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  Little did they know that Jamal was getting high with his girlfriend. She taught Jamal how to roll joints, use bongs and smoke endless amounts of pot. He was acting like the burnout she had become. A week had gone by when Coach called a team meeting during a morning practice session.

  “A few updates to the rules, boys. First, being a captain has responsibilities. I am going to expect Jamal to solve some team problems as they arise. You should expect Jamal to be a conduit between you and me. That means he is going to take a lot of shit from everyone,” the coach paused as the team laughed.

  “So, he needs some perks. The first one is his option to wear a different shoe. Vole has designed a different basketball style that I’m calling the ‘Captain’s Shoe’. So does Kerbe. Jamal, you can choose to wear this Vole shoe, or for that matter you can pick any shoe that pleases you – as long as it is the same color as the team uses.”

  The relief of Jamal’s face was immediately apparent. No kid should feel pressure from adults trying to make money from shoe contracts.

  “Next, I want to talk to you about the importance of women in your lives. You guys need to get your priorities in place. If we are to have a long run this year, if you want to play well into March in the IIAA tournament, and if you want to become state champions you cannot let your girlfriends distract you during our working camp. Look, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have a girlfriend. I had a girlfriend throughout high school and I eventually married her.”

  “How’d that work out for you, Coach” cracked the team’s wise guy. The whole team broke out laughing.

  “You’re going give me fifteen minutes of suicides for that,” Scott shot back, but then smiled. “Never mind about the suicides-that actually was funny.”

  The coach continued, “So if you’re going to have a girlfriend, and you want to be committed to being the best we can be – tell her you won’t see her until August. And, once basketball starts in November, you won’t spend much time until April.”

  The boys were a little shell-shocked.

  “On the same topic… I have met most of your parents. Y’all are lucky to have them and the sacrifices they make for you. Every one of you played travelling and NAU ball. That cost your folk’s money and lots of time. It is probably easy to relate to your dads, brothers or other men in your lives. However, your moms lose out. You can be competitive on the hardwood court or tough on the gridiron and still pay attention and respect your mothers. You should invite your mothers to our summer camp games. In addition, if they come, you should thank them as soon as our post game meetings conclude. Gentleman, you are maturing quickly. Teenagers always want to be treated as adults. OK, so men, here it is. Think about your parents and especially your mothers – have you thanked them for the fun they allowed you to have? They deserve to share in your joy too.”

  On the way home for dinner that night, Jamal asked Marcus, “Dad, do you think he was talking to me?”

  “Son, he was talking to everybody on the team, including you. Your mom could use some attention from you immediately.”

  “Are you going to get back together with Mom?”

  “I sure hope so. She performed a miracle in her life – she had you!”

  After the next league game at Olgesby High School, Jamal went to his mother’s house. He had a long serious talk with her for the first time in a few years. They talked about lots of topics including the sad state of Jamal parents’ marriage, and her pessimistic view of it ever working out again. They talked about his dreams and fears. He talked about his respect for Coach Venturi, and she marveled at Jamal’s insight about him. Elizabeth was surprised to find out about Jamal’s serious view of basketball. He was not a stereotypical jock. He had an appreciation for the rhythm and orchestration of team basketball. He was an artist. He loved the game, and wanted to play in college. She felt guilty that she never understood how important this sport had become to Jamal, and she wanted to be a part of it. She asked if she could start coming to summer league games, and he instantly invited her to come whenever she could.

  The conversation ended with a long discussion about Andrea. He never admitted that he smoked too, but Elizabeth figured it out. The Coach had complained of Jamal’s sudden lethargic summer play.

  “Jamal, how can you square up the time you spend with Andrea and your desire to be the best possible player you can become? You are working against yourself. She may be interesting, but is she good for you? With all that you have at stake, how does she fit in your life?”

  The conversation ended with differing conclusions: Jamal and his mother grew closer, Andrea’s days were numbered, and Elizabeth could not wait to see Scott to thank him privately.

  “When was that next booster club meeting?” she wondered.

  Chapter Twenty. The Booster’s Shot

  By now, Billy Rechter was working as a paid referee camp observer at Oglesby during the summer. He had grown from a raw beginning official with a lack of prescribed mechanics to a certified state observer. Remembering how unsupervised he felt at his first camp, he took his assignment seriously and did not want to shortchange any of the referee campers. He moved from court to court, shouting advice and encouragement to the paying camp participants. Billy philosophized that he could not teach good judgment to referees. Instead, he focused on getting the striped shirts positioned properly and viewing correct angles. Basketball officials process incredible amounts of information during a game. These questions cycle through the referee’s mind every five seconds:

  Am I in the right position given the location of the ball or do I need to move?

  Am I looking at my assigned area?

  Are the players in my area violating any infraction rules?

  Are the players in my area violating any contact rules?

  If there are violations or fouls, did it cause a change in Advantage/Disadvantage?

  If I am calling a foul or violation, what is the correct sequence to signal my call?

