Chapter 7: Teaching Bret

The first night back from the Olympics, Heather cornered Bret in the living room of her house while he was playing with Kelly and Kim.

"Bret, you have an appointment Saturday morning at the Overnight Driving Academy. Every Saturday for the next three weeks you are taking classes and learning how to drive. Monday and Wednesday you are the assistant coach of Kelly and Kim's little league softball team. Tuesday and Thursday you are the assistant coach of their soccer team. Do you have any questions, Mr. Silver Medalist?"

"Heather I don't know anything about softball. I have never thrown a softball, swung a bat nor caught a softball. I don't know the rules or anything about softball! And for soccer, all I know is that you kick the ball with your feet and nothing else."

Heather called out, "Bob and Bill get your butts in here! You two have one week to teach Bret all you know about softball and soccer. You have to teach him how to throw, catch and hit a softball. You also needed to teach him the rules and strategy for both soccer and softball. Any questions?"

With a small smile Bret realized that "the Boss" had spoken.

It was good thing Bret had one week of leave before he needed to report to duty. It was going to take all of that time to learn what Heather wanted him to learn. Bill, being retired, could help Bret during the day. Bob, newly promoted to Sergeant was not given any leave, and had to report to duty immediately. Bob was now the sergeant in charge of the IT office on base. Therefore Bob was relegated to teaching Bret in the evenings.

Bret's day went as follows: 0600-0700 10 mile run, 0715 - 0745 breakfast, 0800 -1000 practice throwing, catching, and hitting a softball. 1015 - 1215 practice hitting, stopping and dribbling a soccer ball, 1230 - 1300 lunch, 1315 -1500 reading and learning rules and strategy of softball, 1515 - 1645 reading and learning rules and strategy of soccer. 1700 – 1745 dinner, 1800 -2000 review and practice of morning lessons.

This was the routine for Bret, for the week following the Olympics. Being intelligent, Bret had learned enough by Friday night that Bob, Bill and Heather decided he was ready to begin his duties on Monday evening.

Saturday morning Ann was delegated as transportation officer to get Bret to and from his Driving lessons. The instructor was totally amazed at Bret's lack of knowledge regarding Driving and tremendously impressed with speed that Bret learned and was able to execute what he learned. The instructor was convinced that Bret would be an excellent driver by the end of the course. Having gotten his learners permit the previous week, Ann was designated ride along for Bret to practice all day Sunday. Bret enjoyed driving so much, he was able to talk Ann in to riding with him, when he practiced the coming Friday.

Monday evening the family all followed Heather, Bret and the twins to the softball field. Bret's love of the twins and his joy of kids was apparent the entire night. Thank goodness Bret liked to run because he was running around like the sixteen five-year-old girls, the entire evening. After the first fifteen minutes, the coach stood on the sideline giving instructions, and Bret was everywhere showing the little girls how to follow the instructions. It was impossible to determine who had more fun: Bret or the little girls! A surprise to no one upon arriving home, was that the twins were immediately in bed, and Bret could not be shut up. The smile on Bret's face was like a beacon.

Tuesday evening was almost a repeat of Monday. While the coach mostly stood at the pitcher's mound tossing balls to be hit, Bret was constantly running from one of the little girls to another. Between giving a little extra instruction or just a pat on the back and some encouragement every little girl felt that she was an important part of the team. It was nothing to see Bret running, with the hitter from home to first, then without stopping running deep or shallow into the outfield to congratulate the girl retrieving the ball and encouraging the throw back to the infield, and then back to the infield to encourage those players also. Even after a strike out or dropped ball Bret was right beside the little girl finding something that she did that was positive. It could be that she was in the right spot to catch the ball and she will get it next time, or she was so close to really hitting that last strike and with a little more practice will get it next time. Each little girl on the team was ecstatic from the attention she was getting from an Olympic Medalist.