Junior Coach

I had never seen Cody so happy; he held the trophy high, teammates and family stood around bursting with pride.

It was true, the coach had seen potential in Cody just under a year ago. Sure he was a bit rough around the edges but coach knew it was just a matter of moulding the kid, making him just like the coach was when he was his age.

The coach still had all the trophies and medals on his office wall, not to mention the framed newspaper cuttings.

He was in the finals, up against Weisenski from Eastman; a tough heavy set guy 185ib with a mop of brown hair and cool blue eyes. The match was pretty even matched for the first couple of rounds but coach's stamina was always his downfall, and the reason he tried so hard to finish the match within three rounds.

Coach was sweating, it was the end of the fourth and Weisenski had him in a "Banana Splits", Weisenski growled and put on the pressure and then the coach felt something snap and that was the end of his wrestling career.

He recovered but was never supple enough to compete seriously again, although he was grateful when Westside offered him the job as coach some time later.

He'd been teaching the guys at Westside for a good ten years, he'd seen a lot of good kids, but none as good as himself at their age. That was until Cody came along.

Cody was a perfect wrestler, short, stocky build with something coach never had; stamina. It didn't matter if it was the first or the tenth round Cody always gave the same. With all these attributes, one was missing; his commitment to the sport.

Leaving one evening after practice Coach pulled Cody into his office by the scruff of the neck.

"Hey!" Cody protested, but coach just ignored him practically throwing him into the chair at his desk. He slowly walked around to the other side of the desk resting his hands on the desk, he leaned over towering above Cody.

"Cody, you've got so much potential, and… and…" He slams the desk with an open palm, "you're just throwing it away. I've tried to show you, explain but you just don't appear to be interested."

"Yeah, I appreciate what you're doing for me coach but…" He starts to blush, "It's complicated."

"Oh, oh… a romantic interest?"

"Yeah, kind of - they want to see me more, and I want to see so much more of them. I've not felt like this before, they're so special to me."

Coach throws his arms up into the air, "I give up! Of course you realise this leaves me only one choice."

He turns to the filing cabinet behind him and takes out what looks like a copper ball; it's dull matt golden colour with bands of bright green. He traces a pattern on the surface with his finger and green bands start to gently glow.

"Here!" He throws it to Cody who naturally catches it, suddenly he feels trapped and unable to move. "You see Cody, I think you have so much potential and I still think I'm the one to… help you." Coach gives a sly grin.

Walking over coach grasped the ball ensuring that his hands were over Cody's. The ball glowed brightly and then faded.

Cody blinked, and the ball dropped to the table with a heavy thud. Seconds later coach blinked and brought a meaty hand up to he forehead rubbing it gently. He looked down, jacket, blue shirt, and black undershirt.

"What the fuck is going on?" Coach stammered.

Cody simply looked up at the giant of a man, "Easy, just take it easy 'coach'. I'm going to win this not just for you," Cody stabs at his own chest. "But also me ME!"

"How did this happen?" Coach looks at the ball.

"It's a transference device, a way of channelling souls from one body to another. I got it from a magician, he didn't know how to work it but I found some scripts whilst I was in Tibet. With my commitment to the game and you're stamina and body we're going to the top!"

"Wait, what about me?" Questions coach, "I don't want to be you for the rest of my life."

"Look kid, once we've won the championships we'll be done and we can swap back."

"Fuck NO! that's like 10 months away!"

"Kid, you don't have a choice. I'm the only one that knows how to work the ball, if you don't cooperate then I can guarantee you won't be getting it back!"

"Now, I need to clear your calendar of any commitments."

Coach's eyes wide, "No, you can't…"

Cody's eyes dart left and right, like reading memories. "Oh, I need to talk with ‘Alex’? and there's me thinking..."

Coach could only concede defeat.

Ten months later, as we know Cody was holding the trophy surrounded by his teammates and family although there was someone else there as well, a scout - he whispered into Cody's ear and smiled. Was it a offer Cody just couldn't refuse?