We Come Alive 3

Camp Trip Day 6

The following morning, a Friday to be exact, the 45 football players headed to the mess hall for breakfast. When they got their breakfast and got seated, Manny didn't know where to sit seeing it was split perfectly offense vs defense. Manny didn't want to choose a side, so she just sat alone at a table in the middle. When the coaches walked in, Mateo sat down across from his daughter and gave her a soft smile.

"Hey, princess. How are you?" Mateo asked, leaning his elbows against the table.

Manny yawned but nodded. "I'm fine. How are you? Talks going around the team about you replacing Carson."

"I have to." Mateo admitted. "Or at least get a new back up so Caron's backup can be starter. I need to get a couple backups actually. We're running thin this year."

"Yeah." Manny breathed, "They barely wanna be near each other right now. They're split in half. Right down the line of scrimmage."

Mateo turned around to face the defense and saw Stephen glaring at someone from the offensive side. Mateo looked forward to see Clover glaring back at him and anyone else who looked at her from the defensive side. Mateo sighed before standing to his feet and blowing his whistle to get all of the players attention.

"All of you listen up now because I'm not going to repeat myself." He instructed them. "You're a team, start acting like it. So what if you didn't like the plays or you feel that someone wasn't working as hard as they were suppose to be. That's life, get over it. If any of you try to sabotage or mess around during this practice today, you'll be hearing it from me. You'll also be paying for your jersey, padding, cleats, and a cab because you'll be off this team and walking back home. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." The players called out.

"Do you understand me?!" Mateo yelled at them, looking around at the young faces around them.

"Yes, sir!" The players called out louder.

Mateo nodded as he clapped his hands together before pointing to Andrew and nodding his head over to outside. Right when Andrew reached the doors and Andrew was about to walk outside and Mateo was two steps behind him, Mateo turned around and faced the team again.

"Listen," he begun, "You're gonna put their differences aside and help Andrew play a good game in front of the college representatives. You're wearing your home jerseys while Andrew wears his practice one so he stands out. Get geared up and stretched. On the field in 20."

Andrew followed Mateo outside where they saw cars pulling up from college representatives. Sam and Victor were greeting them and showing them to the field while Danny kept watch of the rest of the team inside the mess hall. Mateo lead Andrew over to the field and had him introduce himself.

Right before they reached the field, Mateo stopped and grabbed Andrew's arm so they could talk before Andrew met the people who would hopefully see the potential in him and give him a chance at his dream.

"Hey, you give 100% of yourself today, they're gonna think of you differently. And I promise you, you're gonna think and look differently at yourself." Mateo assured him. "Alright? Don't worry about who has the ball, who's running where, and what's happening around you. Blood, sweat, and tears you'll leave it all on the field. There ain't another person in the world who could do this except you. This is what you do, I've seen you do it with my own eyes. And I have faith in you."

Andrew nodded slowly as he internalized everything he was saying. "But what if I ain't got no more in me?"

Mateo put his hand on Andrew's shoulder. "You do. You'll always have it in you to play on that field, but if they can't see that...then I'd like to keep you around. Take online school, work for the team. I ain't gonna abandon you when you're left with no choices. I have walked with y'all all these years to create this dream, so I'm not walking away when we're almost made it to the top. You understand me?"