Chapter 29

The Wednesday morning before the Providence Tech game Jared drove to his office as he always did to begin to chart out his opponents possible game plan along with his own. As he turned the corner in the hallway to his office he saw a tall brunette woman sitting in the chair outside his office. As he got closer he realized it was his old friend Mikki Martin looking much more feminine after losing a lot of weight and adding a coiffed hair-do and some make-up. He had always thought she was butch looking and supposed she was likely a lesbian, but it had never made a difference to him and how he felt about her. She was always a good friend to talk with, have a drink with, and confide in. They exchanged a short hug and air kiss and went into his office to discuss her story.

"Mikki, let me be frank with you, if you have any preconceived notions about how our situation should be handled, or have received any coaching from any organization about this, we aren't going to get along to well. I want an honest story, but I don't want any covert sneaking around, baiting or any crap like that. I want to be able to trust you." Jared said laying his hand out immediately.

"Jaydubs, ... does anyone here still call you that old nickname?"

"NO!" He interjected emphatically, always hating the JW or Jaydubs nicks he had in college.

"OK, Jared ... I'm planning on doing this as human interest, and then doing a lot of interviews to see if I can get an angle. I read the blog-post you told me about. Some of the PC Police have picked up on that and I think it's probably all bunk made up to promote an agenda. They want to have a matron in every locker room and separate everything including different rules for the females. Let me snoop around a little and talk to some of the team. Do I get access to the locker room as well?" She asked as she jotted notes.

"I have a fourth locker stall for another female. You're welcome to sit in there before anyone comes in and listen. Hell you can even dress in uniform if you like and go onto the field with them. That's my ... um ... fiancé's idea. Buddy up with them and get an idea. It's up to you." Jared said trying to give her free reign. "Here's the thing, if teams can add a female player to their team without a lot of extra expense and trouble they (females) have a chance on lots of other teams. We got by fairly cheap, designing special moveable locker stalls that have privacy for them to bring on the road. They shower in our old coaches shower and we have a strict code of locker room conduct as far as respect goes. Friendly horsing around that is common between teammates is OK, but there are lines drawn."

"Jared, I feel there's an 800 pound gorilla in the room and you're not noticing it." She said dropping forward and putting her elbows on her thighs and averting her eyes from his.

Jared sighed and sat back in his chair, watching her uncomfortable feeling personify itself.

"Ohhh God, since you brought it up. I don't ask this question to my friends, obviously. Have you come to terms with your sexuality? The last thing you said to me was that you were "confused". " He said averting HIS eyes.

"Yes, I'm decidedly straight. For years I let my big fat belly, fat ass and dowdy look make me think I was butch and I got a lot of come-ons from other women like me. I was never happy and hated myself enough to consider suicide. I didn't want to love other women, I wanted to be with a man. I always knew, partly from being friends with you back in school, that I was straight and wanted normal relationships. You were kind and your friendship was unconditional. I never told you I had a crush on you. You didn't treat me like other guys did. I damn near starved myself losing the weight and learning how to present myself, but it's easy now and very fulfilling. I have a serious boyfriend and we're thinking of moving in together. I feel so, ... so, normal now, and I really wanted you to know how much you made a difference. I had all those cows knocking on my door and I was so attracted to you, I knew in my heart I was straight." Mikki told him, red faced.

"Well, I may not be as fair thinking as you think I am, but I never had a reason to think any less of you because of your looks then or now. We were friends and we worked together and we did well. I'm happy you've worked things out personally and professionally." He told her.

"Thank you Jared. Now let me take a few hours to decide how I want to tackle this. You've given me a couple options I hadn't considered. Do you have a place I can sit and work things out?" She asked.

"I'll set you up in the meeting room next to this office."

Jared went about his business and left Mikki to herself where she talked things over with her editors on her cell phone. As Coach read accounts of all of Providence Tech's games so far he looked for a game plan to give them a good fight and maybe even end their undefeated season. He had DVD's of their last 2 games but wanted to check in with Mikki before he went to the video room and met up with the rest of his coaches at noon.

"I'm going to be tied up for a couple hours in about 15 minutes. Is there anything you need me for?" He said sticking his head in the door.

"Well, let me tell you how I would like to do this. I'll take you up on sitting in the locker room undercover today. I'd like to get pictures of the empty room this afternoon. After they have gone out to practice I think I WILL wear a uniform and try to work out with the women, after you've introduced me. Then if you could introduce me to the whole team and I could spend a few minutes with them and pick a few of them to interview. To be fair, I will not take any pictures candidly. They will know when I have a camera and when I don't. I do want to spend some time with each of the 3 girls alone and together. I would hope to have something worked out by Sunday when you do your review or report card, whatever you called that. I want everyone to know what's going to be in the magazine, if the editors buy it. Umm, you guys winning this week would help that a lot." Mikki said decisively, hoping he would buy her take.

"Having the chance to see what is going in the story is more than fair and will help you a lot in getting candid remarks, but I think it's only fair because you are dealing with persons who still have to answer to parents and friends at home. As far as winning this week, we always strive for that, but if you think waiting for a post win weekend to submit it would help, I have no problem. However, win or lose, your access is gone on Sunday. Fair enough? My SID will be by in few minutes to get you set up and help you with anything you need." Jared said, making clear his feelings.

"More than fair, Jared. Thanks so much!" She responded happily.

