Football Fugitive
Catching Waves	Football Nightmare