Wheel Wizards

by Matt Christopher

  “Hey, thanks. Maybe she can tell me what x is and why it keeps changing all the time.” Lou scratched his head. “It was so much easier in eighth grade.” Seth and Lou had both turned fourteen the previous month.

  They were at an intersection, waiting for a green light, when a car pulled up near them and Danny Detweiler stuck his head out of the driver's-side window

  “Yo, Seth! Hey Lou! I thought it was you two I saw!”

  Seth was delighted to see Danny, whom he hadn't heard from in several months. The Junior Wizard team on which he'd played had wound up having a decent season, winning three games and losing three. Seth had improved with each game, ending up with an eight-point-per-game scoring average. His friend Pete Gould had led the team in assists, and Pete had stayed friendly with Seth and Lou through summer vacation, spending time with them and their friends.

  “How are you doing?” asked Seth. “Hey, cool car, by the way!”

  Danny grinned. “I just got it last week! It's got hand controls for the gas and brakes. I have some big news!”

  “What's up?” Lou asked.

  Danny held up a letter and waved it toward them. “I just heard I've won a college scholarship! I'll be going in the fall. This college has a fantastic wheelchair athletic program, one of the best in the country!”

  “All right!” Seth yelled, stretching out a hand and pumping Danny's.

  “That's really great!” added Lou. “Will you be playing basketball there?”

  “Absolutely!” Danny nodded happily. “I have to really train, starting now. They're always among the top-rated teams nationwide. And I'm aiming at the Paralympics a few years down the road.”

  Seth felt happy for his friend, but he had to admit that he also felt sad that Danny would be headed elsewhere soon — out of his life, for the most part. He hoped his dismay didn't show.

  “The other news is for Seth,” Danny went on. “You'll be getting a call in the next few days from a guy named Howard Sturgis. He's the coach of my old team — you know, the real Wizards. They want you to come to practice when they start up.”

  Lou turned to Seth and slapped him on the back. “Hey, fantastic! You'll make it, too!”

  “That's what Wes and I told Howard,” said Danny, looking closely at Seth. “You look like you're not so sure. What's the problem? I figured you'd be happy about this.”

  “Huh? Oh, sure I'm happy,” Seth said. “I … What about Pete? Could he come, too?”

  Danny nodded. “We recommended him. Both of you guys can help that team. Seth? You don't look like a man who just heard a piece of very good news. How come?”

  Seth shook his head. “No, no, I know it's good. Really. I guess I just hope I don't let you down, that's all. Plus, I'm going to miss you when you go away.”

  Danny looked up at Lou, and back to Seth. “Well, first of all, I don't think for a second that you'll let me down. I know you sometimes aren't sure of what you can do, but I know, and so does my man, Lou here. Right?”

  “Absolutely,” Lou replied. “Seth can do whatever he has a mind to.”

  “And Wes knows, too,” Danny went on. “He had you spotted as a corner from day one, last year. Why do you think he gave you such a hard time? He didn't want you to sell yourself short, was all. And you didn't.

  “As for me going away, that isn't going to be until the fall. I'll be around for months, playing ball with another team. I'll be checking out your practices and seeing your games, too. You're not getting rid of me yet.”

  “You can sit with us, in our rooting section,” said Lou. “I plan on seeing every Wizards game, me and our buddies. We know that Seth is going to do the job.”

  Danny smiled at Lou, but his expression turned more serious as his eyes met Seth's. “Understand, you're going to have to work hard with these new guys. Just the way you did last year. It's a new challenge. But you can meet it. Just remember, the toughest tests are the ones you want to pass the most. That's the way it ought to be. That's what life is all about: taking on challenges and meeting them. Right?”

  Seth stared into Danny's eyes and nodded. “Right.”

  “Okay!” Danny looked at his watch. “I have to get going. Listen, I'll be seeing you soon. You all right with this?”

  “Fine,” Seth answered. “And that's great about the scholarship.”

  Danny smiled. “Lou, save a seat for me in the rooting section. Take it easy, guys.”

  As he drove away, Lou turned back to Seth. “You are all right with it, aren't you? Danny's right. You're ready. You'll make the team.”

