Coach Richard Wilson's voice could be heard above everything else. There
were hockey players in drill lines, taking shots at the goalies in each of
the goals. "Keep shooting, come at him relentlessly!"
A female voice could be heard from the far end of the rink. "Hey!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Gaffney. By the way, great save!"
Charlie ambled over to where Coach Wilson stood. "How's it going, Coach? I hope we've been meeting your expectations."
Wilson barely turned his head from his observations. "Yes, of course. Coach Orion has prepared you excellently. Did you need anything?"
Charlie hesitated for a moment. "Well, I was just wondering if you were posting positions today. I don't want to rush you or anything."
Wilson nodded absently. "Yes, yes, of course. I've seen enough to make those decisions today."
"Have you already chosen a captain?"
"Yes, I'm fairly certain I know whom I am going to choose. I'll make the announcement in the locker room today. Is that all?"
Charlie searched Wilson's face for any clue. "Yeah, that's all—"
"Oh, great move, Adam! Have you been working on that this summer?"
Charlie started skating away when Coach Wilson finally turned to him. "Oh, and Mr. Conway, thank you for showing Barry how to refine his deke. That shows real leadership there."
Charlie tried to hide his smile. "Thanks, Coach."
Coach Wilson entered the men's locker room with a quick shove of the door. "Alright, good work today, guys." He paused for a moment and left the locker room. Wilson's voice could be heard next door. "Are you girls decent? Come on over into the other locker room."
He reentered the locker room, this time with Julie and Connie in tow.
Wilson held up a single piece of paper. "I'm posting positions today—but of course, as the season goes on I'm willing to move people up or down depending on how hard you're all willing to work on your games and how the different lineup combinations end up working. Practice is everyday at 3:30 and I have yet to find a reasonable excuse for being late—so don't."
He looked around the locker room and noted the huddled group of former Junior Varsity players on his left side, and returning Varsity seniors on the other. Adam Banks sat isolated in his usual corner, wrapping his right wrist.
"I expect full dedication from each and every single one of you. Eden Hall Varsity hockey is no joke. We've won the state championship 12 times in a row and I have no intention of that streak stopping now. Last year, we had two players honored on Minnesota's all-state hockey teams—we're going to miss Scott like hell, but luckily for us, the other is only a junior this year and has time to improve by leaps and bounds. Our first-line center again this year will be Adam Banks, and most of our offense with run through him." Adam barely lifted his head in response to his name.
"He will be joined on the first-line by senior Derek Martin and junior Dwayne Robertson. On defense I'll be going with Greg Goldberg and Jason Hughes. Ms. Gaffney—your playing style reminds me so much of Scott that it's ridiculous. You and Preston Marshall will be taking turns starting at goaltender, depending on the match-up. Any questions?"
Many players on both sides may have had objections, but knew better than to gripe on the first day. Coach Wilson continued, "When I choose captains for my varsity teams, I take many different factors into account. Every team is different, so there has to be new criteria every year."
Adam and Charlie glanced at each other from across the locker room with knowing smiles. This is it, Charlie thought. He looked around and saw some of the seniors with expressions of expectation on their faces. Charlie almost snorted to himself—those guys were going to be disappointed.
"This year, I can see that we're a team divided--Just look around this locker room. I have two distinct groups—the new juniors and my returning seniors--each of whom has played together for many years. I know that it's not going to be easy integrating two teams into one, and so I need a captain who can provide me an emotional link. This young man came highly recommended to me by Scott, and I take his personal opinion very seriously."
Charlie was confused. He did not know Scooter particularly well, so there was no way that Scooter would be sending a recommendation his way. Who could Coach Wilson be talking about? According to Adam, all the seniors this year were lackeys that Scooter detested. He did not know any of the Ducks well enough to put a word in for any of them.
"Through my personal observations, this young man has a lot of promise. He has gone through much adversity and overcome all the obstacles that have come his way. He's a quiet guy, but I believe given a chance, he'll rise up and make one hell of a leader." There was an air of uncertainty all over the locker room. There were questioning whispers as everyone waited for Wilson to continue.
"It also doesn't hurt that this young man has been on my varsity team longer than anyone in this room," Wilson added.
At that moment Charlie knew and sat there frozen.
"So, I would finally like to announce that our captain for this season will be Adam Banks. Let's all give him a hand."
There was silence in the locker room as everyone sat there, practically in shock. A single voice broke the stillness. "Wait, what?" Adam's attention was finally caught as he spoke his surprise.
