The Head Football Coach Mel Caseiro decided I needed to be motivated and made me second team on the Monday before our first game as seniors. Coach Pinfield gave me a heads up that morning in home room he whispered, "expect something different this week but don't worry about it." I never expected to be on the number two squad after all I was on the number one squad my entire junior year. I wanted to quit that day but Chris Carr and Danny Fyffe talked me out of it. To quote Chris, "They're just fucking with ya." I was second team the entire week of practice and it was getting harder to show up each day. In three years of playing football for EBHS I had never witnessed a player being second team on Friday that would be a starter on Saturday. My ego was completely deflated. What did I have to look forward to playing with the sophomores next week? I told Danny and Chris after practice on Friday I was history. I didn't take a shower I just went right home.
Danny called me about a half hour after I got home and said he'd be by to pick me up for the Friday night football meeting. I told him not to bother there was no way I was going to the meeting. He came by anyway in the old 48 ford. Danny tried to convince me to go to the meeting. I told him no way was I sitting in the back of the room (as it was protocol for varsity players to be in the front.) He told me he would sit in the back with me and if the coach didn't tell me I was starting tomorrow he would support me quitting. We sat quietly in the back the entire meeting watching the films of the previous year against Edison. I was so angry it may as well been cartoons we were watching. The JV team and sophomores were really confused. The varsity players and coaches always have a short meeting at the end of the regular meeting. I got up and bolted down the hill towards home. Fyffe informed the coach I quit and he could empty my locker. I could hear Mr. Caseiro yelling my name as I briskly walked down the hill. I didn't respond. I didn't turn around. I didn't flinch! I could hear his footsteps running towards me. Finally he caught up to me and put his had on my shoulder trying to turn me around (no pun). I grabbed his hand and threw it from my shoulder and told him to keep his fucking hands off me. He tried to explain his actions but he didn't have an audience. I was out of there.
By the time I got home the coach was already speaking to my parents on the phone. My dad told me the coach wanted to speak with me. I refused. I told my dad I didn't have anything to say to him. He relayed that to the coach and politely hung up. I hadn't said anything to my parents about being on the second squad this week so this was all news to them. My dad tried to convey the coaches position which was his intention was to motivate me because he thought I was never really motivated although I had excellent skills. In as curt a way as possible I responded with, "fuck him".
A few minutes later Danny and Chris were at the door. They came in and told me that the coach met with all the varsity players the week before and let them know what they intended to do in order to motivate me. They blackmailed them by saying if anyone told me they would be off the varsity squad. Both Chris and Danny told me they wanted to tell me all week but thought the coach was serious and didn't think he would carry it this far. Just then the phone rang and one of my sisters answered and told me it was Jay Doyle, the athletic director, for me. I had always much respect for Mr. Doyle both as the Athletic Director and the Wrestling Coach. I took the call and Jay told me he was unaware of the coaches play and didn't support it. He wanted me to consider the fact that grown men make mistakes and I shouldn't allow that to interfere with scholarship offers I had and would receive in the future. I told him I didn't want to play football I like wrestling much more and I already had scholarship offers. Jay realized I was too emotional to make any decisions that night so he respected my position and asked that we speak next week. I thanked him for the call.
I didn't play that Saturday and I was thankful the game was away. I lived so close to the high school I could hear the game if I were home. The next Monday I was called out of Humanities to see Jay Doyle. Jay was a great wrestling coach and a great guy. Mr Doyle was like having another father; a man of knowledge, of reason and a good sense of humor. He told me he had spoken at length to Mr. Caseiro and some of the other coaches regarding this tact to motivate me. Jay emphatically stated, "I want you to know three things Pat; most of the other coaches did not agree with this action, most all the varsity players objected as well, and finally I would have never agreed to it had I known previously. Knowing you personally I know you're not a rah rah kind of guy Pat. You don't need to be motivated by anyone other than yourself." Mr. Doyle was prepared for this meeting and gave me sound reasons to go back on the team; scholarship offers, not letting down my team, I could regret it later on, we all make mistakes even coaches. I trusted my interests were Jay Doyles interests and agreed to go back on the team. It wasn't a bad decision. Mr. Caseiro did apologise and I believe he was sincere. He was correct in that after our sophomore year I was never motivated playing football. I always expected someone else to be throwing me the ball and it was painful to be on the field without him.
