Phillip

Winter training had gotten underway - it was just after Thanksgiving and not exactly the "dead of winter" just yet but it was cold and wet and gray. The rowing team had participated in the last regatta of the Fall season and now we just got ourselves ready to take on the last weeks of the semester - grades were first priority but working out, conditioning, rehabbing sore bodies, became our emphasis. 

Recruiting was another priority. If the fellas knew anyone who might be interested in joining and might actually want to sign up they would bring them to the student gym/field house and see what we could do to hook them in.  

The squad worked out hard - sweat dripping, huffing and puffing, the occasional collapse to the floor - it was an odd sort of recruiting dance that the other coaches would watch and shake their heads. "I don't know how the hell you get away with torturing these boys this way and still keep getting them to join!" 

"It's my sincere smile coach."

"You drug them up with coffee and cinnamon rolls!" 

"That doesn’t hurt."

One of the guys had brought in his dorm mate. "Coach this is Phillip. He's the one I was telling you about. You know he might make a bowman or maybe a cox."

"Hey Phillip. Glad to meet you."

"Hi." 

he wasn't ready to workout. A common ploy among the hesitant but it wasn't anything we couldn't overcome.  

"Hang out with me for now and I'll show you around, ask me questions, tell me stuff."

"Ok." He smiled and giggled a little. A good sign already. 

"You look like you're in pretty good shape. What do you do for workouts?"

"Thanks. I'm actually in shit shape and I just walk around an' stuff really. I'm not real sure why Beni's so convinced I'd be good at this but he likes rowing a lot so I thought I'd give it a try." 

I looked over at him and he was watching the guys work out. Doing a special drill on the rowing machines we had just moved into the gym from the boathouse. He partly covered his face and his eyes were wide open. A little gasp of awe. 

"Once you get the physical parts down it's all mental. Beni probably senses you can handle both those things."

"You think so?" 

"Well. I get that sense and they say I'm pretty good at that sort of thing."

"I'd be afraid to make a fool of myself in front of everyone."

"Well we've all had days like that. My first day of novice crew I had no idea how to use these ergs and I screwed up horribly. It was so embarrassing."

"Oh God."

"If you're that worried I can give you a private lesson. We can meet later, or early, and I can show you the ropes - just us." 

"Yes. That would be very cool!" 

We arranged to meet up late the next morning, in the gym and I'd show him the basics of erging and we'd be able to chat. "Maybe I'll buy you some lunch afterward if you have the time." 

"I could buy you lunch. You know - in return."

"You can buy me coffee tonight. You're coming to the coffee shop later right?" 

"I. I guess so. Is that ok?"

"Of course it is. You're gonna be part of all this - I can tell already. You're gonna love it." 

"I. You might be right."