It has already been a week since Tyrone's birthday. It's a Friday, so a lot of the hours were allocated for PE Class. "Okay class, we're already in the middle of September, so I guess it's the perfect time to assign the teams for our Sportsfest next month." Mr. Reyes, their PE teacher, announced.
"I'm going to a meeting with the other MAPEH teachers later, so I'm assigning Mr. Waddell here to assign the teams. After that, you have the entire period to practice amongst your teammates. Does that sound good?" the teacher told them.
The class nodded their heads. "Sir, when is the sportsfest?" a classmate asked. "It will start on the 12th of October. That's a Monday. That whole week will be your Sportsfest." he replied. "But isn't the week after that our 2nd Quarterly Assessments?" another classmate asked. "Yes, it is. But you don't have to worry. You're smart students anyway, I'm sure you will pull through." The teacher said while laughing. The students just looked at each other with rolling eyes. They were expected to play sports while reviewing for exams. It's still a month before the event, but they already feel overwhelmed.
"Okay, I will be taking my leave now. Theo, you write the names down on this teams form."
Picking the teams for the boys was extra tricky. There were only 12 of them there, and 5 didn't even play any sports, including Tyrone. Caden immediately volunteered himself as the team captain for men's volleyball. Theo wrote himself as the basketball captain. With only 7 choices, how does one form teams for team sports? In the end, Jake, Theo, and Oliver had to play both volleyball and basketball. Tyrone chose to volunteer for the single's badminton. It was settled then. But how were the boys supposed to practice if they will play for two teams?
They settled on a plan. They were to practice volleyball first. Theo plays basketball with the boys on some weekends. They could take the next weekends for basketball practice, while PE classes can be used for volleyball.
Caden called his 5 teammates to the court, ball in hand. He wanted to teach them service first, it was fundamental for them to be able to whack the ball into the other half of the court. He gave them a lot of pointers.
"Make sure your foot isn't on the line."
"Look at the ball when you're serving."
"Make sure your fingers are flat."
"Don't let go of the ball with your left hand."
Caden was a different person when he talks about volleyball. Well, it's no wonder. His mom used to play too, and so did his older brother. He taught them the underhand serve. An overhead serve would be too advanced for them, but it would be a trump card Caden could use next month. A few more trials later. The boys had learned to control the direction the ball moves towards. The captain decided it was time for them to move on to the next part of their practice, receiving.
Caden made the five boys position themselves in front of him. He taught them the proper stance when receiving the ball, slightly squatting with hands in front. He wanted to give them a taste of how receiving works, so he made them play against him 5 vs 1.
They went back to the classroom. Panting and sweating like pigs. "How are you so serious when it comes to volleyball?" Jake asked Caden.
"I was?" he replied.
"Yeah. You were like a different person back there. I couldn't keep up." Oliver told him.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to push you guys too hard." Caden told the boys.
"It's okay. With your spirit like that, we'd win men's volleyball for sure." Oliver replied. He then hugged Caden with one of his arms. It was really random.
YOU ARE READING
Those Damn Dimples (BL)
RomanceA lot of Caden's later years were spent with the absence of his father, a man whom he had always wanted to feel by his side. He longed for his father, to feel safe in his arms when he's in peril. The man was always abroad, working. Caden had conside...
