Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“Then off your knees and let’s get to it,” Rhemann said as he stood.
Jean collected his racquet on the way up and held it out in offering. Rhemann accepted it and turned it over in his hands as Jeremy picked himself up. Jean waited patiently, but all Rhemann did was treat it to a serious inspection. He tugged the netting to test the tension and squeezed the head in search of cracks before arching a brow at Jean.
“I’m missing something,” he said. “What am I doing with this?”
He wasn’t the first coach who enjoyed making his players ask for it, but Jean wouldn’t have expected that sadistic streak in someone so widely revered in the NCAA. It was more comforting than upsetting to get a glimpse behind that mask; better to get the guesswork out of the way now since he had another two years under Rhemann’s tutelage.
Jean kept his gaze pointed elsewhere and obediently answered, “Contrition, Coach.”
Rhemann said nothing, savoring the wait, but then Jeremy clued in with an incredulous, “Jesus, Jean.” He snatched Jean’s racquet out of Rhemann’s hands with a boldness that had Jean taking two quick steps away from him. Jeremy put his free hand out toward Jean, careful not to touch him, and stressed, “He is not going to hit you. Okay? We don’t do that here. You said you’d try to do better and that’s enough for us.”
Rhemann’s stare was so heavy Jean could hardly breathe beneath its weight, but he risked a cool glance at Jeremy. “Yet again you think words are sufficient when they obviously are not. I signed a contract agreeing to abide by your standards and I’ve promised all week to behave, but I have continually betrayed that trust and refused to improve. I am making the same mistakes today I was making on Monday.”
“Do not tell me your coaches used to hit you with your racquet,” Rhemann said. It was a dangerous line to tread, but Jean took that ‘do not’ literally and kept his mouth shut. Rhemann tolerated the silence for only a few seconds before demanding, “Look at me right now. I asked you a question.”
It hadn’t been a question, but Jean knew better than to correct him. He forced himself to meet Rhemann’s stare and kept his tone as neutral as possible. “They did whatever was necessary to ensure we performed at our best, Coach.”
“Whatever was—” Rhemann bit off the rest of his sentence and half-turned away from them to tap an agitated beat on his whistle.
Jean had never seen a coach fidget before, and he wasn’t sure how to react to this hint of weakness. He glanced at Jeremy again, whose grim expression was no help at all, and looked back at Rhemann before the coach realized he’d gotten distracted. It was almost a full minute before Rhemann calmed down enough to go still, and he motioned to Jeremy. Jeremy wordlessly held Jean’s racquet out in offering, and Jean slowly took it from him.
“Let’s run it again,” Rhemann said, and he walked away.
Jean waited until he was out of earshot. “I don’t understand.”
“Trust us,” Jeremy said tiredly. “Neither do we.”
Jean had the feeling they were talking about two different problems, but he didn’t have the energy to ask. Rather than send the two teams to foul spots for Jean’s unsportsmanlike behavior, Rhemann reset the entire game and sent them all back to their starting spots. Jean endured more than a few searching looks as he headed across the court to his line. He wasn’t sure if anyone had overheard them or if there’d been just enough space between them to muffle the conversation. Whichever it was, no one was reckless enough to ask when it was a half-hour before the edge left Rhemann’s voice.
Now that Rhemann was going to pick one problem area to focus on at a time, the whistles were fewer and further between. Today’s issue was Jean’s habit of slipping a foot between Jeremy’s every time they paused to watch their teammates. It was an effortless way to trip him up and an easy way to get an opponent off the court with injuries, and one of the first stances Ravens were taught. Breaking that habit took a conscious effort, but if this was the only thing Jean had to change today, he could spare the energy to correct it without sacrificing the rest of his game.
At long last practice was over. Rhemann called Jean over while the rest of the Trojans went ahead to the showers. Lisinski was nowhere to be seen, but Jimenez and White were comparing notes as they followed their players toward the locker room. Rhemann sat on the home bench and waited for Jean to catch up with him. Jean sat only when Rhemann motioned for him to do so.