Playing By The Rules

3. Caleb

The next morning, I received a text from Coach Stone. It asked me to meet him in his office during lunch period. The text didn't mention why Coach wanted to see me, but I assumed it had something to do with the fight in last night's game.

I found Coach Stone sitting in his office, leaning comfortably in his chair as he read the school paper. Maybe a recap of last night's game. I wondered if it mentioned my performance. The two goals, of course. Not the fight.

I knocked twice on the door, and that got his attention. Coach Stone looked up, set aside his paper and motioned for me to enter.

His office was typical of any workspace. A long mahogany table sat in the center of the room, with various items covering its surface. I could see Coach's clipboard, buried underneath a neat pile of notes. Besides these items were two framed photos: one of his family on vacation, the other from our first championship victory two years ago. My beaming smile was at the front and center of that photo.

"Take a seat, Caleb." Coach Stone gestured towards the two guest chairs and I took one. "Do you know why I asked for you today?"

"My fight last night?"

"I'll be straightforward with you, Caleb. I was not pleased with that. You've been in the league for what, four years now? You know the rules. Fighting is strictly prohibited. That scrap made you look bad; it made the team look bad."

"He threw the first punch." Coach Stone still didn't get it. I should not be at fault for protecting myself.

"I know he did. It was a cheap shot, but it wasn't unwarranted. You were taunting him the entire game."

I didn't respond. Coach's comment caught me by surprise. I didn't think he noticed my mind games. After all, I kept each interaction short and my voice low.

Thankfully, Coach moved on from that subject. "How long have I coached you for, Caleb?"

"This would be our fourth year."

"Four years. In these four years, you went from talented rookie to arguably the best hockey player on the team."

Arguably? I was the best player on the team since my first game. Although I wisely kept my mouth shut, it would have been difficult for Coach Stone to argue otherwise had I brought it up.

I led the league in all major offensive categories over the past three years. Goals, assists, shots. Even penalties. My offensive numbers smashed records left and right. Rookie records. Playoff records. Career records. I was voted as the most valuable player in the league for all three season. There was no denying it; I was a star.

"Thanks, Coach."

"But raw talent will only get you so far in hockey." Again with the Jekyll and Hyde routine. I could never receive a straight compliment from him. "You'll need a positive attitude to succeed."

I had a positive attitude. I was positive that I was the best hockey player in the league.

"There are certain things that I expect from my players, especially veterans like you. Discipline. Teamwork. Leadership. Caleb, I haven't seen any of these from you."

My discipline and teamwork skills definitely weren't the strongest, but depending on how leadership was defined, I was pretty strong in that department. I mean, I did lead our team to back to back city championships.

"I'll work on it, Coach." Not really, but the priority here was to get Coach off my case. I didn't need another lecture during my lunch break.

No luck.