How I Got Into The Football Team

How I got into the football team

When I got to high-school I wanted to enter the football team, like my dad before me, however I wasn't as big and strong as my father or my brother. My father used to joke with me that I had inherited all of my mom's soft features and none of his. My dad was 6ft 3 in, with broad shoulders and he kept in shape for his age, but in his teenage years he weighted up to 240 lbs of pure muscle. My brother was 3 years younger than me but he was already about 2 inches taller than me and incredibly strong. Dad and my brother lifted weights in their home gym. They invited me at first but when dad realized I wasn't built like them he stopped inviting me (and he directed his efforts towards my brother); I however still liked feeling fit and did some cardio and light weight training. I certainly was never going to get as muscular as my dad but at least I tried to keep in shape.

So when I finally got to the same high-school as my dad I felt really proud, and my dad even told me jokingly that I should try to get into the football team, he always said those were his best years (that's when he met my mom). So even if I felt a little discouraged by my small frame, I decided I would prove them better and get into the team. I was one of the first to write my name on the drafting list every year, and every year I couldn't get past the first day. I had to enter the soccer and lacrosse teams, which according to my father were ladies' games.

Finally in my senior year, I had just turned 18 during the summer and spent every day at our home gym, trying to improve my stamina and overall strength, I didn't put on any muscle but I got very fit, I had a very slender build with a perky little butt.

The day came and we were all gathered in the football field, everyone of us anxious to get into the team, the coach entered with heavy footsteps and with a loud booming voice said "All right ladies, so you want to prove you're worthy enough to get into my team. I'll have you know that we are and we'll continue to be the state champions, so I will not allow any weakness in my team. Now start running around the field." What followed were a couple hours of heavy breathing and sweat, I managed to endure most of it without problems but by the half of the second hour my legs were starting to buckle with fatigue. Afterwards he gathered the remaining guys around him and said:

"All right ladies, so you managed to endure the first day of training with me, not like that bunch of sissies that couldn't run for their pathetic lives." He said, glancing to the remaining group of drop-outs that were still trying to catch their breath, I looked at them with a little pity since every last year I had been one of them. He then produced the drafting list and took a look, his eyes immediately widened when he saw my last name and name at the top.

"McClure, Andrew!, to the front!" I took a couple heavy slow steps to the front and saw his smile vanish slowly as he took a better look at me. He continued: "Are you Andrew McClure, son of Andrew 'Storm' McClure?"

I saw a couple curious looks directed my way, apparently some of the guys had heard of my dad's football prowess.

"Yes sir!" I croaked but my throat was dry and I could barely speak.

"Well, I see you seem more like your mother than your father." I heard a couple light chuckles in the back, but the Coach immediately silenced them. "Fair enough, at least you made through the first day, let's see if you can make it through the rest of the week." He then took the rest of our names and dismissed us. We slowly made our way to the showers, on the way there a tall and heavy guy got close to me and stroke a conversation, I recognized him from my same grade, but he was in a different group.

"Hi, I'm Jonas, so how's it like being your father's son?" I paid no mind to that stupid question and continued my way, he followed me and said: "I'm sorry, I'm a fan of your dad, my dad used to show me videos of him in his high-school years, he was really something!"

"Aha" was all I could say, I felt suddenly embarrassed by this talk.

"Everyone thought he would turn professional, I haven't seen videos of his college years but people say he was awesome. How's his knee?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I said, now a little bit angry with him.

"Seriously!" He stood in front of me with a look of disbelief in his big broad face.

"Yeah, whatever." I said trying to side-step him, but he immediately blocked my way again, he was fast for his size.

"Are you serious? Don't joke with me."

"Yeah sure, I'll take you to him later so you can ask him all the questions you want, I'm sure he'll love to be interviewed."

"Awesome!" He almost shouted, "see you near the bus." With that he ran to the showers.

I was happy to get him off my back and then headed to the showers myself. I actually hoped not to catch him on the way back home but he saw me and made a beeline directly to me, pushing some smaller students on his path.

"So, what's your bus?" He asked stopping a couple feet from me.

I pointed to the one and he happily remarked:

"Hey, that's my bus too, that's cool."