  “Yeah, I … I will. I will.” Seth turned his chair toward the intersection. “We'd better get moving.”

  “Okay.” As they crossed the street, Lou sighed.

  “What's the matter?” asked Seth.

  “I just hope Phyllis can help me with this math stuff,” Lou muttered. “But I have my doubts.”

  “Sure she will,” Seth said, grinning. “Hey, look at it like a new challenge. The toughest tests are the ones most worth passing. Right?”

  “Right!” said Lou, and both boys laughed.

  12

  Tomorrow's the day I have my first workout with the Wizards,” said Seth, whose eyes remained fixed on the carpet as his fingers tapped restlessly on the arms of his chair. “Howard, the coach, called over the weekend. That's the major news.”

  Brian Murtaugh smiled at the boy. “I'd say it's pretty big! Exciting, too, I think. But never mind how I feel about it, how do you feel?”

  “Me?” Seth looked up at the therapist. “How should I feel? I feel great!”

  Brian's eyebrows raised in a look of surprise. “Really? Great, huh? That's why you're doing a drum routine with your fingers on your chair, to show how great you feel?”

  Startled, Seth pulled his hands into his lap. “I didn't even know I was doing that. But I really do feel great. My family think's it's great, Danny thinks it's great, my best friend, Lou, thinks it's great, so how else should I feel?”

  Brian leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. “Let's forget about how you should feel for the moment, and think about how you really feel. And don't say ‘great’ again, okay? Don't try to con Uncle Brian, we know each other too well.”

  Seth felt his face go red and was angry for just a second, but then laughed. “Okay, Uncle Brian, I guess you're too sharp for me.”

  “That's why I'm the doctor and you're the patient. I agree that this ought to make you feel very good; it's a big step up in a sport that is very important to you. The question is: How come you don't actually feel that way?”

  “Well…” Seth closed his eyes and said nothing for a minute. Then he looked at Brian. “What if I'm not ready? What if I'm not good enough to cut it? These guys are older, they're better. What if they say, ‘Come back next year,’ or even, ‘Don't come back at all?’

  Brian nodded slowly. “It could happen, I suppose. Danny and Wes might be wrong about you. These guys think you have what it takes, but maybe they're both off the mark. What would happen then?”

  “I don't know!” Seth took a breath. “It'd be bad. I'd feel like a … like a total loser.

  “Another thing, Wes and Danny and Con really helped me and encouraged me and made sure I did the right things and believed in myself. They won't be around now Con is going to college, like Danny. Without them, I don't know. I might turn out to be a …”

  “A loser?” Brian asked, softly.

  Seth just stared at him.

  “Let's think back a couple of years,” suggested Brian. “Think about when you first started seeing me. Remember how you were then, the way you thought and felt?”

  “Yeah. I was angry a lot of the time… .”

  “All the time …, ” Brian corrected.

  Seth smiled. “I felt sorry for myself and didn't want to have anything to do with anyone. I thought my life was over.”

  “That's a good summary.” Brian leaned toward Seth. “When you think about yourself then and now, how f
ar you've come, the progress you've made physically, mentally, emotionally, can you really see yourself as a loser? Could a loser have done all that?”

  Seth smiled. “Well, no, but —”

  Brian held up a hand like a policeman stopping traffic. “No but! No … but! You are not a loser. You are a winner and a doer.

  “You've found out a lot about yourself during the last couple of years, things you might not have learned so soon if you hadn't had that accident. But you still don't know how strong you are. I think you'll be surprised to discover that there's more to you than you know of yet.

  “More strength, and I don't just mean muscles, either. Here's what I know: You'll go there tomorrow and you'll give it your best shot. Here's what I believe: You'll do just fine. And you'll put some of your doubts to rest.”

  Seth thought about it. Then he said, “Will you come to any games?”

  Brian nodded. “I'll be there.”

  13

  How does that new chair feel?” asked Mrs. Pender, who was dropping Seth off at the school where the Wizards were practicing.

