-Youth Football-
It seems like such a long time ago that my son Chad was in youth football, asking me after every game why Tony always got to be quarterback. I kept being positive and told Chad that if he practiced real hard the coach would give him a chance someday. However, even my twelve year old son probably suspected that as long as Tony was the coach's son, Tony would always be the quarterback.
Chad's thirty four year old motherβthat's meβhad other plans. As a divorced, single Mom, I knew how to stand up for myself and my son. The other parents saw me as a generally reserved, introverted woman who never missed her turn to provide snacks. I'm sure most of the fathers assumed, from my quiet behavior on the sidelines, that I just didn't care. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.
As the season progressed, I got more and more perturbed with Tony's father, a bulky, arrogant loudmouth named Mike. Since he was destined to never coach the Packers, he took it out on every youth football team he was ever associated with. The only player exempt from ridicule was Tony, of course.
I have to admit that sitting back and watching some of the fathers nearly come to blows with Mike was truly entertaining. But it wasn't worth the torment he put the kids through and as I watched Chad get more and more disinterested in a game he really loved, I decided to act.
I didn't have a great knowledge of football. I didn't think I had the most talented son. But I had a weapon. I was a very attractive, young, blonde woman. I had something all those irate fathers didn't have. I had a figure to die for, a face made for TV news, and a desire for my son to get a shot at being quarterback.
Mike had shown an interest in me from the first day of practice. At least, he did when his wife wasn't around. I only talked to him a couple of times, and never for very long, so I'm sure it pleased him to no end when I stayed late after practice one morning and approached Mike when all the other parents and kids had left.
Chad and Tony were out on the field playing together.
"Hi, Mike," I said. "Do you have a moment?"
"Of course, Mrs. Dunn."
"Please call me Charlotte."
"OK," Mike said with a sordid grin. "What's up?"
"I know you must get asked this a lot. But I wanted to know, from you, what your plans were for letting the kids play other positions during the season," I said with as innocent a voice as I could muster.
I'm used to not always having a man's full attention when I begin talking to them. I gave Mike's eyes an opportunity to come back up to my face about the same time he was beginning to formulate a response to my question.
"Well, Charlotte. Every kid on my team always has a chance to play any position he wants...as long as he can prove to me he can do it," Mike said.
"Even quarterback?"
"Well, now," he stammered before coughing and pausing to collect a thought. "Quarterback's a difficult position, Charlotte. You see, a quarterback has to be able to call the plays, run, pass...and it's dangerous. He's liable to get...."
"Who else have you let practice at quarterback besides Tony?" I interrupted.
"Well, uh, nobody. Because, you see, Tony was quarterback last year and, um, he's the best at that position we've got."
"How do you know that?"
It was warm out, but most of the sweat forming on Mike's forehead wasn't from the heat alone. I didn't give him a chance to come up with another lame reply.
"Mike, I have a suggestion for you," I said.
I waited for him to acknowledge me.
"Yes?"
"I suggest you let Chad play quarterback in one practice and then one half of the game after that," I said.
He had the look of somebody who had just been told he had a terminal illness.
"Well, Charlotte. You see, I don't know if just one practice will be enough for Chad to get the plays down in order to...."
"You don't think he's smart enough, Mike?"
"No. No. It's not that. It's just, well, you know...."
"OK, Mike," I said calmly. "Here's the deal. Can you have Brenda take Tony home with her after practice next week? Tell her you have an errand to do afterwards. Anything. Make something up."
"Um, yeah. Sure. I can do that."
"Good. Let Chad be quarterback. Then we'll talk again after practice. Just you and me. In private."
I was leaning forward, nearly whispering. The park where the kids practiced was very isolated and surrounded by woods, especially the parking lot. I knew what I had planned for us, even if the not-too-bright Mike was slow in comprehending.
Then I'm pretty sure I saw the bulb light up behind Mike's eyes.
"Yeah. OK, Charlotte. I can do that," he said with a nervous smirk. "We'll talk about it."
I smiled, winked, and called for Chad.
It wasn't uncommon for Chad to spend time at a friend's house on a Saturday. One set of parents, in particular, were really good at agreeing to have him over to keep their only son occupied for a few hours. That boy was on Chad's football team and the parents gladly accepted my offer on Wednesday to have Chad leave practice with them on Saturday.
The last obstacle was out of the way.
Luckily, Saturday morning was even warmer than the week before because I chose to wear my tightest tank top and a skirt I never would have worn before my divorce. I set up my lawn chair and sat back to watch Chad's first day at quarterback.
I wasn't sure who was happier: Chad at quarterback or Mike when I again and again timed the crossing and uncrossing of my legs to his looking over at the sideline.
Chad did great. I was actually pleasantly surprised at his skill and several parents praised him during time outs. Only two people asked me, both in jest, how I managed to get Mike to agree to let Chad play instead of Tony. I just smiled and shrugged.
Finally, the practice was over and parents and kids slowly packed up and left. I told Chad how proud I was of him and told him to have a good time at Billy's. I watched him leave and then lingered while the last set of parents left and just Mike and I were left at the field.
"Can I carry that chair for you, Charlotte?" Mike asked.
"Sure. Thanks."
We walked together to the parking lot and we put the folding chair in my trunk. Mike put the team's equipment in his own car.
"Get in," I told Mike, holding the passenger door of my car open. "I want to talk to you."
As he climbed in, I walked around to the driver's side. Between my tank top and my skirt, he seemed totally lost on what to watch as I got in. He attempted both while I settled into the seat and turned on the engine to get some cool air flowing.
I looked over at him.
"Thanks for letting Chad play. He seemed really happy," I said with a grin.