  There is a lot more to this avocation than meets most eyes. Coaches want to win, but if officials are consistent and understand the rules, coaches will cut them slack if their judgment temporarily fails. Penalties for players disrespecting officials are severe – if they eject out of a game, they miss the next game according to IIAA’s guidelines. Usually the parents caused the most problems.

  Billy developed great expectations for the fall. He had worked a Super Sectional Final game the prior year. The state certified him to observe other officials by IIAA, and he was sure he the state would choose him for a state final series assignment. The state had an evaluation system whereby coaches and other officials rated referees. Associations tried to rig the result by voting top ratings to their fellow members and downgrading non-members. The system was not bad, but certainly not perfect.

  Athletic directors hired assigners to supply referees matched in quality to the degree of difficulty of the games; new officials worked freshman ball until they earned their way through sophomore and finally varsity assignments. In other words, assigners had many headaches: referee no shows, athletic directors’ complaints, and unhappy officials. Despite these negatives, assignors gained concrete benefits. First, he usually got ten percent of the game fees paid to officials by the home team. Second, when an official became an assigner, it is amazing how many varsity games he could get in other conferences. These people were no fools. Since many assigners would not work a game in their own conference, they traded games with each other.

  One well-known local assigner once said, “I didn’t realize what a great official I was until I was hired by my conference to book referees. As soon as word got out, I was deluged with offers to work in other conferences - as long as I would reciprocate my games to the other assigners”.

  Billy was working the floor at Olgesby helping two young referees achieve and maintain proper positioning. At halftime, he discussed all of the mistakes he observed. He was so critical; they wondered if they did anything right. Most casual fans of bask
etball do not realize the importance of working the “mechanics” properly. Nearly all referees knew the rulebook fairly well. Small variances separated a varsity official from a state finalist. The difference between mediocre and excellent came down to positioning, mechanics, and hustle.

  Billy wanted the officials to work the second half without him running along on the floor. He had a clipboard and was writing down notes and comments to review at game’s end. While he was watching the officials work the game, the ever-present Bobby G. approached.

  “Hey ref. ‘sup?”

  “Not much. Are you taking bets on this game too?” Billy asked sarcastically.

  “Rechter, don’t insult me like that. Summer is the time to connect some players with hungry college recruiters. Unless you’re talking about the Garfield Park league…that’s money too.”

  “I give you credit, Bobby G. You’ve got a nice hustle going on,” Billy replied as he remembered his faltering real estate business. Billy needed as much supplemental income as he could get.

  “Listen Holmes, I’m looking for a partner for a unique way to make a big score in winter.”

  “Get lost, lowlife. I’m trying to go to the finals this year – you’re the last person I need to be seen talking to.”

  “I’ll leave my card with my phone number on the scorer’s table in case you change your mind. If you call, ask for Jack Benny or the call gets killed.”

  Bobby G. felt bad about Billy publicly embarrassing him, but he had people to see and business to conduct. Bobby moved on to say hello to various people in the gym. He was in his element because he knew most of the players from his NAU sponsorship. Bobby G. knew most of the coaches because he helped many players get scholarships and he knew many of the parents in the gyms. These homers bet for fun on their sons’ high school team during the regular season. Bobby took the action from the homers after titling his odds line against their bets during the school year. Gangs covered the rest of the action and Bobby G. took in ten percent juice.

  Bobby G. moved on to sit next to Frank Worrell, the sportswriter. They regularly exchanged information during the summer, fall, and winter seasons. Bobby G. also was the beneficiary of Frank’s errant pro football betting losses. Because of Bobby G.’s connections, Frank’s newspaper column broke many recruit signing commitments well before the player’s high school coach knew. Frank had a good eye for talent, and could tell who was gelling and who was underachieving. Bobby told him that he needed a partner for his blockbuster plan, signaling that Frank could make a lot of money back. Frank did not need Bobby G.’s card – he called him every week to bet on pro football games.

  Coaches and referees had a love/hate relationship. Without referees, there were no games, but they also gave the coaches agita. Coaches developed a list of preferred officials. At the Varsity level, most coaches could request certain officials, which they might get twice during the year and conversely, they could blackball or scratch officials to keep them off their games. After Billy finished analyzing the assigned officials, he approached Coach Venturi as his team warmed up.

  “How’s the summer treating you Billy?”

  “Not bad, Coach. What is going on with your team this summer? You’re under 500 percent.”

  “Well, we are working hard on skill development,” replied Scott.

  “How are your team’s parents handling that?”

  “Not too well. I thought I cleared this up before summer camp started but these parents are something else. They just want to win, even in summer. They get mad when I pull the starters in the third quarter. Or if we are losing and we’re working on a zone defense, they are mad that we aren’t pressing in the backcourt.”

  “I hear you,” said Billy.

  “Oh and also…,” Coach Venturi said, “We’ve had a rash of bad calls by you guys.” He jokingly patted Rechter on his butt.