  “Unbelievable!” said Seth, moving it around, testing its maneuverability. “It's so light!” The Penders had gotten Seth the chair with the aid of a foundation that helped pay for expensive chairs for wheelchair athletes. The frame was made of a superlight alloy that was also used on the finest racing bicycles. Seth felt like a better player in it.

  “Seth!” Pete Gould came toward him from the door of the school. “How's —”

  Seeing the new chair, he stopped short, and his eyes widened. “Wow,” he whispered. “That is an awesome set of wheels!”

  Seth smiled. “We got it last night. There's this organization that gave us part of what it cost. I'll tell you how to find them.”

  Pete stared at the chair. “That'd be great.” Finally he tore his eyes away and looked at Seth. “You ready for this?”

  Seth licked his lips. “Yeah, I guess. … I mean, sure! You?”

  Pete laughed nervously. “As ready as you are. I mean, Wes and Danny say we are.”

  “Right!” Seth took a deep breath. “So, let's go.”

  In the gym, half a dozen Wizards were scattered around the floor, shooting balls or working on their chairs. At first nobody seemed to notice the newcomers. Seth started out on the floor, and Pete followed.

  “They don't like us,” he whispered.

  “Be cool,” Seth whispered back. “They haven't known you long enough to dislike you.”

  “Very funny,” Pete muttered.

  A dark-haired boy in a sleeveless sweatshirt turned to them. “How you doing? Are you Seth and Pete? I'm Gil Marin.”

  Seth and Pete introduced themselves, and a few others came forward to give their names. One of them, a thin blond named Andy with muscular forearms and huge hands, gestured toward Seth's chair.

  “Great chair. That a Tornado?”

  Seth nodded. “Yeah, it's brand-new”

  “Ernie has a Tornado,” said Gil, looking around. “Guess he's not here yet. You guys want to get warm, grab a ball and shoot.”

  “Thanks,” Pete said, scooping up a loose ball and moving closer to a basket. Seth did the same, and lofted a twelve-footer than banged off the rim.

  As he put up a few shots, Seth began to relax, feeling comfortable in a familiar routine. A few other players arrived, including Ernie, whose chair was like Seth's, except that his wheels were angled more. There wasn't much chatter; everyone concentrated on their warmup.

  As Seth sank a fifteen-foot shot off the board, Ernie came up. “You like that chair?”

  Ernie looked to be sixteen and wore a baseball cap with the bill turned backward.

  “Yeah!” replied Seth. “You like yours?”

  “Uh-huh.” Ernie pointed down to the front wheels. “I adjusted the camber because I get more control when I — we'll talk later. Here come the coaches.”

  Two men had arrived, one in a wheelchair, the other, walking. The one in the chair stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle. The boys gathered around.

  “Everyone here?” asked the man who had whistled. He looked around and saw Seth and Pete. “I'm Howard Sturgis, and this is our other coach, Chan McGuire. Which of you is Seth and which is Pete?”

  The boys introduced themselves, and Howard saw that they had met the rest of the team.

  “We have a lot to do, so let's get to it,” said Chan. “For the benefit of the new guys — and anyone who needs reminding — we don't have stars here. We're a team, period. We don't do much warmup; you're expected to keep yourselves in shape.

  “What we do, mostly, in practice is learn offensive and defensive sets and plays and drill them. It'll be hard, especially at first, and you may find it dull. But you'll find that it will all pay off when we play. Any questions? Good.”

  The Wizards split into squads and ran plays. They didn't work on things like dribbling; you were supposed to know how. Seth couldn't remember ever working as hard.

  Each coach ran a squad, and they worked on weaves, single and double picks and screens, and other offenses, running them over and over as the coaches pointed out errors in positioning or mechanics, repeating each play until Seth ached and thought he might faint.

  Finally, just as Seth was ready to beg for a breather, Howard whistled. Seth was relived to see that the other players were also breathing hard and sweating. It wasn't just him.

  “Everyone, take ten,” Howard called out. “Then we'll run five-on-five plays and work defensive sets.”

  Pete groaned softly. “You mean we're not done? There's more? Arrrggghhh!”

  Ernie grinned at Pete. “You ready to hang it up? We're just getting started?”

