The Lacrosse Game

“Fifteen!  I’m watching you!”, the official stared at Maddie as if to say, “give me a reason.”

Maddie just shrugged at the girl from the opposing team, who was bent over at mid-field clutching her midsection.  During the stoppage, Melody, their head coach motioned her over and asked what happened. “Not sure coach.  She just doubled over, maybe she has a cramp?”  

“Right after you set a pick?”

“It happens.”

“Watch it or that official is gonna red card you.”

The whistle blew and Maddie’s team brought the ball in.  A defender stick checked her and snarled, “you best stay out of my zone.”  It had the opposite effect.

Maddie looped around, caught a scoop pass and passed it over to Ella who was attacking left of goal.  Ella juked her defender and passed it back high over the girl’s head.  Maddie grabbed it and laughed at the threatening defender:  “you can’t stop me.”

She cradled the ball and spun off the defenders stick, charging for the goal, causing the left side defender to shift over to cover her.  This immediately freed up Ella as the play was designed.  A quick pass and Ella would put it right in the open side of the net.  Instead, Maddie, covered by both the shifted defender and the goalie took the shot herself.  The goalie leaned left to block and Maddie put it over her right shoulder.

The team and the sidelines erupted, up 4-0 the game was out of reach.  Maddie had scored 3 of the 4 goals to no one’s surprise and she got a hero’s welcome on the sideline.

One person was noticeably subdued.  After the game he called her over “Madison! You were supposed to pass to Ella, she was wide open as designed.”

Maddie looked at Coach Gray.  Melody was the head coach and she had slapped her on the back after the goal, along with mostly everyone else.  “I scored didn’t I?  Besides Ella, hasn’t made a goal all season.”

Coach Gray shook his head.  “No but she’s had more assists than anyone on the team…mostly passing to you.  Maybe she’d score more if you ever passed back to her.  You’re a good player and you have smarts, but you’re selfish. One of these days you’re gonna learn the hard way the world doesn’t revolve around you.  Now gimme a lap, full gear, for ignoring the play.”

“But both teams, and all the fans are still here!  I’ll be humiliated.”  Maddie was fuming.

“Cry me a river.  Now get going or I’ll make it two.”

She knew it was no use arguing with Gray, there is no way the jerk would budge.  The guy had it in for her from the moment he joined as an assistant.  On her way to start her lap though she made sure to run by Coach Melody.

Melody yelled after her “Maddie what are you doing?”

She circled back to where the head coach was standing.  “Gray said I had to take a lap because he didn’t like the way I ran that last play.”

Melody sighed and looked over at Gray.  “Well, you probably could have made the pass but you scored.  Hit the shower, I’ll talk to Coach.”

As Maddie ran to the locker room, she made sure to shoot Coach Gray a look on the way, rubbing it in his face that he’d been overruled.

The assistant walked over to Melody.  “You undermined me with her.”

“Sorry, Coach.  I think you’re a bit hard on her sometimes.  Nothing personal.”

Gray shook his head.  “Nothing personal at all.  There is nothing you can do to hurt my feelings, Mel.  You more than anyone should know that.  It’s Madison I’m worried about, you’re not doing her any favors kowtowing to her.”

“Oh come on Bob, she’s a brilliant player.  She’s just hyper competitive.”

“Yeah, hyper competitive, hyper smart, hyper pretty.  She’s also hyper selfish and you know it.”

“We’re not therapists Bob, we just make sure they graduate.  By the way, if you want her to respect you more, stop calling her Madison.  She doesn’t like it.”

“I don’t give a flying rats ass if she respects me or not.  And the name on the class schedule is Madison.”

Melody watched as he walked off, knowing that she had won the argument, but also knowing that Gray was right.

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