"Look, Mrs. Tyler," Mr. Radcliffâthe high-school basketball coach (and former European basketball superstar)âsaid, "I'm gonna be honest with you, even if it goes against school's policy."
"What do you mean?" She raised her eyebrow, inspecting carefully the tall, balding man, who still retained his physique from the years he was considered a stud of the courts.
"We've been told
never
to say bad things about the students;
always
to encourage them, even when...
well
, the fact of the matter is, Mrs. Tyler, Mark doesn't have it.
"He's really trying, I'll give him
that
, but, in the end, he's simply not good enough. I just thought I should tell
you
first; perhaps, you'll be able to ease it in on him.
"If I tell him that, he'll just claim I'm discriminating him for...something, I'm sure he'll find a reason to blame
me
. But, if
you
deliver the bad news, maybe, he'll accept it, maybe, he'll find something else, something he's actually good at."
"But," she protested and leaned forth, brushing her long, brown hair back, "he's trying so hard! All he wants, all he ever dreamed of, is to play basketball; I mean..."
"I get it," he nodded, with a faint frown. "He's not the first, nor will he be the last. And, trust me, it's
always
hard to deliver these kind of news; telling someone, especially a teenager, that they're not good enough to accomplish their dream.
"But, if we don't...well, if Mark works three times,
four
times harder than the rest of the team, he'll become...an average player, at best. Even if he works ten times harder, if he practices 24/7, if he...he'll never rise up above mediocrity.
"While, on the other hand, he probably has a talent at something else, something...where he can excel. And that's the biggest problem here; to convince him to abandon his fruitless dream and chase something else.
"To help him find a new dream to pursue. Mrs. Tyler," he added, when he noticed her aghast look, "I'm being too harsh, I know, but, it's for Mark's best interest. If I make you understand the situation, then, you'll be able to help Mark efficiently.
"I could easily just tell youâlike the school would probably want me toâthat Mark can achieve anything, as long as he works hard. I ought to encourage you to encourage Mark to continue pursuing his dream...but, I can't.
"I've seen too many people fail, because no one ever told them the truth, and how it affected them; maybe, Mark won't mind he'll never be a star. Maybe, he'll be content knowing he'll only ever play in second-, or third-rate teams. But, right now, he's dreaming of a NBA career and he's convinced himself he's got what it takes...
"It'll be extremely tough on him, if we let him believe he's got a chance; Hell," he chuckled dryly, "I once thought I'd make it to the NBA. I never did; I was never that good. But, I remember how it felt, when I first realized I didn't have what it takes.
"I was devastated; I even contemplated suicide once or twice. Eventually, I accepted it and focused on my career here in Europe, but...yes, there was a time I felt completely worthless.
"And Mark's heading toward the same direction; this is why I'm telling you all this, Mrs. Tyler. I don't have a grudge against Mark, nor do I want to hurt him. I just want to protect him."
"Mr. Radcliff," she said, with a heavy moan, "while I appreciate your concern and...your advice, I just...can't tell Mark all this! Basketball is
all
he does,
all
he's interested in!
"You know that! So, if I were to tell him..."
"Yes," he interrupted her with an acknowledging nod, "I know. I never said it's gonna be easy. I know it's gonna be hard. But, ever since I became a teacher, I realized one thing; we're encouraging our children way too much. We try not to break their hearts, not to devastate them, and we allow them to believe they'll...achieve far more than they're capable of.