Football Nightmare Read Online Free Page A

And the last thing I’ll remember about you playing football will be you dropping that ball and lying there on the ground. If you played some more, you’d do good things and I’d have those to remember instead of that. That’s why I feel sad.”
    She went into the house, leaving Keith standing there by himself, thinking hard about what she’d said.

5
    T he following day was Sunday, and Mr. Stedman was trimming a hedge when Keith walked outside and stood watching him.
    “Hey, Slugger,” said Keith’s father, not looking up. “You slept late this morning, huh?”
    “Yeah … well, no. I was sort of lying there, thinking. Do you have time to talk?”
    Mr. Stedman stopped clipping and stretched. “I could use a break, anyway. Want some lemonade? There’s a fresh pitcher in the refrigerator.”
    “No, I’m okay. I can get you some if you want,” Keith offered.
    “I can hold out awhile. Come on, sit here.” Mr. Stedman led the way and sat on the front-porch steps. “Does this have to do with the conversation with Heck and Cody?”
    “Yeah.” Keith sat with his father. “Heck’s mad because I won’t play with the Bucks.”
    “Is that right? Hmmm … somehow, that doesn’t sound like the Heck I know.”
    “Well, he sure sounded mad when he stomped out of here. And he said that I think a lot of myself, too. That’s not fair.”
    “How did he mean that? I mean, what do you think he meant? That you’re always bragging about how good you are?”
    Keith shook his head. “No, he knows that I don’t do that stuff.”
    “What, then?”
    “Well …” Keith thought back. “He said that I think it’s okay for other players to mess up, but when
I
do it, it’s bad.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “That’s wrong! And he ought to know it! I’m not a selfish player!”
    “I don’t think that’s what Heck meant.”
    “Well, what, then?”
    Mr. Stedman turned to face his son. “It sounds like he thinks you expect too much of yourself, more than you expect of other players. It’s like you have a higher standard for your playing than for the rest of the team’s. That’s not selfishness, but it can be a problem for you.”
    “A problem?” Keith looked skeptical. “How can wanting to play well be a problem?”
    Keith’s father sighed. “It’s not wanting to play well, it’s. … Before I say any more, I want one thing clear. Whether you play football or not is
your
decision to make, and I’m going to try not to push you one way or the other. That’s not my place. I hope that’s understood.”
    “Sure.”
    “All right, then.” Mr. Stedman stood up. “All athletes, no matter what level they’re playing at, no matter how good they are, will make mistakes. People make mistakes, that’s human nature. Sometimes you’ll do it at an especially bad time, when it’ll have serious consequences, or when you’re in the public eye and everyone sees you.
    “Now, it seems to me that what you have to do then is move on. You can learn from it, but you shouldn’t dwell on it. Once it’s done, you have to leave it behind you. And, even more important, you can’t spend your life looking to avoid all the situations where you might mess up. If you do that, you’re likely to end up sitting there and doing nothing at all, or nothing that really matters. You’ll always be afraid, you’ll forever be saying, ‘What if?’ That’s no way to live. You’re thirteen, and you have your life ahead of you. I would hate to see you let this one incident have such a huge effect on you.
    “But, like I said before, what you choose to do is up to you. Just know that, whatever you decide, Mom and I will always be here for you. But you already know that.”
    Keith nodded, grateful for what his dad had said. “Yeah, sure I do. And thanks. I’ll think it over.”
    “Good.” Mr. Stedman looked up and studied the sky. “Know what? It’s too beautiful a day to spend working on the yard. Want to toss a football around for a