“May I?” I point to the tablet and Delgado nods. I click the slide I need. “Tier One is for kids who want to go pro — scouted talent, high-performance coaching, university placement. Tier Two is local youth programming: underfunded schools, at-risk communities, kids who’ve never touched skates.”
Delgado: “Go on.”
I step closer to the monitor, tapping each timeline. My voice strengthens.
“We run year-round. Rotating coaches from the league. Local mentorship. Academic support built in. Every kid who walks into this program leaves with something, even if it’s just a place to feel safe.”
No interruptions. No rolling eyes. They’re listening.
“This city gave me a career. This team gave me a family. I want to give something back that lasts longer than my stick on a wall or my number on a banner. My name doesn’t matter. What matters is what we build. I can show you more, but I think I’d be repeating myself.”
Silence. Alton nods once.
“I have no more questions,” he says.
“Neither do I,” Sofia adds, closing her folder.
Tinnie leans back, a small smile tugging. “Well,” she says dryly, “guess the captain can talk after all.”
Alton chuckles and stands. “Congratulations, Dominic,” he says, offering his hand. “The boardapproved the initiative this morning. Blaze Academy has its green light.”
The second I open the boardroom door, the entire team almost falls inside.
Matt. Tanner. Addams. O’Connor. Davidson. Jace. The rookies and the backup goalie— they’re all huddled in the hallway like middle schoolers, shoulder to shoulder, trying to hear what went down. I step out, push them back, and they stumble into each other.
“What happened?!” “What’d they say?!” “Did you fucking do it?!”
Jace barrels through them like a linebacker, eyes wild. “Dom!” he shouts, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. “DID. YOU. FUCKING. DO. IT?!”
I let the pause hang, then grin slow.
“Yeah,” I say. “We got the green light.”
The hallway erupts. Matt’s shouting war cries, Addams launches a high five that turns into a hug, Tanner’s jumping like we just won the Cup, O’Connor fist-pumps and accidentally hits Davidson in the jaw.
Jace drops his head to my chest like I just came back from war. “My fucking guy,” he mutters. “You fucking did it.” He grabs my face like a dramatic girlfriendand, dead serious, says, “I’ve never been prouder of you, and I’ve seen you skate with a torn MCL.”
I grunt, laughing as I shove him back.
“You gonna name it after yourself?” Matt yells.
“No one’s naming anything,” I start. “It’s the Blazers’ Youth Academy. All of us. Every single one of you is part of this.”
I can’t stop smiling. I feel like a kid whose dream came true, with my guys around me, yelling and feeling it.
More shouting, swears, slaps on the back. Matt chest-bumps Addams into the vending machine.
Jace moves in and, without a word, hugs me. He squeezes so hard my upper back cracks when I exhale. “Dom. Like… I could actually kiss you right now.”
“Hot,” I snort. “But you’re not my type.”
He acts offended. “What is it? It’s because I wax, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “And the fact that you’re swinging a nine-incher down there. I prefer oysters over sausages.”
“But if there aren’t any oysters around,” he grins.
“Then you can call me,” I say, snorting. “Now, try not to trip on your way to jack off,” I pat his cheek.
