On These Courts by Wayne B. Drash

Author:Wayne B. Drash
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Touchstone

CHAPTER 10

Need for Discipline

Reggie Green cut toward the basket with the ball during practice. Kobe “the Mayor” Freeman reached in, stole it, and passed up court to Nick Merriweather, who immediately hit a three-pointer.

Penny yelled at Reggie, wanted to know what he was thinking. Reggie shook his head and flashed a look of anger. “You can leave if you want,” Coach Penny barked.

Reggie peeled off his jersey and stormed out. Days earlier, Penny had lectured the team about staying united. He’d even mentioned that “all sorts of craziness” would hit the team on its quest to win state. And now Reggie was gone.

Reggie had begun rebelling in recent weeks. His home environment aside, he was upset Robert averaged more points than him—23 points a game to Reggie’s 17. Reggie also didn’t like the way Coach Penny disciplined him every time he messed up. But this time, Reggie committed the ultimate sin. He defied Coach in front of the entire team.

Penny gathered the remaining players and told them he expected Reggie to come back, but that quitting in the middle of practice was not the way to respond to pressure. It was unacceptable.

After practice, he and Coach Dez talked about punishment. Penny wanted to suspend Reggie for four games. But they decided to start with a one-game suspension and go from there. Reggie’s response would ultimately decide the severity of his punishment.

When Reggie’s grandfather caught wind of what happened, “I told him we’re fixing to have a talk man-to-man,” recalled Antoine Richardson.

“I told him I see your dad in you,” Antoine said. “Boy, don’t you be like that. You’re gonna end up in trouble, you’re gonna end up in jail. Don’t be so vulgar and so mean to your teammates. And don’t you ever quit. I know you’re going through a lot, but carry your anger out on the other team. Please, listen to me, Reggie. Don’t throw yourself around like you a bully because you think you’re bigger than your teammates and your classmates. Yeah, you grew tall; yeah, you dunking the ball. That’s good. But please— please, Reggie —don’t throw your weight around. Your team needs you, and you need them!”

The Lester Lions suited up in their black and gold uniforms the next afternoon in the locker room. Reggie sat off to the side, in street clothes, his head slouched over.

Coach Dez liked to videotape the locker room before games—to analyze Penny’s speeches and see how he could improve in his own speeches to the team. This time he pointed the camera at Reggie and zoomed in. “He got suspended for violating the team rules,” Dez said.

Penny and Dez barred Reggie from sitting with the team on the bench. So he sat in the stands as Lester blew out Georgian Hill, a creampuff that didn’t stand a chance even with Reggie suspended. Reggie had hoped to pad his stats against Georgian Hill, to boost his 17 points a game average to around 20 points a game. Instead he watched Robert score bucket after bucket.

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