“Thank God for that. The world can only handle so much,” Eamon jokes.
The last thing I want is a fling. I’ve never been one to indulge in one night stands. I’ve never snuck out before they woke up or blocked their numbers. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize I’ve never actually been the one to end any relationship. It’s always been the other way around. The first night after Ashley left was a different story. I’d gotten completely banjaxed and hooked up with one of the girls in my apartment complex. I did sneak out then.
Falling back into silence, I should be focusing on my homework, but instead, I’m thinking about how to continue pursuing a friendship with Layla while also letting her know that I want more. Hanging out in a group is always a good time, but I want some one-on-one time with her. I want to know how her mind works and what she’s passionate about. I also want toknow how the hell a girl that gorgeous hasn’t been in a serious relationship before. Either the men around her are blind, or she’s blocked all their advances. It doesn’t really matter, just as long as she doesn’t block mine. Which, so far, doesn’t seem to be the case.
I finally finished my classwork and am on my way to work. I’m looking forward to seeing the kids in the after school program. There are twelve of them currently, ranging from kindergarten to seventh grade. Since it’s still soccer season, I’ve been mixing work with pleasure by teaching the kids some drills. Last week, we practiced footwork, and now they are ready to move on to blocking goals this week.
The doors to the gymnasium open, and the kids file in. The younger ones are talking excitedly to each other, while the older kids have their eyes glued to their phones. Shaking my head, I consider how lucky I was to have been raised without an electronic device at my beck and call. I’m thankful for today’s technology, absolutely, but growing up on a farm and spending nearly every waking moment outside in the fresh air, getting dirty, kicking around a ball, or climbing trees, was far superior in my mind.
“Alright, you wans, put those buzzing boxes away! You know the rules!” I holler across the gym.
I don’t have many rules for the kids, but the one I reinforce the most is no phones or tablets once they enter the gym. I want them up and active, engaging with me and other kids. They always grumble at me, but it doesn’t last long.
“Mr. Teagan,” a small voice says next to me.
Looking down, one of the little girls from the kindergarten class is staring up at me with wide eyes. I squat down to her level.
“Aye, what is it, Gabriela?” I can’t help but smile at her. Her dark hair, big brown eyes, and caramel skin remind me of Layla.
“My mamá forgot to pack my tennis shoes in my bag today. Can I still play in these?” She motions to her small feet that are in flip flops.
“Unfortunately, no. That wouldn’t be safe for you,” I tell her, instantly feeling bad for the sadness in her eyes. “However, youcanplay barefoot if you like.”
Gabriela’s eyes widen with glee. “Really?!”
I chuckle and nod. “Aye, lass, really. Now, go on and put your stuff on the bleachers.”
Once all of the kids are in and settled on the bleachers, I make my way over to greet them all. “How are we doing today, team?” I ask, clapping my hands in front of me.
A chorus of “good” sounds from the kids. I love this particular group. It’s a diverse collection of kids in not just age but in ethnicity as well. I learn more from them than they do from me.
“Who wants to guess what we’re starting on today?” I ask, gesturing to the small soccer goals scattered throughout the gym.
A flurry of hands start waving in the air. I point to one of the older boys, Gabriela’s brother, José.
“Defending?” the boy guesses.
I grin and pick up the soccer ball sitting at my feet. “Close, José! We’re going to be saving today. As you know, along with hanging out with you all, I’m also the goalie for the UNCW Seahawks…”
A few cheers ring out, filling me with pride.
“My job as the goalie, or keeper, is to keep this ball,” I say, pointing from the ball in my hand to the goal closest to me, “from going into that net. To do that, the first thing we need to learn is how to pounce. Now, what I mean by that is this: Anytime a goalie has the ball in their hands and it drops, the first thing they need to do is pounce on the ball. Like a cat pounces on a mouse, yeah? So here’s what that looks like.”
I toss the ball onto the floor, drop to the ground, and immediately put both hands on it.
“Now, some of you might already be familiar with this, but we’re going to start slow and work our way up, alright? Here in a minute, I’ll have all of you spread out and you’ll each get a ball. We’ll start by standing on our knees behind it, like this”—I demonstrate—“then we’ll carefully fall forward and grab the ball with both hands. Once we’ve all mastered that, we’ll move on. Any questions?”
Gabriela’s hand shoots up into the air.
“Yes, lass?”
“Can we pretend to be lions when we pounce?” she asks excitedly.
Laughing, I say, “Yeah, ‘course you can. Goalies are a lot like lions. They have to be brave and fierce and fast in order to keep the other team from scoring a goal. Any other questions? No? Alright, everyone spread out.”
I spend the next fifteen minutes carefully instructing each child on how to pounce. The youngest ones in the group make roaring noises as they fall onto their soccer balls. Once I’m satisfied that they all have the hang of it, I move to ankle rolls. I have them stand with their legs apart and the ball on the ground. While keeping both hands on the ball at all times, I instruct them to roll the ball around one ankle, then the next, then with their legs together, then in a figure eight between their legs, ensuring they use the tips of their fingers to roll the ball.
I continue with several more drills until they’re eventually ready to start blocking. I demonstrate this by having the older students shoot the ball towards me while I save. I show them different techniques for getting to the ball and keeping it out of the goal while also showing them whatnotto do. Once I finish, I have them all practice blocking my shots. With the youngest ones, I keep the ball on the ground so they can perfect their pouncing. The older kids have the opportunity to block a ball in the air. By the end of the day, all of the kids have successfully managed to keep at least one ball from getting in their goals.
