The Coaches Daughter | E. Jaeger

01

You'd think you'd be used to it by now... Moving every year, sometimes even twice in those 365 days.

You've adjusted to becoming comfortable with your environment, but this is a new challenge. And that challenge is a small town completely dedicated to its high school football team.

Your dads been coaching since before you were born, but it's been college teams and high schools that are in big cities. Not a town that you can't even find on a map.

When you looked it up on the internet, all it showed was the high school football teams stats. There were no parks or museums or anything worth mentioning.

Only football.

You wish that you could've stayed at your old school. Seeing as how you're a senior now and it would've been nice to not have to adjust to a brand new school. But not only that, the academic support of a school in the city would be beneficial to your education. Now you're living in the middle of nowhere and that's not something you see helping you out much.

But unfortunately your dad is the one who supports the family and this new coaching job is going to pay him more than any of his other ones. Which is honestly surprising since he was coaching college teams in the past.

This town really takes its football seriously...

"You ready to help out today?" Your dad glances over at you from the drivers seat as you lean your head against the window, watching the bland architecture of the town flutter by.

"Always," you mutter quietly.

"Where's the excitement, kiddo? You're always happy about going to practice with your old man," he chuckles, trying to lighten your dull mood. He knows how you feel about this move.

"I guess I just need some time to settle in still," you shrug.

"Well I'm sure you'll be busy with this team. The town really takes this sport seriously and there's a whole bunch of stuff going on all the time. The booster clubs are having events every week to raise money and I'm sure you can make some friends that way, so don't worry too much. You'll fit right in."

You hope he's right and you're confident that he is, but currently you're just going to mope around until something here gives you a reason to be happy that you moved.

From what you've seen so far, you find that it's going to be quite a challenge.

Your dad pulls his truck into a parking spot in front of the field house that has a sign with his name printed in solid black ink and the label "head coach" right below it.

"They really rolled out the red carpet for you," a semi-sarcastic laugh leaves your lips as you hop out of the vehicle.

While your dad gets out of the truck, you glance back at the field and find a large team of uniformed football players warming up in rows and are evenly separated to give each other space.

They're counting aloud and their deep voices echo across the field as they complete their jumping jacks. While you're busy watching the team, your dad goes to the door of the field house and holds it open for you. "Let's go, Kid. We got a team to meet."

You tear your attention from the boys and head inside the stuffy building. It smells like sweat and mildew from the copious amount of teenage boys who occupy the space. You're sure none of them wash their practice gear and by the looks of it, the locker room hasn't been cleaned in ages.

There's piles of towels and jerseys all over the floor and the trash in the corner of the room is overflowing with wrappers and discarded food.

"Over here," your dad pull your attention and makes his way down a small hallway where a door is located.  His name is on a plaque right in the middle of it . "This is my office."