This Year Hermes High School’s Lacrosse Coach named four Seniors as Team Captains, including Conrad and Bruce. Over the years I have watched these boys on Philip’s Team grow up. It has been nice watching Bruce grow from being the star player to being a true leader. But the beacon of great leadership on the team this year is unquestionably Conrad.
School budgets are tight in Hermes and around the state. Each family already needs to contribute a lot just so the boys can play. Unlike the football team, there are no buses to take the kids to games and rules intended to protect the players disallow players from driving themselves to or from the games. As such, it was a huge blow when the team lost access to a driver that had a nine seat van.
I had already noticed Conrad stepping up. The other Captains were happy to have the title alone. But Conrad somehow had the maturity to take the responsibility that came along with it. Whenever the coach got pulled away, Conrad would take command and keep his team practicing. The loss of the van was a blow Conrad recognized for its potential impact, so he called a team meeting after school on a day the team did not have a scheduled practice. I arrived fifteen minutes into the half hour meeting and stood a comfortable distance behind the players and simply observed.
There was a two foot high wall between a wide, paved walkway and a small field of grass. Conrad and the other Captains were standing on the wall facing the players. Bruce and the other Captains would chime in from time to time, but Conrad was clearly running the meeting. The primary issue was clear. With the loss of the van and no money for busing more parents were needed to drive. Each player needed to go home and make the need known.
As things were winding down but not yet done, one of the players started to walk away. Conrad had no tolerance “Hey Todd Brown! Did I say this meeting was over Todd Brown? Did any of your Captains standing up here say the meeting was over Todd Brown? Because I know you weren’t actually leaving, were you Todd Brown? Before anyone is dismissed, Bruce has some things to discuss with the Offensive team and I have some things to discuss with the Defensive team. So it is going to be another ten minutes Todd Brown if you want to keep playing Varsity Todd Brown. You’re also going to need to convince one of your parents to drive to games Todd Brown, because you are at the bottom of the list to catch a ride from anyone else!” Todd and his teammates were silent. The other Captains stared at Todd and grinned as Conrad gave him his dressing down. It was an excellent display of leadership. But at the next game, Conrad proved his leadership was more than just words.
It was a Friday evening away game under the lights at South County High School, arguably the toughest school in the County. As I arrived with Philip for the game, I mused as I walked past a classroom with a large sign above the door that said Teen Mothers Program.
For the most part Hermes was doing well, mainly as a function of coordinated teamwork. The ball moved from player to player until one player saw the opportunity to exploit a clear shot but even then the player with the clear shot might do a fake to distract the goalie to make one last pass to yet another player. We could see the South County players getting frustrated. Eventually, one of the South County players took out his frustration on the thinnest midfielder, my son Philip. Philip fell but got right back up as the referee called the penalty. South County called a time out. The Coach let Conrad manage the Hermes huddle during the time out. I couldn’t hear anything Conrad said to the team until the time out was almost over. “OK, guys … on three Philip … ONE – TWO – THREE –,” and then they all joined Conrad to shout “- PHILIP!!” As the team returned to the field, Conrad looked back at his opponent on one knee in the penalty box, smiled and simply said “thirty-two,” the number on the opposing player’s jersey.
There was only a little time left in the half after the number thirty-two was released from the penalty box. Hermes was way ahead. In front of me on the bleachers were two girls holding large hot decaffeinated coffees. One was wearing Bruce’s Varsity Jacket; the other was wearing Conrad’s varsity jacket. It seemed all three of us knew what was about to happen when the front of Conrad’s stick met number thirty-two’s gut to knock him down and knock the wind out of him. Number thirty-two stayed on the ground a little long than Philip had and unlike Philip elected to leave the field. The referee called the same penalty on Conrad that he had previously called on number thirty-two. Conrad took a knee in the penalty box and knelt tall with his long defensive stick like a victorious Knight kneeling before his King and Queen. Conrad indulged in a cocky swiveling of his hips as Bruce still scored under man-down conditions.
When the half ended, I watched the coach talk to the players and then dismiss the defensive team. Conrad grabbed a big gulp of water and approached the bleachers. The girl wearing his Varsity Jacket met him at the railing. The bleachers gave her an eighteen inch height advantage. Conrad took off his gloves and put his hands on her midriff. As she bent down to kiss him on the lips, the coach dismissed the Offensive Players. I walked down to confirm Philip was alright after being fouled. When I returned to the bleachers, Bruce and Conrad were both sitting with the girlfriend. Conrad was next to the steps.
“Nice payback Conrad,” I said smiling.
“Oh … for Philip … absolutely. Nobody messes with Philip,” Conrad spoke confidently. Bruce and the girls watched us smiling in agreement.
“I remember Bruce and Brad doing the same for you during the indoor season last year.”
Bruce spoke up. “I remember that. That dude was crazy. Number thirty-two down there just needed a little schooling.”
“Either way I appreciate it,” I told them before returning to my spot on the bleachers.
This lacrosse season is shaping up to be a great memory. Years from now, neither Philip nor I will remember much from any of the games. Instead we will remember the people. When it comes to Philip’s peers like Conrad, Bruce and the other Captains, it will be about watching them grow up and come into their own. I already forget exactly what it looked like to see Conrad foul number thirty-two. But I doubt I will ever forget the look of Conrad’s smile when he said my son’s name.
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