The way back home was quite boring, at least to me, he kept talking of my dad's achievements like he had won the Super Bowl. When I got home, he got down of the bus with me. I walked inside and greeted my mom, she came to say hello to me and was surprised to see this tall and heavy dude behind me.

"Oh, and who is this Andy?"

"This is Jonas, he's in the football tryouts with me, I hope you don't mind me bringing him here."

"Not at all, welcome Jonas."

She proceeded to give us a glass of lemonade and talk with him, Jonas was actually really polite and helped her with the table and the dishes. When dad arrived about an hour later I could see the total fanboy face of Jonas, disbelief and surprise flooded his face. My mom introduced them and the dinner time was the most football intensive talk of my entire life.

Dad was absolutely flabbergasted and couldn't believe someone appreciated him as much. He even invited Jonas to throw the ball after dinner with my brother. They invited me, probably after mom told dad he should, but I refused, I had had enough football for one day.

The rest of the week we trained as hard as the first day, and the recruits started falling like flies. By the end of the week we were only 7 of the initial 30 something. I managed to endure the training and I think even Coach Evans was surprised to see my progress.

"You might have some of your father inside you after all."

At the end of the week Coach Evans gathered us and said:

"All right ladies, now comes the part that separates the sissies from the men, and I don't want sissies in my team." I knew what was coming, the traditional hazing of the newbies of the team, I had seen some of them the previous years.

"And since you'll stop being sissies you must dress like one for the last time. You'll go and collect donations for the team dressed like a sissy, and by Monday you must bring your findings and photographic proof of you dressed like a girl in at least three different houses."

I came home and went to my mom, she immediately recognized something was troubling me and said:

"What is it honey? What's wrong?"

"It's the hazing for the team mom... I don't want to dress like a girl."

"And what's wrong with dressing like a girl?" She said, pretending to be offended, this made me smile a little and I said:

"But I'm a boy."

"Yes honey, you are a boy, and dressing up like a girl does not make you one."

"Are you sure?" I asked meekly.

"I'm sure Andy, and if you want to get into the team, you have to do this. Do you really want to get into the team?"

"Yes, I'm sure." I said a little more convinced.

"Well, I'll help you dress Andy, and I assure you you'll have nothing to fear."

I agreed and gave my mom a hug.

The next day I woke up early and my heart was already pounding in my chest. I took a bath and went to my mom.

"Are you ready Andy?, I have some things for you upstairs."

I went with her and she showed me a cheerleader outfit, it had been hers from high-school, with it were a couple of thigh high socks, a blonde wig and a pair of white sneakers.

"Are you sure I have to wear all of this mom? Can't I just wear something else like a loose dress?"

"If you want my help you can't, I said I'd make you feel comfortable. Now take off your boxers"

"What, but I'm not going to go without boxers."

"Of course not you silly, you'll be wearing these," she said as she showed me a couple of black tight boy-shorts "otherwise your underwear would show."

After about an hour of me struggling to get into the outfit with my mom's help I was wearing a full cheerleader outfit, she even padded the chest to give me tiny A cups. I was surprised how good it fit me, I couldn't believe this was my mom's outfit.

"You're close to my size when I was a teenager, and you got a small frame." She said when I mentioned this.

"Now, to do your makeup."

"I don't have to wear makeup mom, I think I'm good now."

She gave me 'the look' she used when she reprimanded us, and I knew better than to contradict her. She lead me to her dresser and started applying makeup to my face, she asked me to close my eyes and she put the wig on my head, she turned me around and asked me to open my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, I couldn't believe them. In front of me, staring at my own eyes with a complete look of disbelief was a sweet young girl, about 16 or 17 with beautiful shiny lips and a pair of big deep blue eyes, her blonde hair reached her shoulders and framed her slender face perfectly. I had to turn my head a couple times to make sure It was really myself staring at the mirror.

"So, what do you think?" My mom said with a big proud smile on her face, and what seemed like a couple tears in her eyes.

"Wow mom, I can't believe It. I look like a girl."

"Yes honey, you look like a girl, I told you I would make you look good." I stood up and hugged her, It was really nice, this whole experience. It seemed like we had never connected this closely.