  Pete rolled his eyes and said, “If I don't make it, tell my folks I loved 'em.”

  Gil and Ernie laughed.

  When practice resumed, the coaches went over defensive sets the team would use: two-three, three-two, and diamond-and-one zones, and full- and half-court presses. The team split into squads to work defenses and demonstrate ways to beat them on offense.

  Seth's arms and upper body began to ache again, but he was still finding the session fascinating and learning a lot.

  Shortly before practice ended, Seth's squad tried a formation designed to break a full-court press. He raced to midcourt, where he fielded a baseball-style pass from Ernie. Turning downcourt, he saw Andy wheeling hard for the baseline and fired a long bounce pass. Andy caught it without slowing down and flipped in a layup. He turned to Seth and gave him a clenched-fist salute. Seth suddenly felt wonderful and forgot about the fatigue he had been feeling just seconds ago.

  He turned and spotted Danny sitting at courtside. The older boy nodded.

  “All right!” called Chan. “That's it for now. Get your rest and be set to go tomorrow!”

  Danny called, “Good assist, there.”

  “Thanks,” Seth said. “That was rough!”

  “Sure,” Danny agreed. “But you and Pete are fitting right in.”

  Seth was startled. “Really? Nobody said a word to us.”

  Danny laughed. “Of course not! Don't you get it by now?”

  Seth thought for a moment. “I guess nobody wastes much time being nice, do they?”

  “In this sport,” Danny said, “when someone gives you a compliment, it's something really special.”

  Seth thought back to the clenched fist Andy had flashed a minute ago. “Yeah, I see that it is.”

  14

  Seth winced at the shrill sound of Howard's two-finger whistle. The coach was standing next to him with a scowl on his face, an expression the Wizards dreaded.

  “Come on, Ernie, get your brain in gear!” the coach snapped. “You should've handled that pass! It was right in your hands!”

  “Sorry, I blew it,” mumbled Ernie, looking apologetic. “No excuse.”

  “You bet there's no excuse!” Howard growled. “I guarantee you, pull that tomorrow and the Lobos will make you pay for it.”
>
  The next night, the Lobos would be the Wizards' first opponents of the season. Howard had a quick, whispered conversation with Chan, who clapped his hands sharply. “Let's take a break. Then we'll work on some plays that looked pretty shabby today. The starters will start on offense against the subs, and I don't want to see any silly mistakes when we get back to work!”

  Seth and Pete, who were both substitutes, went for some water. Ernie joined them. “Coach can get rough when he wants to,” said Pete.

  Ernie shrugged. “No big deal. I've heard it all before. Anyway, he was right, no way I should let that pass get by me.”

  Andy, another starter, who had lost both legs just above the knee at the age of six, joined them. He studied Seth's chair and asked, “You like that cushion? It looks uncomfortable.”

  “No, it's fine,” said Seth. “I tried one that I thought would be easier on my back, but this gives me better support.”

  “You guys know anything about the Lobos?” Pete asked.

  “They were great last year,” Ernie said. “But two of their key guys are gone, and I don't know how that'll affect them.”

  “We ought to play them tough,” added Andy, “if our bench doesn't let us down.” He winked at Ernie, who snickered.

  Seth grinned. “Don't worry, we'll bail you out when you get into trouble, right, Pete?”

  Straight-faced, Pete nodded. “Definitely. Just call us the Emergency Rescue Squad — there when you starters break down.”

  The second half of practice was almost as competitive as a game. Seth, Pete, and the other substitutes played their hardest and gave the starters all they could handle. Playing man-to-man defense, Seth guarded Gil for several minutes and stuck to him stubbornly. Gil kept trying quick feints and spins in an effort to get open for a pass, but couldn't do it for several possessions in a row. Finally, he broke away by taking advantage of a pick set by Ernie, and sank a ten-foot shot.

  But Seth darted forward to steal a pass almost out of Gil's hands a moment later and fired a long pass to Pete, who had broken toward the other end of the court. Pete, in turn, bounced a beautifully timed lead pass to a sub named Mick, who scored.