Bobby and the Coach
Chapter 9
A few days later they flew back to the States, via Canada, to try to put the press off. First stop after that was Bobby's parents. They hoped to avoid the press, but they were cannier than David gave them credit for. The morning after their arrival, the front of the house was a sea of press and TV crews. David knew they would have no peace unless they cut a deal so after breakfast with the parents, he went out to talk to them.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to offer you a deal. Bobby McKinley and I are planning to spend a couple of weeks with his parents. We would like this to be a pleasant family period. If you will leave us alone to enjoy this time we will give you a full press conference, somewhere near here of your choosing so that you can set up all your equipment for best results. The alternative is that however much you hound us, I swear, neither of us will utter a single word in your presence. I'll leave you to discuss it and then if you send a spokesman up to the house we can sort it. If any more of you trespass on the property we will call the local police to arrest you and remove you."
David turned and walked back to the house. Bobby was grinning like an idiot.
"Way to go Coach, you sure told them off."
David kissed him on the nose as he returned to the kitchen for more coffee.
"It might work, they sure as hell won't get anything if they don't fall into line and `no comment', won't sell many papers or get them many advertising slots on TV."
An hour later a knock on the door signalled complete capitulation to David's ultimatum.
"Would you guys take questions at the Town Hall banqueting suite at 1000 tomorrow?"
"Yep, no problem," was David's glib reply.
Most of the day Bobby and David were able to sit out by the pool with Mike and Sam telling them about their adventures.
"Bobby can swim for England if we get any problems here and he wants you two to come with us if we take that route."
Mike and Sam were blown away by that comment, but not nearly as much as the next one.
"Mike, Bobby and I discussed this on the way home. He needs a manager who will look out for his interests. We have an agent who works on all his endorsements and sponsorships, but neither Bobby nor I have time to monitor what he does. We need someone who will make sure the agent doesn't book him into things that will interrupt his training or impinge on his privacy. I think I could brief you on our requirements while we are here, and then you can take over and just keep us informed as and when. Also, Sam, both of us need someone to look after our wardrobes because we have to carry out so many social engagements. If you did that we would both be happy. It would mean a lot of travelling, but you would live in first class hotels when we are away from home. You would keep this house if you wanted to but you won't spend a lot of time in it during the swim season. Both salaries would be considerably more than you get at the moment and Bobby would make sure that all pension and social security payments were made as well."
"Oh no David, we couldn't take any money for looking after our son."
David laughed.
"You two slay me. If we bring in outsiders for these two jobs they will cost us much more than you two and not be nearly as good, or as helpful to Bobby as he needs. Believe me, I am offering you this because we both think you are the best people on the planet to look after us."
"But the money David, it is so much."
"Mike, it's peanuts, believe me. Bobby and I barely spend my salary, never mind the millions he earns in endorsements and appearance money. The big plus side for you two is that you will be around your son almost as much as when he lived at home."
That last comment sealed it. Sam was in tears thinking about being around her son so much again.
?Mike looked at Sam who gave him the nod.
"Alright David, we'll give our notice in tomorrow."
Bobby was delighted, could life get any better.
The press conference was a breeze. Bobby's comments sealed it for both he and David.
"Yes, I explored all the possibilities of swimming for England, and I can legally do so if I've never represented my country, which I haven't. However, after talks with my coach, my parents and the dean at USC, I am going to continue my studies here and take my chances with the United State selectors. If they decide not to select me because of my sexuality I will accept that and just swim for my college while I continue my studies. I have, with the dean's enthusiastic support decided to remain at the college to do my doctorate regardless of my swimming success, or otherwise. I am delighted to now hold the world record for the United States and I hope they will allow me to try for Olympic gold as well."
Pandemonium broke out and it was ages before calm was resumed.
"So what happens to your plans now coach?"
David knew that one was coming and smiled as he stood to the podium.
"I will be coaching the Great Britain team when my duties at USC are covered. The dean has kindly offered me a substantial increase in my salary to keep me from moving to another college and I have accepted so that I can continue to Coach Bobby McKinley."
"Will you continue with your present living arrangements, flouting the rules that are in place at every college in the United States?"
"Yes, I will. Neither Bobby nor I are happy with that but at the same time, we are going to be together come what may. We are both adults and intend to be together for the remainder of our lives. To change our living arrangements would be hypocrisy because we would still be together for everything except our actual sleeping place."
"Aren't you setting a precedent that other students will want to follow if they have a relationship with a member of staff."
"Yes, and I'm delighted to do so. No college student is younger than eighteen, at which age many go off to war to fight for their country. If they are old enough to die for their country they are old enough to decide who they sleep with, if that is a college professor, well, so be it."
"I suppose you'd allow them to drink alcohol and get married as well."
David looked belligerent as he replied. "Yes, I would to both."
"What do Bobby's parents think about your relationship?"
"They are just delighted that their son is totally happy with what he is doing with his academic and sporting talent, and that he is in a stable relationship with someone who loves him as much as they do."
There wasn't much else to say after that, both young men said they would be back at college for the start of the new semester and hoped the swim team would enjoy the same success as they did last season, even though Bobby might be absent a lot if selected for the National team.
Mike and Sam had listened to it all and showed how proud they were of Bobby for the way he handled the press.
"I hope I can handle them as well, Son, when I'm your manager."
Bobby hugged his pa.
"I'm sure you will Pa, it's only the first time that's a bit daunting."
It was quite an entourage that headed back to college.