"OK, so now you're ready to go out and collect money."

I took my football helmet and headed out. It was an entirely different experience being outside dressed as a girl, I felt the soft breeze on my legs, some people turned around to look at me and I even though I saw a group of guys trying to talk themselves into approaching me, I just blushed heavily and walked faster.

About a couple blocks away I was surprised to see a big dude, wearing a big t-shirt with what seemed to be water balloons attached to the chest, a long skirt that reached his dirty white tennis shoes and an extremely cheap looking Halloween purple wig on top of his head. It was Jonas, I waved at him and he seemed a bit confused. I approached him and said:

"Hi!"

"Oh! I'm ... I'm sorry, I didn't know cheerleaders were making a collect as well. I won't bother you." He blushed a little as he said this.

"Jonas, It's me, Andy."

"Andy? What the fuck? I didn't recognize you dude. You're fucking kidding, right?"

"No, seriously, it's me."

"Well, you look like a girl dude."

"Fuck you." I said and I punched him on his massive arm.

"Ouch, OK, OK, I get it."

We talked about how our collect was going, we even hit a couple of the rich houses together. I almost froze when one of the neighbors said to Jonas:

"Here you go young fellow, this is for you and your pretty girlfriend." I couldn't speak, I just stood there with eyes wide open. I saw Jonas turn to me with red up to his ears, hand me the money and walk away.

I caught up to him and said:

"He.. he didn't call me your girlfriend, did he?"

"Yep." He said still blushing hard.

"Well, shit!" I said.

"At least I have a hot girlfriend." He said teasingly.

"Fuck you dude!" I punched him hard on the arm.

"Fuck you!" He returned the punch and caught me off guard, he sent me flying a couple feet into the bushes. I felt dizzy for a while and then saw his big face almost on top of me.

"Are you okay?" He seemed genuinely worried.

"Yes, I'm fine you idiot." I looked at him and raised my hand. "Now help me up."

As soon as I stood up, I realized I wasn't fine. I felt a sharp pain on my right ankle, I grunted.

"Ouch."

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, again.

I tried to put my weight on my ankle once more and knives of pain shot all the way from my foot to my spine, I almost fell again but Jonas caught me.

"No, I think I hurt my ankle."

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Fuck!"

"Don't worry, I know it wasn't your intention. Help me walk please." I tried to reassure while the pain and the swelling increased in my ankle.

Leaning on his massive shoulders I walked all the way back home, my mom was surprised to see me return limping, by the time we arrived by ankle was the size of a grapefruit. Jonas helped me all the way up to my room and kept apologizing for pushing me. He helped me lay on my bed and when he stepped back I saw him blush heavily.

"What's the matter dude?" I asked.

"I..." He stuttered, "I think I just saw your underwear, I'd never seen a girl's underwear."

I covered myself with the skirt and blushed as hard as he did.

"Get out of here, you pervert!" I said and I threw a pillow at him.

My mother helped me put on a cold compress to reduce the swelling, she then helped me get into my clothes and took me to the doctor. The doctor confirmed my worst suspicions.

"Fortunately nothing is broken, but I'm afraid you have to rest for at least a week, and of course you cannot go to football practice."

I felt terrible, I was letting my dad down, before even starting the training and this was my last chance. I cried the rest of the day, my mom came to see me and tried to lift my mood by saying:

"Maybe you can talk with the coach, and he'll let you rest for a week."

So the next day I went to practice holding my equipment, my pictures and with a brace on my leg, trying my hardest to walk straight. As soon as the Coach saw me slowly walking to him he shouted:

"What the fuck is this McClure? What are you doing in my field with that on your leg?"

"I'm sorry sir, I hurt my leg this weekend."

"I can see that you idiot, what happened?"

"I was collecting money, I tripped and hurt my ankle."

"You hurt your fucking leg collecting money, you've got to be shitting me."

"It was my fault sir..." Jonas tried to interject, but Coach Evans shut him immediately:

"Shut the fuck up Hughes, I'm not talking to you."

"But..." He tried once more.

"I said shut up, Now all of you start running, we're here to practice not to see Ms. McClure cry."

