Super Skilled Me

(1)

          The end of the cool summer sun shines down without a single cloud in the sky.

           I spent a fair amount of time taking a break from the sport I deeply love over my vacation, but always made sure to stay in shape by going for runs and doing push-ups and sit-ups in my room at night. I focused more on other aspects of life, considering that, going to plan, basketball will be a full-time career for me in the future. A lot of that summertime was spent with my girlfriend, Dian, and I made the most of my days with my parents. They're now once again in England, and will be staying there for a full six months—the longest period of time I'll ever spend away from them. This is going to be a big step for me, but I'm ready for the challenge.

          Earlier today was the first session of training camp for our sophomore season. Most of the guys who played on the team last year will be returning, with the exception of a few seniors. We have a couple of new players, specifically a guy named Chuck Anthony, who was a top rebounder and defender back in high school from Montreal. We also received another point guard named Mateo Vancheli, who Coach Meldrum had scouted out and convinced to transfer from Manitoba. He's a slick passer with a quick first step, and will give T-roy a chance to take breaks and conserve his energy for later down the stretch in tight games. Overall, I'd say we're just as talented, if not more, than last year. There's no reason we can't win another title two years in a row.

          "What do you think of that new play coach has us running?" Tony asks, taking a hit from his vape. He's now driving me home after practice, but we're going to stop and grab a bite to eat first before dropping me off.

          "Which one?" I reply, looking out the window. "The triangle?"

          "Yeah. Do you think it will be effective against teams that know how to front the post?"

          I shrug. "If Meldrum thinks so, then it's gotta be, right?"

          "I know," he says, blowing out a cloud of smoke through his nose. "But let's be realistic here. Kevin is a great player, but he's pretty slow for a guy his size."

          "Hey," I retort, getting somewhat defensive. "Kevin is my guy. Also, we can easily keep up with the dudes here on the west coast. It's back east where we'll have those kinda problems, and we don't see those boys until at least halfway through the season."

          He nods. "Yeah, you do have a point."

          "If there's anything we need to focus on, it's our defensive set. I'm not sure how I feel about Jeffrey guarding the inbounder when we're in zone. I thought he worked better by sticking to the outside shooter, but Coach Anton and I never seem to be on the same page." It's true. Despite my deep relationship with Coach Meldrum, I can't say the same for assistant Coach Anton. It's not like we're enemies, but there were several times where we clashed last year in practice. I also don't feel I adapt well to his coaching style, and if it weren't for Meldrum being there, I think it would be fair to say things wouldn't have gone well for me.

          "Do you think I'm improving at all?" Tony asks. "I really wanna get some playing time this year."

          "Yeah, I do," I reply truthfully. "I can see you're getting more confident. You've always been vocal and talked on the court, but it's your physical game that is really starting to blossom. You're taking advantage of your natural athleticism by getting in there and snatching a rebound for us, or stepping us with a defensive assignment. You're beginning to remind me of Dennis Rodman. It might not look flashy and advertising like Michael Jordan, but you're doing things on the side to help the team out, and Meldrum takes note of small things like that."