Charlie leaned back against his locker, face in his hands in frustration. This could not be happening.
A female voice could be heard from the far end of the rink. "Hey!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Gaffney. By the way, great save!"
Charlie ambled over to where Coach Wilson stood. "How's it going, Coach? I hope we've been meeting your expectations."
Wilson barely turned his head from his observations. "Yes, of course. Coach Orion has prepared you excellently. Did you need anything?"
Charlie hesitated for a moment. "Well, I was just wondering if you were posting positions today. I don't want to rush you or anything."
Wilson nodded absently. "Yes, yes, of course. I've seen enough to make those decisions today."
"Have you already chosen a captain?"
"Yes, I'm fairly certain I know whom I am going to choose. I'll make the announcement in the locker room today. Is that all?"
Charlie searched Wilson's face for any clue. "Yeah, that's all—"
"Oh, great move, Adam! Have you been working on that this summer?"
Charlie started skating away when Coach Wilson finally turned to him. "Oh, and Mr. Conway, thank you for showing Barry how to refine his deke. That shows real leadership there."
Charlie tried to hide his smile. "Thanks, Coach."
Coach Wilson entered the men's locker room with a quick shove of the door. "Alright, good work today, guys." He paused for a moment and left the locker room. Wilson's voice could be heard next door. "Are you girls decent? Come on over into the other locker room."
He reentered the locker room, this time with Julie and Connie in tow.
Wilson held up a single piece of paper. "I'm posting positions today—but of course, as the season goes on I'm willing to move people up or down depending on how hard you're all willing to work on your games and how the different lineup combinations end up working. Practice is everyday at 3:30 and I have yet to find a reasonable excuse for being late—so don't."
He looked around the locker room and noted the huddled group of former Junior Varsity players on his left side, and returning Varsity seniors on the other. Adam Banks sat isolated in his usual corner, wrapping his right wrist.
"I expect full dedication from each and every single one of you. Eden Hall Varsity hockey is no joke. We've won the state championship 12 times in a row and I have no intention of that streak stopping now. Last year, we had two players honored on Minnesota's all-state hockey teams—we're going to miss Scott like hell, but luckily for us, the other is only a junior this year and has time to improve by leaps and bounds. Our first-line center again this year will be Adam Banks, and most of our offense with run through him." Adam barely lifted his head in response to his name.
"He will be joined on the first-line by senior Derek Martin and junior Dwayne Robertson. On defense I'll be going with Greg Goldberg and Jason Hughes. Ms. Gaffney—your playing style reminds me so much of Scott that it's ridiculous. You and Preston Marshall will be taking turns starting at goaltender, depending on the match-up. Any questions?"
Many players on both sides may have had objections, but knew better than to gripe on the first day. Coach Wilson continued, "When I choose captains for my varsity teams, I take many different factors into account. Every team is different, so there has to be new criteria every year."
Adam and Charlie glanced at each other from across the locker room with knowing smiles. This is it, Charlie thought. He looked around and saw some of the seniors with expressions of expectation on their faces. Charlie almost snorted to himself—those guys were going to be disappointed.
"This year, I can see that we're a team divided--Just look around this locker room. I have two distinct groups—the new juniors and my returning seniors--each of whom has played together for many years. I know that it's not going to be easy integrating two teams into one, and so I need a captain who can provide me an emotional link. This young man came highly recommended to me by Scott, and I take his personal opinion very seriously."
Charlie was confused. He did not know Scooter particularly well, so there was no way that Scooter would be sending a recommendation his way. Who could Coach Wilson be talking about? According to Adam, all the seniors this year were lackeys that Scooter detested. He did not know any of the Ducks well enough to put a word in for any of them.
"Through my personal observations, this young man has a lot of promise. He has gone through much adversity and overcome all the obstacles that have come his way. He's a quiet guy, but I believe given a chance, he'll rise up and make one hell of a leader." There was an air of uncertainty all over the locker room. There were questioning whispers as everyone waited for Wilson to continue.
"It also doesn't hurt that this young man has been on my varsity team longer than anyone in this room," Wilson added.
At that moment Charlie knew and sat there frozen.
"So, I would finally like to announce that our captain for this season will be Adam Banks. Let's all give him a hand."
There was silence in the locker room as everyone sat there, practically in shock. A single voice broke the stillness. "Wait, what?" Adam's attention was finally caught as he spoke his surprise.
Charlie leaned back against his locker, face in his hands in frustration. This could not be happening.