Jared Winslow took a deep breath and hoped he was doing the right thing, allowing a reporter such access to the team, but pressures had built from within as well as outside to see how they made this work. While fielding a co-ed team was never his intention, he never felt that denying a player the opportunity to play because of their gender was a proper road to take. Giving each a fair chance was all he sought to provide. He knew more female's would try out for football the next spring, not only at NEAT but also around the NCAA. He only hoped that now with two, possibly 3 legitimate real players playing there would be no more stunts that would cheapen the experience for a female student athlete.

Meeting with his coaching staff late that morning through the afternoon, talk of the imbedded reporter never came up as they worked to strategize to come up with a game plan for Providence Tech. All four coaches were at a consensus that opening the offense up early to throw them off a game plan was the best way to beat them. In each of PTI's 3 wins they controlled the ball early with long successful scoring drives. If the Green Aggies could strike early and match them on the scoreboard and get them back onto the field as quickly as possible they might wear down and frustrate them. If the Green Aggies could get a lead they could begin to beat them at their own game, ball control. It would mean establishing a wide open air game early and letting Boge Hollins show he could dominate when he got the ball. Marv Hudson would have to make a large step in his maturation process and stay within himself when failure stared him in the face. He had the talent to get up off the mat and go again, he just had to be convinced of it.

"Frank, your defense will have to avoid a lot of the past mistakes, that will mean the more experienced players keeping the freshmen within themselves on the field. Key your best junior/senior players to constantly remind these kids of assignments. Ira, if that kid Yanni, what's his name, um ... Jon, goes for one more high hit on a kick-off and misses to give up great field position or a score I'll personally bench him. He's got a great talent, but he's got to stay within himself. He's all hot dog, but he tries to apply too much mustard. He's hurt us 3 times being over aggressive. He's fast and he's rough, but he doesn't have to kill someone to impress me. I know he wants a shot in the backfield, but it's not going to happen this year unless 3 guys do down ahead of him. If he wants to make an impression on me tell him to LISTEN what we've all been telling him. If he pulls that shit again and you don't bench him, I will. He's a freshman on a small scholarship but, I KNOW HE'S HERE! LET HIM KNOW THAT. He doesn't need to make a statement every time he goes on the field." Jared said, rattling off a short little tirade that was most unlike him, but it was the first criticism of any coach he had issued and he was already mad at himself for doing it in front of the others.

Ira Pressley had been sold on the freshman, Jon Yanni (who fashioned himself an offensive back), from day one and knowing the backfield was full, he knew he would have him as a special-teamer all year. Frank Ruffen had hoped to talk the boy into thinking about the linebacking corps, but at under 6 foot he didn't try to hard to convince him when he seemed to balk at the thought. Now Yanni would have a face to face, heart to heart with Ira Pressley. Ira was easy going and reminded most people of a Southern TV Evangelist, but if you got in his dog house, you usually stayed there. Young Yanni's lack of discipline had gotten on his nerves, but the young man's talent overshadowed his mistakes, no matter how large. Ira knew if Jared benched the kid, it would be a long splintery ride, no matter how much of an impact it made on his special teams. Jared Winslow didn't get where he was by letting young players make the same mistakes over and over again. To err is human, to keep doing it brings no divine forgiveness. Jared believed that the best way to learn something was to do it the wrong way and see the consequence first hand. It may seem harsh, but that's why they scrimmaged at each days training session.

Not that they didn't try to win every game, but Coach Winslow was making PTI a priority. They were getting TV coverage as the second game for the regional out of market coverage. It meant only a couple cable systems would see it where a regional game wasn't sold out, but it also meant there was a network video record of it and if anyone on the team excelled, the highlight reels would pick it up.

Jared Winslow had seemed fairly easy going and even tempered for the most part in his short tenure at NEAT. He had lost his cool a few times with other coaches and staff, but had been easy on the players. He was actually going through a process he called "gauging". He had done it each year at Vermont with freshman and transfers, but now he doing it for the whole team. He never pushed any player beyond his limits, as long as he was performing at the level Coach felt he was capable. He didn't accept stupidity, laziness, and loathed apathy. He expected you to think of consequences down the line as you made game decisions. With Game 4 of the season on tap Jared was about through gauging most of the team and at practices this week he began to see blips in continuity that he didn't let pass or wait to speak to a coach about.

While watching pass protection drills he watched one of the safeties, Shane Iairace get beat 3 times in a row and he remembered him being beat badly a few times in games.

"Eye-Rossi!!" Jared shouted out his name phonetically. "How many times have they told you to lead with the other foot when your man moves to your inside?"

Shane stopped in his tracks and looked back at Coach Winslow, "Umm lots, Sir."

"WELL, WHEN IN HELL ARE YOU GOING TO START DOING IT!!" He screamed as he went up and got in the players face.

"You're losing a half step with your cross-over and I know you're fast enough and smart enough not to get beat this much. Do you think Coach Ruffen is just exercising his vocal chords telling you that?

The young man stood stunned for a moment and then straightened his back and looked the coach in the eyes.

"No SIR!" He semi-shouted, almost in a military fashion as full realization of the implications Jared made hit him.

The principle was simple. You have the talent, but unless you apply yourself and prove your worth to be on the field on a regular basis, others are waiting for their chance. It was a point that Coach always wove into his team meetings and lectures. When you sat on the bench and wondered how another was playing where you envisioned yourself, knowing you were more talented, start taking inventories. You may have more talent, but until and unless you show you can use it to execute the plays, don't complain. Just take advantage of the opportunities when they come up. In practice, everyone got their chances.