Page 13 of Worth the Trip

“You walked from the parking lot.”

“In July.”

“That’s geography, Malcolm.”

“Lando, I been outside since six thirty. My testimony valid.”

I reached into the side pocket and tossed him a pack of peanut M&M’s. He caught them against his chest and immediately looked moved.

“See? This why you my brother.”

From midfield, Ramirez yelled, “Reed, quit begging!”

Malcolm tore open the package. “I ain’t begged for shit! Blessings found me!”

I laughed before I could help it.

Ramirez turned toward me. “Stop encouraging him.”

“I gave him candy, not a microphone.”

“Same thing.”

Malcolm poured several M&M’s into his palm. “These peanuts say mild adversity, though. What you passing out for heartbreak?”

“Go coach.”

“I’m trying to establish the scale.”

“Malcolm.”

“Aight.”

He jogged toward the defensive backs, still eating my candy, while Ramirez muttered something that probably required forgiveness before church service ended.

I stepped toward midfield and clapped once. “Bring it in.”

Twenty-four helmets turned in my direction as conversations died and players moved into a loose semicircle. I waited until everybody settled before speaking. I’d never seen much value in training grown men to respond only when somebody got louder than them. If they knew the standard, volume shouldn’t have been the thing making it matter.

“Yesterday’s film told on us. We got tired, feet got lazy, eyes started wandering, and assignments became suggestions.”

A linebacker lowered his head.

I pointed toward him. “Don’t look at the grass now. The grass ain’t do it.”

A few laughs moved through the group.

“Fatigue doesn’t change the assignment. It tells me whether you learned it well enough to execute when your body starts negotiating with you. So today, we clean it up. I don’t need pretty. I need repeatable. If you can only do it right when you’re fresh, you don’t own it yet.”

Malik’s attention stayed on me.

“Questions?” Nobody spoke. “Good. Work.”

The huddle broke, and Malcolm immediately pointed toward his position group. “DBs with me. Whoever backpedaling like his cleats got student loans today need to fix that before I embarrass you.”

One of the sophomores yelled, “Coach, my mama like you!”

“That’s why I expect better from her son.”