An apartment was rented for Sam and Mike, sophisticated communications were set up for them and the agent to talk to David and Bobby whenever they needed to and Bobby was back in training. The semester went as planned, with Bobby still piling in the academic time necessary to get the degree he wanted. Christmas they decamped to Mike and Sam's, repeating what they had done the year before.
The next semester, everything changed. The national swimming team coach wanted his Olympic squad almost full time, in Bobby's case, setting up tutoring so that he wouldn't lose time and impetus in his studies. It meant leaving David, who had to remain for the college team. They talked every day however and David quickly realised Bobby was not happy with the national coach.
"He wants me to do things so different to the way you have taught me David. It isn't working for me. My times are starting to get worse and that's not happened since my first week at college."
David tried to reassure him, not he realised successfully when Bobby walked into their apartment one evening carrying all his sports kit and his clothes.
"I'm sorry David, I can't work with the coach. My times have deteriorated every week since I've been away. I'm coming back to college. I'll continue to swim for you and the college, but I think we can forget about the Olympics."
David was amazed, Bobby didn't sound at all upset, just completely matter of fact. He had made his decision and would just get on with it. David didn't try to change his mind. What he did though was telephone a few papers and TV stations anonymously and tell them what had happened. He also talked openly to the American OC President, just laying out the facts, with no histrionics.
"Bobby would love to represent his country, but his times have deteriorated so badly under the national coach that he knows he would disgrace himself, so he has returned to college and resigned from the squad."
Bobby resumed training with David while the proverbial shit hit the fan'. Neither of them would talk to the press about it always replying to questions with, no comment', or `talk to the American OC President'.
While everyone else accused each other of failing Bobby, and the press screaming for him to be re-instated, Bobby and David got back to training. Bobby's times started to improve again until he was back at world record performance. The press found out, another anonymous telephone call, and the OC President called to arrange a meeting. A national rep, the national coach, Bobby and David.
"I don't have room for prima donnas in my squad," was the opening shot from the national coach.
"Bobby McKinley has never been a prima donna. He has always worked with and for his team. Your coaching methods are all wrong for him, and probably for the rest of the squad, but Bobby's times are now back to where they were before you got hold of him. However, we aren't here to make waves. Bobby has resigned and is not making a fuss about it. He is quite happy to concentrate on his academics and swim for this college."
"You are doing a lot of talking Mr. Hanson, what do you have to say Bobby?"
"Nothing more than David has said. I'm sorry coach, but your training methods don't suit me. I have had more than a year of David coaching me and my body obviously likes his methods. My times deteriorated every week I was with the national squad, but since I have been back with David they have improved almost daily."
This rang bells with the National OC rep.
"Coach, I'm going to suggest to the president that you take David Hanson as your assistant and try to work his methods into your programme. He has, after all, coached the best college team in the country for the last two season so he must be doing something right. Let's see if he can help the national squad now."
Of course that wasn't going to be acceptable and the national coach got up and walked out.
David shrugged his shoulders, started to load his briefcase with his papers and said, "I guess that says it all. Sorry this meeting wasted all our times. Bobby and I will return to USC."
That happened for one week, then the National OC Chairman made a personal visit to David and asked him to take over as national coach, effective immediately.
"Of course, Bobby McKinley will be expected to join your squad."
Enough said. David had to hand over to an assistant, but took with him another two of his squad who he thought would be good enough for the Olympics in a few months time.
The committee monitored the swimmers performance and were amazed at the improvements all of them showed. There were two reasons for that. David's methods were definitely superior to the other coach's, but his attitude was the biggest single factor. He pulled the squad together in the same way he had the college team. They all worked just that little bit harder so as not to let down their team mates. Bobby was of course the inspiration, never changing the way he treated other people, always happy to help his team mates during training, always happy to sign autographs for fans as he left training, never behaving like the star he was. A few homophobes were converted when they saw how Bobby behaved, his work rate was phenomenal, and his love and respect for David always shone through.
The Olympics were a breeze for him. He picked up the two gold medals expected of him, made a multitude of friends of all nationalities and broke world and Olympic records on the way. The remainder of the team were no slouches either, picking up better medals than originally expected. David's position as an international swimming coach was cemented and he was lauded by fans all over the States when they went to any swimming event.
Bobby returned to college and obtained a first class MBA, remaining at the college to do a Doctorate and along with David, keeping USC at the top of college swimming. He went to the world championships two years after the Olympics, and another Olympics when he was just 24, taking the two gold medals at both of them.
"I really think it's time I went out and did an honest day's work David. I really don't want to become a professional student."
"Why don't you apply to a Sports Management Company, Bobby and after a few years start your own."
Even without his degree the companies he applied to would have taken him, his name opened more doors than a decade in corporate management would do.
The family hadn't suffered either. Mike's grounding as Bobby's manager had opened many doors for him as well leading to a first class management position with a sports company when Bobby no longer needed him. The house in Hills Creek was sold and Sam chose her dream house in the hills above Los Angeles, where they settled.
David eventually resigned as national coach and accepted a coaching appointment in California bringing the family together again.
At the age of 30, Bobby started his own sports management company, taking Mike as his deputy and Sam as his corporate secretary, looking after the individual athletes and sporting stars that came to him for management. David continued to coach and the two of them continued in a monogamous relationship. When Bobby's fortune reached $100 million all four retired. Mike and Sam to the kind of life they could only have dreamed of 25 years before, Bobby and David to continue in a philanthropic roll, supporting budding athletic super stars.
Snuggled together in bed on the day after David's 60th. Birthday, Bobby whispered to him.
"I told you I would love you forever."
THE END