We Come Alive 3

Scandal

Tuesday mid morning was like any other morning for the 54 football players on the Grand Ridge Dallas Jaguars. They were running drills and running their plays so the new members of the team could get use to them.

Mateo was sitting on the sidelines watching them run their drills while Manny was laying on her side with her head in his lap. She had one hand wrapped around her stomach while she took a small nap. Behind Mateo on the second row of the benches were Ricky and Diego. Diego had to start coming to the practices and watching since he was still technically part of the team. Ricky didn't have anything better to do today, so he decided to come to his old stomping grounds and check out the new team.

Coach Sam, Coach Victor, and Danny were standing off to the side by the bleachers together before Sam walked over to the field and stopped just short of Mateo and Manny and handed him an open envelope.

"What's this?" Mateo wondered, taking it and pulling the stapled folded pages out.

Sam sighed. "The new rules that the schools giving us. Me and Victor looked over it and you're not gonna be happy about it."

Mateo unfolded the papers and scanned over them. He was frowned and extremely mad by the time he reached the bottom of the forms. Mateo gently got up so he didn't wake up Manny and walked over to the bleachers where the other coaches and trainer were.

"What the fuck is this?!" Mateo barked. "This is literally bullshit. They can't participate in any potential dangers activities? I need a female coach for Clover? I have to teach them how to properly tackle?! They already know how to tackle! The kicker knows how to fucking tackle!"

Victor shrugged. "I don't know." He sighed. "They're just being extra precautious I guess because of more and more football players getting injured."

"I've never had a player get seriously injured on the field on my team." Mateo pointed out. "Yeah a couple knocked out teeth or dislocated shoulders, but no paralyzations or nerve damage or shattered bones. Nothing. Not one incident. It's rare for us to even need to the paramedics."

Sam took the papers and scanned through them. "Manny can watch over Clover during games, practices, and away games. It also says we need an assistant coach. For what reason, I have no idea. They're even saying that we have to give them concussion tests and Danny has to re-test them."

Danny nodded agreeing with him. "They're telling me I have to give them concussion tests and redo their physicals. Any of them fail it, you can't use them. We have to bench them until they pass it."

"Major part," Victor sighed, "we have to start benching them. If they lead with their heads in a tackle, you have to bench them for three games. Starter or not. Automatically benched. Do it three times and the off to team."

Mateo sighed as he turned around and headed back to the field. Sam, Victor, and Danny followed behind him as they lined up on the sidelines. Mateo blew his whistle in the pattern that signaled for them to stop what they were doing and take a knee.

As they did, Victor looked out at the field and noticed Jose easily drop down to a knee while Clover winced when she did. He frowned for a moment before seeing her instinctively reach for her lower back but stop before putting her hands in front of her body.

Victor nudged Danny while Mateo told them the new rules they got. Danny glanced over at Victor who had a sucker stick sticking out the corner of his mouth.

"What's wrong with Clover? What's wrong with her back?" Victor asked. "She keeps wincing and she's all tense."

Danny frowned confused, having not heard about her injury since she took that bad tackle at camp. He looked over at Clover who was sitting on her knees. Danny just shrugged as he crossed his arms and waited for Mateo to finish his speech to them. Of course by the time he finished, all the players were complaining about them having to be re-tested and them having to be careful on the field or were going to have severe consequences.