What’s so funny? I ask.
Your optimism. You’re projecting your own values onto Jordan Nelson. If you were suspended, that’s exactly what you would do—buckle down and work even harder to show that you understood what you’d done wrong and how you’d changed. He chuckles again. But someone like you would never be suspended in the first place.
That’s pretty harsh. It’s like you don’t believe in growth or rehabilitation. Gotta keep all those prisoners locked up.
An unexpected look of pain crosses Zee’s face, but he quickly recovers. I think there are lots of people in the middle, a grey area where they can decide to be better… or worse. But Nelson was lazy. One of those guys who’s been the best player on all his teams because he hasn’t played at the highest level. But when he got here, he found out he was an average player at best.
But players improve a ton under Coach Norman. I did and so has Sinc. Jack and I played junior hockey together, so I can judge how far he’s come.
You have to listen to coaching to get better, and accept feedback and criticism. Nelson was frustrated that he wasn’t getting better, but instead of looking inward, he took it out on others. Zee’s tone is so matter-of-fact that the truth rings out.
We walk through the crisp winter night in silence. Maybe I am too optimistic about human nature. But even Cleo seems to be coming around. I don’t need everyone to like me, but she’s a ray of sunshine, and I could use some lightness.
Did you know he punched a teammate? In practice? he asks.
No fucking way. Who? Not that it should matter, but there are a few guys that you’d consider punching in the face.
Zee shoots me a sidelong glance. It was Bergy.
Bergy? That’s like kicking a puppy. Sure, he can be irritating at times, but he’s a good guy who’d do anything for a teammate.
And animal abuse is the number one crime in your book, right? Zee teases. Yeah. Nelson hit him when nobody else saw, but I noticed that Bergy had a big bruise. Zee points to his ribs. He was exactly like you. Said it was just something between teammates, and he wouldn’t report it. But when Coach started investigating Nelson’s behaviour, I encouraged Bergy to come forward.
Now more of the puzzle pieces are falling into place. First, there was the initial complaint from the other team. Then, my complaints, Bergy’s, and maybe more that I don’t know about. After all, I never got to see the entire file. Even Zee is piecing things together from what he knows directly.
We’re at the admin building now, and Zee presses the buzzer for after-hours entry. As it hums open, he holds the door for me. So, stop worrying. It was never one thing that got Nelson kicked off the team. It was a pattern of bad behaviour.
I nod. Seeing Cleo’s devotion to her brother makes me feel guilty. But it’s a relief to hear Zee’s wholly negative view of Nelson, which was my impression as well.
About half the Athletic Council is already here. We sit beside Ella Smith and Nora Knutson at the hockey end of the table. There are athletes from wrestling and track here too, as well as an intramurals rep.
Roger Gordon, Monarch’s Athletic Director, arrives last. He closes the boardroom door and takes his place at the head of the table. Instead of his usual smile, his expression is grim and serious, and the chatty room falls quiet.
Thank you all for making time in your busy schedules to come to this special meeting. As always, what you’re going to hear is confidential, but in this case, it’s even more important that you not discuss it, even among yourselves.
Having given this dramatic warning, he continues. As we all know, drug usage occurs among college athletes. However, just to make sure we’re all on the same page, I’m going to do a quick review.
He then proceeds to talk about common drugs used and the limited testing that’s done. He hands out a list of the eight categories of drugs banned for student athletes, and specific examples of drugs in each category.
The specific drugs we’re talking about tonight are in the stimulant category, Roger explains. We’ve been in contact with the local police department, who are doing an investigation into the sale of ephedrine and amphetamines. Obviously, these are prescription drugs that should not be used without a doctor’s supervision. In any case, the reason you’re all here is that the investigation is now centring on Monarch College. The police have reason to believe that one or more Monarch athletes are involved in selling these drugs.
Everyone shifts uncomfortably. All of us know that when the stakes are high, some athletes will do anything to attain an edge. Certainly, if a good performance meant getting a chance to play NHL hockey, anyone could be tempted. But that’s one of the reasons I like playing D3 hockey; the competition is high, but there’s less stress about making the pros. My brother told me enough horror stories about the cutthroat competition he endured.
Let me be clear, we are not asking you to do any kind of investigating, as that might hamper the police investigation. We don’t want those involved tipped off. Rather, we are asking you to be our eyes and ears in Monarch sports. If you observe any suspicious activity, I would appreciate hearing about it immediately.
Smitty raises her hand, and Roger nods.
How would you define suspicious activity? We’re not trained to spot drug usage.
Plus, it feels like we’d be ratting out our teammates, Knudy adds, and a few others nod. Our team bonds are stronger than our loyalties to the college administration.
Yes, good point. Let me make myself clear: Although we have a zero-tolerance policy for drug use among Monarch athletes, in this case, we’re more concerned that certain athletes are profiting from drug sales and harming the school’s reputation. So, we’re not looking for athletes who use drugs, but where the drugs are coming from.
Can you tell us any more about the links to Monarch College? What tipped off the police? Scott Aronson asks. He’s a distance runner.
Roger shakes his head. I’m sorry, but that’s all part of the police investigation. They weren’t sure about even telling you this much, but I assured them that you are all eminently trustworthy.
There’s a mood of discontent in the room. Nobody wanted to hear that the reputation of our athletic program is in jeopardy and we can’t do anything about it. But we’re not getting enough information on why they think there’s a problem or exactly what we can do about it, other than keep an eye out.
