𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 - 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 - 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 1

Chapter 9

The next day, Coach was the first to pick Charlie and I up from our apartment in a grey van, "Hey guys! Get in!" He waved his hand. The two of us ran into the van and sat next to each other in the very back. Charlie let me have the window seat, as he sat in the middle.

We then drove around Minneapolis, picking up the members of our team to go to skating shop to pick out our new gear. The van was loud, cramped, and buzzing with chatter. Out my window, I noticed we pulled up into a parking spot at a big sports shop called Han's Sport Shop. Coach then let everyone out of the van as we all flooded into the shop, dispersing out everywhere. Charlie and I stayed right next to Coach.

"Wow." My eyes lingered on every piece of equipment as I took everything in.

"Ya, you said it, Vic. Wow." Charlie left his mouth agape.

"I know." Coach nodded his head looking around.

"Charlie, why don't you start browsing around, Vic and I have to do some coaching business." Coach placed his hand on my back.

"Ya, sure." He nodded and walked off to look at the sticks. Coach led me to a counter where an older man was ringing something up on the old cash register for a woman before looking at Coach with a smile on his face.

"Gordon!" He smiled. "So happy you're here," The man then looked down at me. "Victoria." He let out a deep exhale.

"Do I know you?" I asked with my brow raised and looking between Coach and the man behind the counter with the thick accent.

"No, Vic, but he was watching the team and mainly you at the past games," Coach responded. "This is Hans, the old friend I was telling you about."

"I was the one to suggest to your Coach to take you in as an Assistant Coach." Hans leaned against the counter.

"Really?"

"Yes, I saw you on the benches Victoria, you had that fire. The motivation that you don't see every day now in coaches or players."

"That's mainly why I took in the chance to ask you to be a Jr. Assistant Coach, Vic, was so you could motivate, teach, and help the team." Coach looked over at me. "All of our decisions are a team decision, if you want to decide on something, you go through me, and vice versa." Coach explained.

"Ok." I nodded.

Hans looked at us both, "Now, since I would assume you got money for new gear, and that means new jerseys for the team?"

Coach chuckled, "It's like you read my mind, Hans."

"I'm old, but I'm still good, Gordon." Hans got out a sheet for our designing the jerseys and sample fabrics. "Now what's the idea?" He then leaned on the counter and folded his hands.

"Well, I was thinking the Ducks, after the law firm since Ducksworth is sponsoring us." Coach said and wrote the team name down on the designated line.

"Here is my say, Coach," Picking up the sample fabrics, I thoroughly felt each one with my fingers. "We have to have jerseys that are lightweight but also thermal in a way but also keeping it baggy for mobility and for the under protection."

"Ok, go on." Coach nodded his head in agreement.

"So how about we use this silky fabric that most jerseys are made up of on the outside, under the arms we put this more one for letting air in because from experience and sharing a room with Charlie, his hockey gear stinks like rotting garbage," I exaggerated. "Then on the inside, we put this more velvety like thin material in."

Coach smiled and took a pen from the counter to draw a shirt, "I like your thinking Coach!" He took the sample fabrics and labeled where everything was going. "What about our logo?" Coach looked up at me quickly before continuing to write notes down.