Page 3 of Rookie Attraction
“That’s not what really clinched it, though. My decision to join the camp, that is,” Finn admits. “It was when I found out you were going to be teaching our group. Couldn’t pass that up.”
“Flattery’s my favorite word.”
“I know. Coach told us.”
His unfiltered comment makes me snort.
“Damn,” he grimaces. “Was that too sarcastic?”
“Not at all.” I smile. “Damien’s right and so are you.”
“Normally I’m not like this with someone I don’t know.” Finn sighs, his expression guarded again. “I guess that’s my personal problem making me cranky. Anyway, I should probably zip it and get back to my, uh, warmup.”
“Of course.”
He starts to push off.
“But Finn?”
He glances over his shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“I hope you can talk stuff out with someone. It’s never good to keep things bottled up.”
Look who’s talking.
You’ve been hiding who you are for years.
Why don’t you listen to your own advice?
Finn offers a final nod and takes off down the ice. I watch his form until someone taps my shoulder, and when I turn around, Damien’s got an expectant look on his face.
“Everything alright?”
“Me? Yeah. Finn? I don’t know. He’s wound tighter than the tape on my stick.”
“Like I told you, family stuff.”
“Bad?”
“It could be.”
“Fuck.”
“Exactly,” Damien replies. “But Finn’s one of the most mature and steadfast players on the team; he’s strong and he has support. Especially Silas, they’re tight. Finn’s gonna be okay.”
I’m curious to ask more, but it’s not my place. I’m here to mentor Finn, not become his friend. With that in mind, I head off to join the players and get to work analyzing their passing drills and offering up as many tips as I can. Then I act as referee and coach for their three-on-three game, stopping the play at times to give them feedback. All the guys are eager to learn and that’s what makes today so enjoyable. Turns out, I like being on the other side of the puck; it feels good to share my knowledge and experience.
Still, as the time ticks by and the play gets more intense, I keep a closer eye on Finn. He pushes hard one shift, closing gaps and angling attackers to the boards like he’s supposed to. But the next shift he’s a half-step slow, his stick passive, his feet barely moving. When Dane cuts to the middle with speed, Finn doesn’t challenge him, he lets him blow past.
No surprise, Dane buries it top shelf.
I blow the whistle.
“Time.” I skate toward Finn and keep my tone firm but low. “Finn, you’re giving Dane too much space. When a forward has that kind of speed coming at you, you need to close the gap and take away his options. That means active stick, angle him wide, force the low-percentage shot. Don’t let him walk right in on your goalie. Read the play early and scan for threats before they’re on top of you.”
Finn nods but says nothing in response to my comment, and the longer the group plays, the more frustrated he gets. He works hard, but he’s clearly distracted. I have the urge to pull Finn aside, to tell him to go home, but that’s Damien’s decision, not mine.
