It was just about 6:30 a.m., and the sun hadn’t even burned off the morning haze. Brittney and Taylor arrived late, dragging their feet across the sand with their hoodies pulled tight to fight the ocean breeze. Mathew was already there, pacing like a caffeinated motivational speaker waiting for his audience. Coach Emma sipped her iced coffee, pretending she wasn’t bracing herself for whatever quote Mathew had dug up this time. By the time Brittney and Taylor reached the court, everyone already knew what was coming.
Every practice started with the exact same ritual. Mathew called for all the athletes and coaches to gather around.
“Today’s inspirational quot—”
“Ughhhhhh,” Brittney sighed loud enough for the entire group to hear.
Mathew cleared his throat dramatically. “Today’s inspirational quote is from an old NFL coach, Bum Phillips. He said, ‘You fail all the time, but you aren’t a failure, only if you blame others.’” He paused, noticing the slightest bit of confusion on Coach Emma’s face. “Wait—I think I read that wrong. ‘You fail all the time, but you aren’t a failure until you start blaming others.’”
Taylor immediately turned to Brittney and whispered, “He’s totally talking about you.”
“No way! He’s gaslighting Coach Jordan!”
Jordan looked up from his phone.
Everyone laughed.
“Yes, you! Here’s my quote of the day: you don’t have to be great today. You just have to pay attention.” When Brittney finished her roast, the beach went silent—until Mathew said, “Dang, Brittney!” and started chuckling with the rest of the group.
Practice kicked off with warm-ups, sprints, and a chaotic passing drill that looked more like a group of toddlers chasing seagulls. Coach Emma tried to keep everyone focused, but Brittney kept cracking jokes while Taylor whispered commentary like she was narrating a wildlife documentary. By the time Mathew blew the whistle for the first water break, everyone was already half exhausted and fully annoyed with each other. Brittney had roasted three teammates, and Coach Jordan had missed two drills because he was texting. The tension was playful, but real enough that Brittney’s earlier jab still lingered in the air.
At the start of the first water break, Brittney apologized to Coach Jordan. “I’m sorry for putting you on blast.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Jordan said. “It was a joke backed with criticism. I wasn’t offended. I just didn’t know you were that much of a savage.”
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