Training A Hockey Star

Chapter One

Josh

I was sitting on my couch with a beer in my hand watching a clip of Rudy play. He’s one of the all time greats, and I feel proud that he comes from my little corner of the world. I guess the rest of us do as well. It wouldn’t surprise me if a statue gets erected of him by the time his career is over. It’s not like our small town is famous for anything else. Rudy is an inspiration to us all, and it’s easy to see why. Watching him on the ice is like watching a master artist at work. The ice is his canvas, the hockey stick his paintbrush, except by the end of the game he’s cloaked in blood and sweat rather than paint. I watch as he surges past an opponent, their hockey stick is flailing in the air as they try to trip him up, and fail. Then he swivels, before striking the puck. It’s like he’s pulled off a magic trick. One moment the puck is by his stick, the next it’s in the goal and the keeper is standing there, as stunned as the rest of us. Rudy turns away and lifts his stick in the air triumphantly. He pulls his helmet off and I can see the pure joy on his face. It’s infectious and I can’t stop smiling.

That’s the effect he has on people.

That’s the effect he has on the whole town.

He’s a goddamn hero, and he’s going to be my client.

I take another swig of my beer to calm my nerves, and I wipe clammy moisture off my palms. Skin peels off my lips as I gnaw at them and I wonder if I’m actually going to be able to pull this off. I’d only contacted him on the off chance that he might want some training on the off season. If I managed to get a good review from him then my fledgling business could take flight. I was never going to be as successful as Rudy, and there certainly wasn’t going to be a statue of me near the town hall, but I could at least make a name for myself and become a success, which is more than most people could hope for in this place.

Rudy is going to be my first client and I almost can’t believe that he’s going to entrust his fitness to me. I keep thinking that it’s some strange dream, that I’m going to wake up and find out this is all make believe. Look at him, the crowd is cheering him, pinpricks of light flash behind him as they try to capture his image in a photograph. I just know that he’s the key. If I can get him as a regular client then who knows who else I’ll be able to get? But he’s the crown jewel, he’s the one I really want.

The only thing that’s surprising to me is that, as he wheels away after scoring, none of his teammates skate beside him. It’s as though he’s alone on the ice, as if he has the entire world to himself. I know what loneliness is like, although I don’t imagine he’s alone off the ice. A man like him must always have someone around. There is something ethereal about him, something that makes him larger than life, something hypnotic. It took a while before I realized how long I had been staring at him, but that was the mark of a great man. They held the world in their hands, and nothing could rip it from them.

*

It was the first day of our training session and I paced about the gym nervously. I’d rented out a small space. It was humble, but it would do, considering I only had one client. I’d been studying furiously, so much so that I’d barely slept the past few nights. Nerves were churning in the pit of my stomach and I kept shifting my gaze between the clock and the door, for Rudy was late.

Maybe I had been too optimistic to think that Rudy would actually show up. I was a trainer with no reputation, just starting out, and he was a hockey star. Of course he could have done better than me. I looked around at my humble beginnings and let out a dry chuckle. Sometimes I wondered if I should have done what Mom said and thrown away this dream because it was never going to put food on my table. But I didn’t want to end up like everyone else here.

I wanted to be like Rudy.

Then it happened.

The door opened and he walked in. I didn’t realize until a few moments later that I had been holding my breath. The air seemed to shimmer around him, and that was how I knew I was in the presence of greatness. He seemed larger than life on the TV screen, but in person the effect was magnified. He looked like a giant, and my lips parted in awe.

He looked around at the gym and nodded, then walked up to me, holding out his hand.

You’re Josh I guess? he said in his pleasant drawl. I took his hand. The grip was firm, his smile magnetic, and his eyes seemed to drill right into the depths of me. This was the difference between people like him and people like me. He made an impression on people.

Yes, that’s right. It’s a great honor to meet you, and I’m glad that you’re here. I look forward to working with you, I said, trying to remain professional, but it was difficult to not let my fawning admiration seep through.

Yeah, well, I thought I’d better keep myself tuned up during the off season. I wouldn’t want to lose that edge, he said, and dumped his exercise bag by his feet.

Of course. I’ve researched a lot of diets and I’ve put together a few nutrition plans based on what you want to accomplish on the off season. I don’t know if you want to put on some extra muscle or if you just want to maintain things for the moment, I said, trying to keep my voice calm. Nerves were bubbling inside me and I didn’t want to appear unprofessional, like I was just some fan who caught a lucky break, which as it happens is what I did feel like.

Rudy scoffed. Don’t you think I’m in good enough shape already? he asked, flexing his arm under his tight t-shirt. It was impossible to not admire his figure, purely from an aesthetic perspective of course. The angles of his body were illuminated in such a way that they flowed from one to the other. It was as though he had been sculpted by a master craftsman, every imperfection chipped away until what was left was this pure form.

Sure, sure, I said, feeling sheepish. What right did I have to tell this successful athlete how to look after his body.

Look, I’m not going to lie, all I really need is for someone to help me stretch and things so I keep limber. The season is intense and I don’t want my off season to be all serious. I don’t get the chance to come home often so I’m planning to enjoy myself, and that involves drinking copious amounts of beer and relaxing a little.

I tilted my head and summoned up my courage. Are you… are you sure that that’s a good idea? I mean, you don’t want to lose your touch for the season.

As soon as the words slipped out of my mouth I regretted saying them. His head snapped around to glare at me, and his eyes were like two shards of ice, cutting and chilled.

Are you going to tell me how to manage my body? Don’t you think I’ve picked a few things up considering I’ve played hockey… oh… let’s see, he started to count on his fingers before he yelled, all my life! He marched towards me and I got a sense of what other players must have felt when they collided on the ice. Let’s get one thing straight, the words flew like bullets from his mouth. I’m not here because I’m paying for the best. I’m here because the club needs me to have someone watching over my fitness so they can have peace of mind. I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing this for them, and the sad thing is that this rinky-dink town doesn’t have anyone of the caliber I need. So congratulations, you’ve got the job. If you play your cards right then this is going to be the easiest job you’ve ever had because all I need is a few sessions a week and then a report sent to the club. Other than that, I plan to enjoy myself while I’m home. And you get to say that you have me as a client. Frankly I would have thought you’d be jumping for joy. Do you know how much of a big deal I am?

Y-yes, I stammered, averting my gaze because I was afraid of the thunder in his eyes.

He prodded me in the chest. Well then, I hope that you know you can stuff your nutrition plans because I’ve had enough of that. I’m not going to do anything I don’t want to do, and if you try and push me, then I can bury you just as much as I can make you. Do you understand?

I swallowed a lump in my throat. Suddenly my dream had turned into a nightmare and what else could I do but go along with him? He was Rudy fucking Marsh, and I was just a nobody. I had to do what he said.

The worst, most humiliating thing was at the end of the session. He’d dismissed me and I was sitting on a chair, waiting for time to crawl by so that I could get out of there. I never thought holding a training session with Rudy Marsh would end up making me feel like crap. I watched him go through the motions, going far gentler than I would have been. He barely warmed up before he told me that he was ready to go, but before he did he had something he finally wanted me to do. At first I was just glad to actually do my job. I started to rise, assuming that he wanted my help to stretch or something, but