After the rest of the team started running, he got closer to me and said:

"Now get out of my field, you're a disgrace to your family"

"But sir..." I said, feeling a knot in my throat and tears starting to pool in my eyes.

"No buts, I explicitly said I don't tolerate weakness so get out of my field before I kick you out myself."

I dropped everything I had and walked the fastest I could to the nearest bathroom, I cried for what seemed like hours, when I realized it was almost time to take the bus back home. I rushed back to the bus and sat at the back, once we were on our way I saw Jonas come closer and sit next to me.

"I'm sorry Andy, you know I didn't want you to get kicked from the team." He was carrying my equipment as well as his.

"I know, It was an accident. I'm just too damn weak. Coach is right, if I got hurt walking imagine trying to play football"

"I shouldn't have pushed you. I'm sorry."

We stayed silent for the rest of the trip, when my stop came I got up saying nothing and heard Jonas say:

"See you around dude."

I nodded lazily and got inside my home. I rushed upstairs and started crying some more. Mom came soon after and tried to console me, but nothing she said helped me.

Around 11:00 I woke up and felt hungry, after all I hadn't eaten anything since lunch. I tried to make my way downstairs but was interrupted by my parents' voices, it seemed they were arguing, I usually don't pay attention but this time caught my interest because I heard my name a couple times, I leaned a little bit forward and listened.

"You have to help him Andrew, he's your son after all." My mother said.

"You don't understand Linda, if Coach says you're our, you're out, there's no going back. And he hasn't made the first cut the previous years, he's lucky he made it this far." Dad responded.

"And you think he won't listen to you, to 'the fricking Storm.'"

"I'm not sure what you are asking of me."

"Talk to Coach Evans, see if you can get your son back in the team, he just has to rest for a week."

Then there was a long pause and my dad added:

"There might be a way, but I'm not sure you'll like it."

"What is it?" Mom asked.

It was in this moment that dad seemed to notice the door to their bedroom being ajar, so he went and closed it. I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, and I didn't get to hear what he meant. I went silently to my bed and tried to sleep, while their words replayed in my head.

Next morning I woke up and headed downstairs, dad caught me on my way down and called me into his room. He asked me to sit and said:

"Your mom wants me to help you back on the team."

I just stared at him with eyes wide open.

"The thing is once you're out, there is absolutely no way to get back inside." He paused. "There might be a way, but it requires total commitment to the team and some very special effort."

He looked at me straight into my eyes and asked with total conviction:

"So, do you want to get back into the team?"

"Yes" I said softly.

"Are you willing to do anything for the team?"

"Yes" I said, trying to sound more confident.

"OK then, I'll talk to the Coach today, and I suppose later you can talk to him."

"Thanks dad, you're the best."

I happily went downstairs, greedily ate my breakfast and went to school. As the day crawled to an end, I was increasingly more and more anxious to see what had happened.

So I ran as soon as the bell rang to the football field, I stood there waiting for the Coach and when I saw him I walked up to him and waited for him to say something.

"Sit down McClure, I'll talk to you when the practice is over. After all you need to rest." He said after sizing me up for a while.

The next couple hours were the slowest in my life, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. When he whistled the end of practice I walked back to him and waited once more to say something.

"Follow me to my office Andy." I was a bit surprised, this was the first time he had called me by my first name. We walked some minutes and made our way to his office.

This was the first time I had seen his office, It was incredibly organized, and everything was spot on. On his wall there were several pictures of him and his players holding trophies, I even managed to recognize my dad in some of them.

He walked to his desk and poured himself a tall glass of water. He drank slowly to the end. I had been out in the field for two hours and I was thirsty myself but I wasn't going to ask for water.

"Kneel down Andy." He said softly but with a commanding voice.

"I'm sorry sir?"

"I said: Kneel down!" He said louder.

I immediately felt terrified and went down on my knees. He paused for a second and poured another glass of water, he drank quickly and then said:

"Are you thirsty Andy?"

"No sir." I tried to sound though and not show weakness.

"Is that so." He said, while pouring fresh water into his tall glass. He pushed the glass across his desk towards me.

"Drink." He ordered.

I took the glass and drank a little, it was refreshing on my throat. I laid the glass back on the desk.