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"I realize that, Mrs. Everette," Sherman said, leaning forward to look her in
the eye and sliding immediately into "professional coach" mode as if the
original "lounge lizard" had never existed. "All I can say is that these
methodswork . My job, mymission , is to have a winning team. Not just this
year but every year. I've honed my Focus-On-Win program and Iknow that it
works. I've proven that it works. If the parents want just a regular team, win
a few, lose a few, it all evens out in the end, I'mnot your coach. If you want
a team thatwins , then they have to stick to the program. And that program is
not an easy program. I put that in the information sheet when I sent it out
with the girls at the beginning of the season. If Allison wants to quit the
team, that's up to you and Allison. But if she wants to play, she practices
when I schedule a practice. Or a team-building exercise. The mind is as
ten-to-one to the body in sports. The girls have to get their mind around
Focus-On-Win. To do that they have to be cleared of all the detritus that
people pick up and see themselves, and their team-mates, clearly. They have to
know their personal strengths and weaknesses and those of their team. And they
must be ateam . Every step of their training, every practice and every team
building exercise is for the purpose of building on those points. Batting and
catching come after the mind is prepared, as automatically as breathing."
He leaned back and nodded, picking up his mocha with a very straight posture
as if daring Barb to debate him on his area of expertise.
"I can see that," Barb said, sipping her decaf vanilla latte. She'd decided
on decaf since she was pretty sure she didn't want to lose her temper in this
meeting. "Can I ask a couple of questions?"
"Sure," the coach said, warily.
"Why'd you come up here from Mobile?" Barb asked. "Mobile is a much bigger
league and you were a pretty big fish. You didn't move for the job, so . . ."
"I'm ambitious," Sherman admitted. "Yes, Mobile is a bigger and more
noticeable league. But the high school positions are all filled with people
that, however, incompetent, are in there for life. It's very much a
good-ole-boy network, no outsiders allowed. I want to be a professional
softball coach and to do that you have to get into one of the colleges.Any
college will do. To get to college you either have to know some rich alumni or
you have to have been successful at coaching high school teams.Really
successful. I looked at a lot of areas and I really liked the Sirens. This
team. I want to coach them this year and then go on to coach at Algomo High
School. If I can takethis team, and the girls that are following them, through
high school Ican take state. Not just one year, but several. And if I dothat I
can get into a college spot. And the bottom line is that my methodswork . Some
people say it's about learning to play the game. Bullshit, pardon my French,
ma'am, but it's aboutwinning . And if you let me, your girls willwin . And if
they can't take the heat, they're not going to make it as high as I intend to
take them, anyway. Up to you."
Barbara had to admit that the coach hadher number. Barb believed in winning
against any odds. If she didn't, she'd be a skeleton in a Louisiana bayou.
The flip side was that she didn't trust this guy as far as she could throw
him. Of course, it was a bad analogy; he'd be surprised as hell justhow far
she could throw him.
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Take a different tack.
"I can see that as well," Barbara said, nodding her head and not letting that
piercing stare apparently affect her at all. "There is one small problem,
though. This is . . . not the fifties. There are understandable concerns about
males spending significant private time with, frankly, susceptible young
girls."
"Which is why I'mnever alone with any single girl atany time," Sherman
replied, nodding sharply. "I have never had an allegation of sexual harassment
laid against me, Mrs. Everette. Not one."
Barbara believed that about as much as she believed the rest of the spiel,
but she didn't let it show on her face. On the other hand, it was possible.
Especially if he was threatening enough. Vast numbers of sexual predation
reports waited years until someone was willing to break the code of silence
surrounding them. She hoped that Allison would come to her if anything
happened. But it was better that nothing happened in the first place.
"So what you're saying, Mr. Sherman, is hang everything else," Barb said. "If
we want the girls to win and win big, we have to go with your program or our
girls are out of the team."
"That was in the introduction sheet," the coach said, nodding sharply, again.
"If you want the girls to beguaranteed to win, you have to go with my program.
And Ido guarantee it."
"Nothing is guaranteed, Coach Sherman," Barbara said, softly. "Except the End
of All Things. Even death is not immutable, as the Lord Jesus Christ proved in
the case of both Himself and Lazarus. Taxes, admittedly, are close," she added
with a slight smile.
"I hadn't realized you were . . . that staunch a Christian, Mrs. Everette,"
Coach Sherman said, uncomfortably.
"I don't wave a Bible, Mr. Sherman," Barb replied, quietly. "But faith in the
Lord is very strong in me."
"Faith in Jesus doesn't win softball games," Sherman replied.
Barbara tried not to furrow her brow at the reply. There had been a very
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