  “You never miss a chance to tweak me!”

  “Hey, Billy. Do you know the two perfect jobs a basketball coach can get?”

  “What’s that, Coach?”

  “Coaching orphans and prisoners! No parental intervention,” he said as they both howled in laughter.

  ***

  The team was off the next night, but the coach had to come back to East End after dinner. He was hoping that Elizabeth would show up for the boosters’ club meeting. Officially, they were supposed to choose t-shirts and practice gear for the team, as well as apparel to sell to parents and students. Only the president of the booster club showed up beside Elizabeth and the coach. They scoured the books for things to order for an hour and a half. After settling on the quantities and sizes of the basketball apparel for sale, the group prepared the order for the team to wear. The president of the booster club had to leave to pick up one of her sons at a nearby NAU practice. Scott walked her out to the front doors and watched her get to her car safely.

  His heart was pounding as he walked back toward his office and Elizabeth. She smiled when he entered the room.

  “Scott, I wanted to thank you for what you’ve meant to Jamal. He broke up with his sleazy girlfriend last week.”

  “Interesting,” he said, “I think he’s been playing better since then.”

  “And he and I are getting closer. Now I understand how much basketball means to him and I’m trying to support his interest.”

  “I’ve noticed that you have been attending games this week. That’s good for all of us.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Well, Jamal loves to see you there, and so do I.”

  An erotic embrace began. Elizabeth felt alive in Scott’s arms. She yearned for the intimacy, which Marcus had long ago abandoned. She gave herself fully to him. Elizabeth was still a beautiful woman with a runway model’s figure and a European movie star’s face. Scott was fit and tan. Coaches had used the office desk to chart out many game plans and schemes, but probably not ever like this. The coach’s office was hardly the most conducive place to make love, but it was here that this relationship consummated.

  “We can’t get caught doing this,” said Elizabeth after they had finished.

  “You’re right,” Scott replied.

  “That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t see each other again, does it?” she asked.

  “I want to see you tomorrow, and the next day too”, Scott reassured.

  The booster club had taken on a new meaning.

  Chapter Twenty-one. Bobby G.’s Plan

  The summer league ended. Players welcomed the break as the heat of the season peaked and scorched the stuffy gyms across Chicagoland. Coach Venturi and Elizabeth’s secret dalliances were numerous but undiscovered. She craved his attention. Not coincidentally, she had become a regular spectator at the Olgesby summer league. It was hard to tell if she was there to watch her son or the coach. One summer night she called Scott.

  “Hey, hun. How did your interview go at EPSU?”

  “Hard to tell, Elizabeth. I do know this – they want Jamal to play for them very much. It seems like we spent as much time talking about him as me. I’m not sure what they’re thinking as far as the coaching job goes.”

  “What about the town?”

  “It’s in the middle of the mountains in Pennsylvania. The university dominates the town. We would enjoy living there,” said Scott. “I spent hours anonymously walking through campus town, wondering what it would be like to be revered as a respected member of the community. I toured the neighborhood where many professors live in hundred-year-old mansions. The physical education facilities were so impressive: the weight room, the recruiting war room, the press section of the locker room. It was overwhelming, and I painted myself in the picture. However, I do not own the brush – the athletic director and the regents have to make the call. Therefore, I am trying not to get my hopes up. There are other candidates.”

  “I’d love to be in the same town as Jamal, although it would be hard not to mettle in his college life. Being around the two men in my life would be ideal:
you and Jamal.”

  “Wouldn’t you miss your family?”

  “The Handelair clan would be shocked. They think I am still living with Marcus. Since I have been married, I have lost so many so-called friends and other than Jamal, I have lost my way. Marcus has not provided very well for us – he has not been able to work for years. Scott, you can rescue me from him and the basement that I seem to be stuck in. This is very exciting to me – to be an important coach’s wife in a college town and to start over would be a dream. I’m psyched!”

  Coach Venturi said, “Wait a minute, Elizabeth. Didn’t you put his work jacket in his carry-on with the gun inside? You partially caused some of his bad luck – are you forgetting that? I have to tell you that I have grown closer to Marcus, and I feel guilty about you and me. I do not want to know about whatever has gone on between the two of you, but I know Marcus – he is a good man, with some unfortunate life-stifling events. He has been great for the boys on the team, and if this is my last year at East End, he will be a key part of it. I am remorseful about being with you not only because of Jamal, but also I feel like I am betraying Marcus. Can you understand that?”

  “I can and I do. But EPSU is about us – you and me, and Jamal. Hey, Marcus and I are not living together anymore. Moreover, I will admit, I am selfish about this - thank God, you came into my life. Marcus can fend for himself.”

  “I’ve got to get back to work. I’m breaking down some summer league tape tonight,” he replied with a heavy heart. How could he justify having Elizabeth in his life at this time?

  “Scott, stay on the phone. Do not hang up, please. Talk to me. If I can’t see you tonight, I want to at least hear your voice.”