By stb
“You wanted to see me, Coach?”
“Yes, Kyle. Come in.”
Kyle shuffled into the office. Fresh from his post game shower, his size 10.5 flip-flop clad feet muscled his 16 year old, 5’10” frame into the room. His lacrosse shorts and “Rivertown High School” t shirt were topped with a backwards baseball cap over his shaggy hair.
“I wanted to discuss the plays you blew today.”
Kyle looked downfallen. “I’m sorry, Coach. There are so many plays. I have trouble remembering them all.”
“It’s tough, I know, and you aren’t the first player in this position. There are some things you can do to help with that if you are interested.”
“Yes!” Kyle excitedly exclaimed. “I’ll do anything.”
“OK.” the Coach said. “Go down to training room 4 at the end of the locker room. Greg will be there to help.”
Kyle looked a bit nervous. He had heard of other players going to TR4 for additional help and nobody ever talked about what happened there. “Uh, Ok Coach.”
He go up and walked out of the office, the sound of his flip flops smacking against his bare soles echoing in the hallway.
Down the steps and through the weight room and then into the back corridor. TR4 was the only room in this hall. When he got there, Assistant Captain Brandon was standing in front of the closed door.
“Hey, Kyle. Looking to improve your game?”
“Yeah. Coach said this will help.”
“Sure will,” Brandon said opening the door. “Let’s go in.”
The room was 10 by 10. The walls had some kind of foam covering them. At 1 end was a blackboard. Facing the blackboard was what looked like a set of colonial stocks, the kind you sit in. Brandon closed the door.
“Okay, have a seat.”
Kyle looked confused.
“Don’t worry, it’s just to keep you focused on the board. No biggie.”
Kyle shrugged and sat down. Brandon instructed him to put his feet through the ankle stocks. He closed the top and pinned it. He then had Kyle put his wrists through the top holes which were quickly pinned shut as well. Kyle noticed he could look over the stocks at his feet but couldn’t reach them.
“What’s this bar for?” Kyle asked about the metal rod that ran behind his toes.
“Toe spreader,” Brandon said sitting down in front of the stocks and opening a small chest next to a small bucket, both of which Kyle hadn’t noticed before. “For training.” He pulled some string out of the chest. He then removed Kyle’s flip flops, his big, wide, bare soles looking vulnerable. Brandon quickly tied Kyle’s toes to the bar, pulling the toes back and apart. when he was finished, the big jock’s smooth soles were stretched taught and the toes spread wide.
“Move your feet,” Brandon said. Kyle tried but found his feet were completely immobile. Nothing but the muscles in his soles twitching slightly as he tried to break them free.
“Ok,” Brandon said ,”let’s begin.” He stood up and went to the board. “You need to go over plays 1-5, correct?”
Kyle nodded.
“The best way is for me to draw them out for you. We will be the X’s and the other team the O’s.” He reached to the board ledge and picked up a pen. “We’ll start at play 1,” he said sitting down in front of Kyle’s feet again, “and go through play 5.”
Kyle looked confused. “Why are you sitting there? You can’t write on the board.”
“I’m not going to used the board,” Brandon said taking off the pen cap.
“Then what are you going to…” Kyle began then stopped with a look of surprised and horror on his face. “Oh no! You can’t!”
“Can’t what?”
“Write on my feet! You can’t!”
“I don’t know about that. I think there’s enough room on these wide soles,” Brandon said. Kyle tried to curl his toes. “Nice try, but that won’t help. I tied these bad boys pretty good. Tying the toes back keeps your soles stretched tight so you can’t curl your toes or put any wrinkles in you soles to reduce the sensation. Pulling the toes apart opens up those sensitive spaces in between that have always been protected. Ingenious really. Play 1.”
“No! No! don’t.. AHHHHH HAAAAAA HAAAA! Oh my G- AHHHHH AH HHA HA!” Kyle laughed as Brandon drew the X’s and O’s on his soft, smooth soles. He began to explain the running and passing with solid and dotted lines that moved up and down the length of his soles.
“STOP! PLEAHHHA HA SE STAHHAAHAHAAP!” It was intensely ticklish, probably the worst tickling Kyle had in his entire young life. The stretched soles magnifying every stroke.
After play 1 was complete, Brandon took a small fingernail brush from the bucket which was filled with soapy water. He scrubbed the sole clean.
“C’MON! DON’T USE THAT BRUSHHAAAHAAHHAHAAA! LEAVE ‘EM HAHA HAA HAAAA DIRTY!”
“Can’t, big boy. 5 plays, 2 feet. Do the math.”
He drew play 2 on his other foot and alternated back and forth for plays 3 and 4. The entire time Kyle begged and pleaded, bucking in the stocks.
“PLEAHHHAHAHAAAASE. I CAHHHHN’T STANDHAHAHAHAAA IT! STOP! hA HA HAAAA!”
the plays increased in their complexity, with running circles and lateral running across the width of Kyle’s feet. Play 5 was the killer. It was so complex it required both feet for 1 play, with much of the lateral running occurring at the base of the toes. Kyle’s most ticklish spot. Brandon thought he’d break the stocks with his bucking.
“OH G-NOT THERE! HAAA HAAA HAHAHA! PLEASE! NOT THAT! HA HA! I CAN”T TAKE IT! HAAHAHHHAAAHA ! HAHA! STOP! OH STOP!”
When Brandon finished cleaning Kyle’s feet after play 5 he gave the sweaty jock a minute to rest.
“Ok, quiz time.”
“What?” Kyle panted. “You got to be kidding!”
“well, how do we know if you’ve learned? what I am going to do is draw the teams and begin the play. You have to tell me what to do and how to complete it. You need to get all 5 in a row without any errors.”
“Brandon, don’t!” Kyle pleaded. “I can’t.. HA HA HA !”
Brandon drew the X’s and O’s and started the first line. “Ok, now what?”
“Run left,” Kyle said. “HAHHHAHAAA!” he laughed a Brandon drew the correct line.
“And then?” Brandon asked?
“I can’t remember,” Kyle said.
“Don’t worry. This will help.” Brandon pulled a stiff feather from the chest and began to drag the quill up and down Kyle’s other sole.
“HAAHAAA! NOT BOTH FEET! HAAHA HA HA!”
“The feather will stop once you remember” He pulled the feather slowly through the sensitive space between the big toe and second toe.
“OH! OH! HAHAHHHAAAA! NOT THE TOES! STOP! AHAHHHHA! TO THE RIGHAAAHAT! TO THE RIGHT!”
“Correct!” Brandon exclaimed and stopped the feather.
This continued through out the 5 plays, Brandon occasionally having to step up the feather to a stiff bristled hair brush to help jog Kyle’s memory. It took about half an hour before Kyle could get all 5 plays correctly in one shot.
“Good,” Brandon said. “You’ll remember these next game.” He unhinged the stocks. Kyle was too exhausted to move, his shaggy hair matted to his forehead. “Don’t forget these. You don’t want the Coach to send you down here for punishment. It’s worse. Ask Greg the captain.”